ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

(10B11GE411)
Credits:3

Module:1
By
Dr. Shina Gautam
Department of Chemical Engineering, JUET, Guna
 Module1
Syllabus
Part-1
The Multidisciplinary nature of environmental
studies: Definition, scope and importance,
Need for public awareness.
Part-2
Types of Ecosystems, World Biomes,
Ecosystem functioning, Biogeochemical
cycles.
 Environment Definition
According to Environment (Protection)
Act, 1986:
Environment is sum of total water, air
and land, inter-relationship among
themselves and also with the human
beings, and other living organism.
 Environment Definition
The sum of all external factors, both
biotic (living) and abiotic (nonliving), to
which an organism is exposed. Biotic
factors include influences by members of
the same and other species on the
development and survival of the
individual. Primary abiotic factors are
light, temperature, water, atmospheric
gases, and ionizing radiation which
influence any function of an individual.
Components of Environment
Chemicals on earth are distributed among four major
environmental components or conceptual spheres­
atmosphere- The atmosphere may be considered
as a transport component that moves substances from
atmospheric sources to receptors.
hydrosphere – composed of all of the water on or
near the earth. This includes the oceans, rivers, lakes.
lithosphere- the solid shell of inorganic materials on the
surface of the earth. It is composed of soil particles and
the underlying rocks down to a depth of 50 km.
biosphere - thin shell of organic matter on the
surface of earth comprising of all the living things. It
occupies the least volume of all of the spheres but it is
the cause of the majority of the flow of matter through
nature.
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES-
THE SUBJECT AND ITS MULTIDISCIPLINARY NATURE
• The systematic study of our environment and our
interaction with it, is known as environmental science.
• It has the characteristics of various disciplines of life
science as botany, zoology, microbiology,
biochemistry, biotechnology and genetics.
• It also interacts with basic sciences such as physics,
chemistry, mathematics and some other aspects of life
such as religion, laws, economics, management and
social issues.
 Therefore, it may be concluded that environmental
science is a multidisciplinary topic of discussion
dealing with almost each and every aspect of life that
is related to us in any way.
o Environmental Engineering is one of the most
complex and fastest growing discies in engineering.
The scope of the field includes issues from public
health protection to aesthetics and from the impact
on business development to the development of
legislation, standards, regulations, and guidelines,
to their enforcement and environmental protection.

o The Issues include contaminants in gases, liquids,

and solids and the phase transfers of the
contaminants.

o The sub-specialties of environmental engineering

address all these areas including the treatment of
water, liquid waste, solid waste, and gaseous
materials, protection of the environment through
preventive measures, and the development of
effective regulations.
Continued…
o Environmental engineers should have the
necessary skills to address these issues and
improve the quality of life of humans and other
living things in an effective, sustainable, and
economical manner.

o A challenging aspect of environmental

engineering is the rapid changes in the field
due to the rate of knowledge increase in the
fields of science, technology and health.

o Accordingly environmental engineers have to

understand the fundamental change to
sustainable management and the legal, social,
and political components related to it.
 OBJECTIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL
EDUCATION
 Most environmental educators have since
universally adopted these objectives.
1. Awareness
2. Knowledge
3. Attitude
4. Skills
5. Participation
IMPORTANCES OF ENVIRONMENTAL
EDUCATION
1) Helps in economy and welfare of human society
2) To find ways and means to maintain ecological
balance
3) To achieve Eco-friendly product and methods
4) To know different disposal method for the removal
of waste
5) To conserve our fast depleting natural resources
6) To understand different food chains and the
ecological balance in nature
7) Helps in inculcating attitude and values,
encouraging environmental protection and
understanding of interdependency of nature and
man
 SCOPE OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
 They are broadly listed below:
 Natural resources-Their
conservation and management
 Ecology
 Biodiversity and its conservation
 Environmental pollution and control
 Natural disasters
 Development
 Social issues in relation to
development and environment
 Human population and environment
 NEED FOR PUBLIC AWARENESS
 We should not extracting unnecessarily and
exhaustively the natural resources such as
underground water, minerals etc.
 We should not harness too much energy such
as from burning of fossil fuel.
 We should not cut the trees and use timber for
aesthetic pleasure such as in decorating our
houses.
 We should preserve forest cover area.
 We should formulate and obey the moral codes
meant for achieving a better environment.
 Environmental treaties
o Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change (Kyoto, 1997): The Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC or
FCCC), an international environmental treaty produced at the
United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED),
informally known as the Earth Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,
from 3–14 June 1992. The treaty is intended to achieve "stabilization of
greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would
prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto_Protocol
o Vienna Convention to Protect the Ozone Layer (Vienna)
The Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer is a
multilateral environmental agreement. It was agreed upon at the Vienna
Conference of 1985 and entered into force in 1987.It acts as a framework
for the international efforts to protect the ozone layer. However, it does not
include legally binding reduction goals for the use of CFCs, the main
chemical agents causing ozone depletion. These are laid out in the
accompanying Montreal Protocol.
 Environmental treaties...
• The Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the
Ozone Layer: is an international treaty designed to protect
the ozone layer by phasing out the production of a number
of substances believed to be responsible for ozone
depletion. The treaty was opened for signature on
September 16, 1987 and entered into force on January 1,
1989 followed by a first meeting in Helsinki, May 1989.
Since then, it has undergone seven revisions, in 1990
(London), 1991 (Nairobi), 1992 (Copenhagen), 1993
(Bangkok), 1995 (Vienna), 1997 (Montreal), and 1999
(Beijing). It is believed that if the international agreement is
adhered to, the ozone layer is expected to recover by 2050.
Due to its widespread adoption and implementation it has
been hailed as an example of exceptional international co-
operation with Kofi Annan quoted as saying it is "Perhaps
the single most successful international agreement to date
has been the Montreal Protocol".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal_Protocol
 ECOSYSTEM
• Definition according to A.G.
Tansely(1935)
 “The system resulting from the
integration of all the living and non
living factors of the environment”.
Thus ecosystem as including not only
the organic complex, but also the
whole complex of physical factors
forming the environment.
 ECOLOGY
• Can be defined as the branch of biology
concerned with the relations with the
organism to one another and to their
surrounding.

• Often defined as “the study of

ecosystem.”
 TYPES OF ECOSYSTEM
 Natural ecosystem  Artificial ecosystem
o (controlled by nature) o (controlled and
(a) Aquatic: manipulated by man)
1. Marine
2. Fresh water:
lentic (pond)
lotic (river)
3. Esturine
(b) Terrestial:
1. grassland
2. desert
3. forest
4. tundra
5. polar
 ECOSYSTEM CHARACTERISTICS
(a) Structural Features
 Abiotic (non-living)  Biotic (living) component
component  Autotrophs or producers
 Climatic factors (soils, (algae,green plants,
atmosphere, solar grasses)
radiation)  Heterotrophs or consumers
 Chemical factors  Macro consumers
 Inorganic primary (herbivores),
substances(H,C,N,P,S, secondary (small
K) carnivores),
 Organic substances tertiory (large carnivores),
(carbohydrates, quartenary (omnivores).
proteins, lipids, humus  Micro consumers
etc.) detrivores or decomposers
Eg. Green plant-rabbit-fox-
wolf-tiger
 ECOSYSTEM CHARACTERISTICS
(b) Functional Attributes
 Grouped into FOUR primary categories
1. Regulation functions: to regulate ecological processes
and life support systems through bio-geochemical
cycles and other biospheric processes.
2. Habitat functions: provide reproduction habitat to wild
plants and animals.
3. Production functions: carbohydrate structures
provides many ecosystem goods for human
consumption, ranging from food and raw materials to
energy resources and genetic material.
4. Information functions: provides opportunities for
reflection, spiritual enrichment, cognitive
development, recreation and aesthetic experience.
 Regulation and habitat are essential to maintenance of
natural processes and components, and are therefore
conditional to the maintenance of the availability of
the other two function-groups.
 FOOD CHAINS AND WEBS
• Food chains are the pathways along which nutrients pass
through an ecosystem.
• The sequence of eating and being eaten in an ecosystem
is known as food chain.
• For instance, a typical food chain in a field ecosystem is

• Food web is a network of food chains where different

types of organisms are connected at different trophic
levels. Generally, many interconnections exist within
food webs.
 BlOMES
A biome is a large area with similar flora,
fauna, and microorganisms. The following are
the major biomes of the world.
 Mountains (High Elevation)
 Temperate Forests
 Marine Islands
 Deserts
 Tropical Dry Forests
 Cold Climate Forests
 Grasslands
 Savannahs
 Tropical Rainforests
 QUESTIONS
1. Define the term “Environment”. Explain the
importance of environmental studies in present
context.
2. What is an environment? Enumerate and discuss
its various components.
3. Explain the need for public awareness about the
environment and its degradation.
4. Explain the objectives and guiding principles of
environmental studies.
5. Write an explanatory note on the
multidisciplinary nature of environmental studies.
 BlOME AND ECOSYSTEM
 An ecosystem is much smaller than a biome. Conversely, a
biome can be defined as various similar ecosystems
throughout the world grouped together. An ecosystem can
be as large as the Sahara Desert, or as small as a puddle.

 Ecosystems will fail if they do not remain in balance. No

community can carry more organisms than its food, water,
and shelter can accommodate. Food and territory are
often balanced by natural phenomena such as fire, disease,
and the number of predators. Each organism has its own
role to play.

 We have affected ecosystems in almost every way

imaginable! Every time we walk out in the wilderness or
bulldoze land for a new construction, we are drastically
altering an ecosystem. We have disrupted the food chain,
the carbon cycle, the nitrogen cycle, and the water cycle.
Mining minerals also takes its toll on an ecosystem. We
need to do our best not to interfere in these ecosystems
and let nature take its toll.
 ENERGY FLOW THROUGH THE
ECOSYSTEM
• Energy "flows" through the ecosystem in the
form of carbon-carbon bonds. When respiration
occurs, the carbon-carbon bonds are broken and
the carbon is combined with oxygen to form
carbon dioxide. This process releases the
energy, which is either used by the organism (to
move its muscles, digest food, excrete wastes
etc.) or the energy may be lost as heat.
• All energy comes from the sun, and that the
ultimate fate of all energy in ecosystems is to be
lost as heat. Energy does not recycle.
 INORGANIC NUTRIENTS FLOW THROUGH
THE ECOSYSTEM
• Inorganic nutrients include the phosphorous in our teeth,
bones, and cellular membranes; the nitrogen in our
amino acids (the building blocks of protein); and the iron
in our blood.
• The autotrophs obtain these inorganic nutrients from the
inorganic nutrient pool, which is usually the soil or
water surrounding the plants or algae.
• These inorganic nutrients are passed from organism to
organism as one organism is consumed by another.
Ultimately, all organisms die and become detritus, food
for the decomposers. At this last stage, the energy is
extracted (and lost as heat) and the inorganic nutrients
are returned to the soil or water to be taken up again.
The inorganic nutrients are recycled, but the energy is
not recycled.
Energy and nutrient transfer through ecosystem
 BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES
• Energy does not recycle through an ecosystem, but
chemicals do. Since the inorganic chemicals get recycled
through both the biological and the geological world, we
call the overall cycles biogeochemical cycles.
• Each chemical has its own unique cycle. Reservoirs are
those parts of the cycle where the chemical is held in large
quantities for long periods of time. In exchange pools the
chemical is held for only a short time. The length of time a
chemical is held in an exchange pool or a reservoir is
termed its residence time. The oceans are a reservoir for
water, while a cloud is an exchange pool.
• The biotic community may serve as an exchange pool and
also serve to move chemicals from one stage of the cycle
to another. For instance, the trees of the tropical rain
forest bring water up from the forest floor to be
evaporated into the atmosphere.
 THE WATER CYCLE (HYDROLOGIC CYCLE)
The precipitation and evaporation continues for
ever, and thereby a balance is maintained between
the two.
 CARBON CYCLE
carbon is not one of the most abundant elements within the Earth's crust. In fact
lithosphere is only 0.032% carbon by weight. In comparison, oxygen and silicon
respectively make 45.2% and 29.4% of the Earth's surface rocks. The
concentration of carbon in living matter (18%: almost 100 times greater than its
concentration in the earth (0.19%), The key events in the carbon cycle are the
complementary reaction of respiration and photosynthesis. Respiration takes
carbohydrates and oxygen and combines them to form carbon dioxide, water, and
energy. Photosynthesis takes carbon dioxide and water and produces
 OXYGEN CYCLE
The carbon cycle explained earlier covers the oxygen
cycle also because these atoms are often combined.
Oxygen is present in the carbon dioxide, carbohydrates
and water. Oxygen is released to the atmosphere by
autotrophs during photosynthesis and taken up by both
autotrophs and heterotrophs during respiration. All the
oxygen in the atmosphere is biogenic, i.e. it was
released from water through photosynthesis by
autotrophs.
It took about two billion years for autotrophs (mostly
cyanobacteria) to raise the oxygen content of the
atmosphere to the current 21 %. This opened the door
for complex organisms such as multicellular animals
which need a lot of oxygen. This in turn enabled the
evolution of complex organisms such as animals and
human beings.
 NITROGEN CYCLE

The nitrogen cycle represents one of the most

important nutrient cycles found in terrestrial
ecosystems.
 NITROGEN CYCLE
Human activities have severely altered the nitrogen cycle.
Some of the major processes involved in this, alteration
include the following:
 The application of nitrogen fertilizers to crops has caused
increased rates of denitrification and leaching of nitrate into
groundwater. The additional nitrogen entering the
groundwater system eventually flows into streams, rivers,
lakes, and estuaries. In these systems, the added nitrogen
lead to eutrophication.
 Increased deposition of nitrogen from atmospheric sources
because of fossil fuel combustion and forest burning. Both of
these processes release a variety of solid forms of nitrogen
through combustion.
 Livestock release large amounts of ammonia into the
environment from their wastes. This nitrogen enters the soil
system and then the hydrologic system through leaching,
groundwater flow, and runoff.
 Autotrophs take phosphorus from phosphate
present in rocks.
It is an important constituent of cell membranes, DNA,
RNA and ATP. Animals may also use phosphorus as a
component of bones, teeth and shells.
 SULPHUR CYCLE
Sulphur is mainly found on Earth as sulphates in rocks or
as free sulphur. Sulphur also occurs in combination with
several metals such as lead and mercury, as PbS and HgS.
 QUESTIONS
1. Define ecology and ecosystem. Explain the role of
producers, consumers and decomposers in an
ecosystem.
2. What is ecosystem? Discuss the biotic and abiotic
components of an ecosystem.
3. What are food chains and food webs? Explain with the
help of examples.
4. What is an ecosystem? Describe briefly the forest
ecosystem and aquatic ecosystem.
5. Discuss the structure and function of
(1) forest ecosystem (2) Lake ecosystem
6. What is biogeochemical cycling? Explain the water
cycle with the help of the diagram.
7. Explain biogeochemical cycle. How the flow of
elemental nitrogen occurs in the ecosystem.
8. With a neat sketch, explain how the elemental carbon
is recycled in nature.