ENVIRONMENT Definition: Environment literally means surrounding and everything that affect an organism during its lifetime is collectively known as its environment. In another words “Environment is sum total of water, air and land interrelationships among themselves and also with the human being, other living organisms and property”. It includes all the physical and biological surrounding and their interactions. Environmental studies provide an approach towards understanding the environment of our planet and the impact of human life upon the environment. Thus environment is actually global in nature, it is a multidisciplinary subject including physics, geology, geography, history, economics, physiology, biotechnology, remote sensing, geophysics, soil science and hydrology etc. Scope of Environmental Science Environmental science is a multidisciplinary science whose basic aspects have a direct relevance to every section of the society. Its main aspects are: • Conservation of nature and natural resources. • Conservation of biological diversity. • Control of environmental pollution. • Stabilization of human population and environment. • Social issues in relation to development and environment. • Development of non-polluting renewable energy system and providing new dimension to nation’s security.Ecosystem According to A.G. Tansley (1935), “An ecosystem is the ecological unit consisting of biotic factors (living) and abiotic factors (non-living) in a specific area. For example forest, grassland, desert, aquatic etc. Balanced Ecosystem: All ecosystems, even the ultimate biosphere are open systems. There is necessarily at least an inflow and outflow of energy. Balance of ecosystem means balance of autotrophs and heterotrophs in an ecosystem, to maintain an even distribution of sustainable energy through food chain without any external interference. Any disturbance in autotrophic-heterotrophic balance leads to ecosystem imbalance, more the imbalance more externals are required to balance. Bigger the ecosystems lesser is the imbalance. Balance infact designates to greater primary producers than consumer. Stability of Ecosystem: An ecosystem which has attained maturity is by and large is a very stable system. It is controlled by feedback mechanic who may be either positive or negative. Structure and Function of an Ecosystem An ecosystem has two types of components— 1. Abiotic 2. Biotic. 1. Abiotic component includes— (A) Physical (1) Sunlight (for photosynthesis) (2) Water (essential for living beings) (3) Temperature (necessary to get survive) (4) Soil (provide base and nutrients) (B) Chemical (1) Proteins (2) Carbohydrates (3) Fats (4) Minerals etc. 2. Biotic component (1) Producers/Autotrophs (2) Consumer/heterotrophs (3) Decomposers Producers: They are chlorophyll bearing, self nourishing organisms, which prepare organic compounds from inorganic raw materials, through the processes of photosynthesis e.g. all green plants.

1. Introduction to Environment Science
Amrinder Singh
Assistant Professor
Department of Agriculture
Desh Bhagat University

2. Environment
• Environmental Science: “The systematic &
scientific study of our environment and our role in it.
This branch include the knowledge of Pure science
& to some extent Social Sciences”.
• Environmental Studies: “The branch of Study
concerned with environmental issues. It has a
broader coverage than environment science and
includes the social aspects of the environment”.

3. Environment
• Definition:- “All the living and non living
factors affecting an organism and ultimately
determining its form and survival is known as
Environment.”
• Some other Definitions of Environment:-
• “ All the external factors influencing the life
and activity of people, plant and animals”.
• “ All the things (i.e. Object & Circumstances)
surrounding us is known as Environment”.

4. Most Precise Definition of Environment
• Environment is Define as “The Complex of Physical,
Chemical & Biotic factors affecting an organism
and ultimately determining its form and survival” is
known as Environment.

5. Ecology
• Definition:- Ecology is derived from two
Greek words “Oikos” & “Logos”
• Ecology= Oikos + Logos
• Oikos means house or dwelling place
• Logos means study
• Thus Ecology can be define as “Study of
organisms with respect to their house or
dwelling place”.

6. Ecosystem
• Definition:- Ecosystem is Define as “Natural
Functional Ecological Unit Comprising of
living organisms & their non living
environment which interact to form a self
supporting system” is known as Ecosystem.

7. Components Of Environment
• Biotic: It Includes all the living organisms.
e.g. plants, animals, birds etc.
• Abiotic: All the non living things are included
in this category.
e.g. Climatic conditions, soil, minerals etc.

8. Components of Environment
• Atmosphere: The region surrounding the
earth is known as atmosphere. Atmosphere is
generally a mixture of gases surrounding the
earth.
• Hydrosphere: All the water bodies on the earth
surface are included in hydrosphere. It includes
Oceans, rivers, glaciers, lakes, ponds, etc.

9. • Lithosphere: The uppermost part of the earth
crust is known as Lithosphere. Lithosphere
includes, soil and its particles, rocks, metal.
etc.
• Biosphere: The life supporting mantle of the
earth extending from few kilometer into the
atmosphere to the deep ocean is known as
Biosphere The region of the earth where life
exist is known as Biosphere.

10. Environmental education is a integral process
which deals with man’s interrelationship with
his nature and man made surroundings
including the relation of population growth,
pollution, resource allocation and depletion,
conservation, technology, and urban and rural
planning to the total human environment.
Importance of Environmental
Education

11. Objectives of Environmental Education
• Awareness: To help individuals and social groups to
acquire basic awareness of and sensitivity towards
the environment & its related problem.
• Knowledge: To help individuals and social groups to
acquire basic understanding of the environment, its
associated problems and their responsible role
towards the betterment of the environment.
• Attitude: To help individuals and social groups to
acquire social values, strong feeling of concern for
the environment and the motivation for actively
participating in its protection and improvement.

12. • Skills: To help individuals and social groups to
acquire the skills for solving environmental
problems.
• Evaluation ability: To help individuals and
social groups to evaluate environmental
measures and education program in terms of
ecological, political, economical, social,
aesthetic and education factors.
• Participation: To help individuals and social
groups to develop a sense of responsibility and
urgency regarding environmental problems.

13. Man –Environment Relationship
The relationship between humans and
environment has varied from the early periods
of human settlement on the earth to the
present day. The relationship between
environment and human beings has also being
varying from place to place at any given period
of time. For example, early humans considered
the environment to be dominant. They were
afraid of lightning and thunder, dense forests,
wild animals, vast oceans and large rivers, to
name a few.

14. 1) Topography of Land
The populations in the high mountainous areas, such as
the Himalayas in India, Andes in South America,
Rocky in North America, etc., have very low
settlement level. This is because the relief is rugged
here which represents obstacles in the construction of
roads, railways and communication. Due to steep
slopes, agriculture is done with a great difficulty and
industries also could not be established. These places
having very less economic activity have less
population and hence have small isolated settlements.

15. 2) Climate
Most of the areas of the earth having density less than
two persons/sq. km are not favorable for settlement
because of their unfavorable climate. Areas of cold
climate-North Siberia, Alaska etc. have low density of
population. Hot and arid regions of -Sahara, Kalahari
Desert in Africa are not suitable for human settlement.
In tropical regions due to heavy rain and temperature,
the density of population is very low, example in
Amazon basin population density is less than two
persons/sq. km. But places with favorable climate and
favorable terrain, have dense population and hence
have compact settlement.

16. 3) Soils
Fertile alluvial soils encourage dense population
which in turn gives rise to compact type of
settlement. This is so because alluvial soils give
rise to agricultural activities. Java Islands of
Indonesia has fertile soil of young volcanic
material and agriculture is an important activity,
hence dense and compact settlements are found
here. Whereas in Sumatra, due to infertile soil,
the population density is very low.

17. 4) Mineral Deposits
Mineral wealth is yet another factor responsible
for population distribution and density. The
presence of coal and iron-ore in different parts of
the world has attracted huge population. Coal
mining regions have become regions of dense
population for example, Jharkhand in India and
gold mines in Australian desert.

18. 5) Water supply
Population distribution is very much affected by
water supply. The earliest settlements or
civilizations developed on the banks of major
rivers, example-Nile, Indus, etc. Adequate water
supply provides irrigation facilities to farmers
and hence population increases due to increase
in primary activities. In dry regions, population
is concentrated in those areas where there is
water, hence nucleated- circular settlements are
found.

19. Thank you