2. Environment
Encompasses virtually everything that
surrounds an organism in a holistic
ecological approach
Life on earth experiences different types
of surroundings.
Physical environment- soil, air, water….
Biological environment – living beings.
3. Fundamental principles for the
protection of environment
Maintenance of biodiversity
Maintenance of all gaseous & material
cycles & interdependence of living
organisms among themselves & with
abiotic environments.
Maintenance of ecological order &
natural balance, which depend on the
food chain relationship, sustainable
productivity & biotic interaction.
4. Segments of environment
Natural environment :-
Abiotic component-
a) Climatic factors-solar radiation,
temperature, wind, rainfall, water
current..
b) Physical factors- light, air, pressure&
geomagnetism
5. Cont…
(c) clinical factors- oxygen, carbon
dioxide , acidity, salinity, availability of
inorganic nutrients & so on..
Biotic factors:- microbes, plants, animals &
all living organisms & their organic by-
products
6. Cont…
Man-made environment
Crop fields
Urban areas
Industrial space
Vehicles
Power plants
Telecommunications …
7. Cont…
Social environment
Formed by network of social institutions-
political, religious & economic
Family
Activities including socialization of
children, transference of cultural heritage
& morals from one generation to the next.
8. Environment of the earth
Air / Atmosphere:
Envelope of gases– nitrogen, oxygen,
carbon dioxide, traces of carbon
monoxide, oxides of nitrogen, sulphur,
hydrocarbon & very little amount of water
vapour.
10. Cont….
Water / Hydrosphere:
Oceans, seas, rivers, lakes, ponds, polar
ice caps, streams, glaciers, ground water,
& water vapour.
Oceans are storehouses of vast resources-
water, salt, minerals, & food.
11. Cont…
Land / Lithosphere
Is the outer mantle of rocks constituting
the earth’s crust.
Rocks are subjected to continuous
physical, chemical & biological
weathering.
Thickness ranging from 64 to 96 km.
12. Cont…
Below the lithosphere lies the mantle;
thickness of 2400km.
Upper part is Asthenosphere
Lower mantle is Mesosphere
The interior part of earth is Core, consist of
minerals such as iron, nickel, cobalt mixed
with sulphur & silica
13. Cont…
Inner core appears to be solid
Outer core is molten and metallic
The direction & interaction b/w the
atmosphere, hydrosphere & lithosphere
for millions of years has made the earth
suitable for life & has formed the
Biosphere.
Which is responsible for large scale of
recycling of matter & energy.
14. the study of the relationships
between biotic and abiotic factors
in environments
eco (G) root home, abode
ecoclimateecosyste
m
ecotourism
log, -o, y (G) suffix study of
zoologyepidemiologyclimatology
EcologyEc
o
logy
15. a major regional or global biotic
community, a super ecosystem,
defined chiefly by the dominant
forms of plant life and the
prevailing climate
Biome
17. Aquatic biomes
2 types – marine and freshwater.
Stratified vertically – photic zone
(light) and aphotic zone (little
light).
Bottom of aquatic is benthos – food
is detritus that falls from above.
19. *Wetlands
Wetlands – area covered with
water; supports plants.
Estuaries – area where
freshwater meets ocean.
Intertidal zone – land meets
water.
Coral reefs – dominated by coral.
20. Terrestrial biomes
Defined vertically from the
canopy at top to the permafrost
at the bottom.
ATropical forest – little light
reaches ground because of deep
canopy.
Rainfall determines life in area.
21. Cont…
BSavanna – scattered trees and
grasses.
Fire helps increase diversity.
Has rainy season.
CTemperate grassland – seasonal
drought, fires prevent tree growth.
Most used for farming.
22. Deserts
Deserts – sparse rain, some are cold.
Plants have structures to allow
survival (i.e. water storage,
alternative forms of photosynthesis)
Chaparral – evergreen shrub; long,
hot, dry summers with fires.
23. Forest
Temperate deciduous forest – small
mammals, leaves fall during autumn.
Coniferous forest – cone-bearing
trees, trees have needles.
Tundra – permafrost covers ground,
low diversity.
24. Levels of Organization
smallest unit of living
things
group of similar cells
organized to work
together
group of different kinds
of tissues working
together
group of organs
working together
one individual living
thing
all organisms of the
same kind living in one
area
all interacting
populations in an
ecosystem
all living and nonliving
things interacting within
a certain area
large region with
typical plants and
animals that includes
several ecosystems
cell
25. Changes to Agriculture:
•1 After the Second World War, farming changed
dramatically and became more intensive.
•2 It changed because of the need for farmers to
maximize production.
•3 Farms became specialist such as growing cereals
and little else.
•4 This was made possible with the advent of cheap
inorganic fertilisers, pesticides,
•new high yielding varieties and improved
mechanization.
•5 Yields improved dramatically (Wheat yields in the
1950’s were about
2 tonnes per hectare and now in excess of 10 tonnes).
6 Food has also become much cheaper.
Agriculture
27. Cont…
Problems:
Pollution(excess nitrates & pesticides)
Disease
Waste disposal (straw from cereals, slurry
from livestock)
Toxic materials entering the human food
chain
Damage to the environment
Loss of jobs
28. Agriculture – Monoculture and
Intensive Farming
Intensive agriculture is characterised by
most of the following:
Large areas of monoculture (growing one
species or crop).
High level use of –
Fertilisers (especially inorganic fertilisers)
Pesticides (includes herbicides)
Mechanisation (large tractors etc)
29. Cont….
Improved varieties of plants and animals
Irrigation schemes (allows continuous
cropping)
Continuous cropping from one area year
after year
Several crops per season from the same land
Low labour input
Maximum yields for a minimum area of land
Attempts to maximise profits