BCOM 110 – Environmental Science and Sustainability.pptx
1. BCOM 110 – Environmental Science and
Sustainability
By : Ms. Sudha Pandey
Asst. Prof, JIMS
2. INTRODUCTION
• Environmental Studies: Environmental studies (EVS or EVST) is a multidisciplinary
academic field which systematically studies human interaction with the
environment. Environmental studies connects principles from the physical sciences,
commerce/economics, the humanities, and social sciences to address complex
contemporary environmental issues. It is a broad field of study that includes the
natural environment, the built environment, and the relationship between them. The
field encompasses study in basic principles of ecology and environmental science, as
well as associated subjects such as ethics, geography, anthropology, public policy
(environmental policy), education, political science (environmental politics), urban
planning, law, economics, philosophy, sociology and social justice, planning,
pollution control and natural resource management.
3. Scope & Importance
• Scope and Importance
Environmental problems are always interrelated. Often solution to one problem actually creates another
problem. The major environmental problems can be divided into following categories:
1. Over-population : It amplifies all other environmental problems.
2. Pollution : It makes vital resources less useful and reduces the quality of life.
3. Depletion of resources: It makes things that are vital to human existence more expensive.
4. Global changes : They result from human activities and may permanently alter the Earth in
unpredictable ways;
5. War: This causes all other environmental problems. - Modern warfare which threatens the survival of
the human species.
4. Function of an Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a discrete structural, functional and life sustaining environmental system (Fig 1). The
environmental system consists of biotic and abiotic components in a habitat. Biotic component of the
ecosystem includes the living organism, plants, animals and microbes, whereas the abiotic component
deludes inorganic matter and energy. Abiotic components provide the matrix for synthesis and
perpetuation of organic components (protoplasm). The synthesis and perpetuate process involves energy
exchange and this energy comes from the sun in the form of light or solar energy. Thus, in an ecosystem
we have the following functional components:
• Inorganic constituents (Air, water and mineral salts (Nitrogen, Phosphorous)
• .Organisms (Plants, animals and microbes)
• Energy input which enters from outside (the sun)
6. • Above three components interact and form an environment system. Inorganic
constituents are synthesized into organic structures by green plants (Primary
producers) through photosynthesis and solar energy for renewals (Herbivores)
which, in turn become source of energy for the flesh eating animals (Carnivores).
These are known as secondary producers. Animals of all types grow and add
organic matter to their body weight and their source of energy is complex organic
compounds taken as food. All the living organisms whether plants or animals in an
ecosystem have definite life span after which they die. The dead organic remains of
plants and animals provide food for
7. • microbes such as bacteria, fungi and many other animals the saprophytes. Ultimately
decomposition of the organic structure by breaking the complex molecules and
liberating the inorganic components into their environment is carried out by
organisms known as decomposers. During the process of decomposition of
organic molecules, the energy which kept the inorganic components bound together
in the form of organic molecules gets liberated and deposited into the environment
as heat energy Thus in an ecosystem energy from sun, the input is fixed by plants
and transferred to animal components. Nutrients re withdrawn from the substrate
and deposited in the tissue of plants and animals, cycled from one feeding group to
another, this can be released by decomposition processes to the soil, water and then
recycled.
8. • The ecosystems operating in different habitats, such as deserts, forests,
grasslands and seas are interdependent of one another. The energy and
nutrients of one ecosystem may find their way in another so that ultimately
all parts of the earth are interrelated, each, comprising a part of the total
system that keeps the biosphere functioning.
11. • Biodiversity: It is the term given to the variety of life on earth and the natural
patterns it forms. The bio-diversity we see today is the fruit of billions of
years of evolution, shaped by natural processes and, increasingly, by the
influence of humans. It forms the web of life of which we are an integral
part and upon which we so fully depend.
12. • This diversity is often understood in terms of the wide variety of plants,
animals and microorganism. So far, about 1.75 million species have been
identified, mostly small creatures such as insects. Scientists reckon that there
are actually about 13 million species, though estimates range from 3 to 100
million. Biodiversity is the combination of life forms and their interactions
with each other and with the rest of the environment that has made earth a
uniquely habitable place for humans. Bio-diversity provides a large number
of goods and services that sustain our lives.
13. • Biodiversity is all the different kinds of life you'll find in one
area—the variety of animals, plants, fungi, and even
microorganisms like bacteria that make up our natural world.
Each of these species and organisms work together in
ecosystems, like an intricate web, to maintain balance and
support life.
14. • Bio-diversity also includes genetic differences within each species for
example, between verities of crops and breeds of livestock. Chromosomes,
genes, and DNA the building blocks of life determine the uniqueness of
each individual and each species. Yet another aspect of bio-diversity is the
variety of ecosystems such as those that occur in deserts, forests, wetlands,
mountains, lakes, rivers, and agricultural landscapes. In each ecosystem, living
creatures, including humans, form a community, interacting with one another
and with the air, water, and soil around them.
15.
16. • Genetic Diversity
It is basically the variety of species expressed at the genetic level by
each individual in a species. No two individuals belonging to the
same species are exactly similar. For example, in the species
of human beings, each human shows a lot of diversity in comparison
to another human. People living in different regions show a great
level of variation.
17. • Species Diversity
It is the biodiversity observed within a community. It stands for
the number and distribution of species. The number of species in a
region varies widely depending upon the
varied environmental conditions. For example, it is usually observed
that civilizations residing beside water bodies show more species
than the one compared to the areas away from water bodies.
18. • Ecological diversity
It defines the diversity observed among the ecosystems in a
particular region. Different ecosystems like mangroves, rainforests,
deserts, etc., show a great variety of life forms residing in them.
23. Biogeographic Zones of India
• What are Biogeographical Zones?
• The scientific study of the distribution of species and ecosystems throughout geological time
and space is known as biogeography. Geographic gradients of height, isolation, latitude, and
habitat area often cause biological communities and living organisms to differ in a predictable
way.
• The basic definition of biogeographic regions is “those dominant divisions of the earth’s
surface of estimated continental extent, which are attributed by distinct assemblages of animal
types.” Having said that, a biogeographic region is essentially a geographic area where plants
and animals are categorized and have characteristics in common....
24. • 10 Indian Biogeographical Zones
• India’s recognised biological variety makes up 8% of the known global biological diversity despite
occupying only 2.4% of the total land area. India has been split into 10 biogeographic zones based
on its terrain.
• Trans-Himalayan Region
• It makes up 5.6% of the overall geographical area and consists of the high-altitude, cold, and arid
mountain regions of Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, North Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh’s Lahaul, and
Spiti areas. The largest numbers of wild sheep and goats in the world, as well as other
unconventional animals like the Snow Leopard and the migratory Black Necked Crane (Grus
nigricollis), may all be found in this area.
• Himalayan Zone
• It makes up 6.4% of the entire geographical region and has some of the highest peaks on
Earth. India is one of the regions with the greatest diversity of habitats and species due to the
Himalayan region. For endangered species, a variety of habitats are available in the alpine and
subalpine forests, grassy meadows, and moist deciduous forests.... Read more at:
https://www.adda247.com/teaching-jobs-exam/biogeographical-zones-of-india/
25. • Indian Desert Zone
• Large expansions of grassland in the Indian Desert Zone, which makes up
6.6% of the world’s landmass and is home to the Thar and Kutch deserts,
provide habitat for several endangered mammal species. These include the
wolf (Canis lupus), caracal (Felis caracal), desert cat (Felis libyca), and birds
of conservation.
26. • Semi-Arid Region
• The semi-arid region, which makes up 16.6% of the overall geographic area,
is in between the desert and the Western Ghats’ lush forests. There are two
sizable semi-arid zones in Peninsular India. Several man-made and natural
lakes, as well as marshy areas, may be found in this semi-arid area. The
maximum wildlife biomass is found in this zone’s dominating grass and
shrub layer. Sambar (Cervus unicolour) and Chital (Axis axis) are two species
that are only found in better-forested hills and moist valley regions,
respectively.
27. • Western Ghats
• These make up 4% of the entire geographical area. It is one of India’s main
areas of tropical evergreen forests and one of the two “hotspots” for
biodiversity. Along with a distinctive fauna component of its own, the
Western Ghats are home to healthy populations of the majority of the
vertebrate species present in peninsular India....
28. • Deccan Plateau
• India’s largest biogeographic region, accounting for 42% of the country’s
total land area, is the Deccan Plateau. It is a semi-arid terrain that is situated
in the Western Ghats’ rain shadow. The best forests in India are found in this
bio-geographic region of peninsular India, which is by far the largest region.
This plateau includes the states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and
Odisha. The majority of the woodlands are deciduous....
29. • Gangetic Plain
• About 10.8% of the geographical land is made up of the Gangetic plain. The
Gangetic plain stretches for hundreds of kilometres and is topographically
uniform. Rhinos (Rhinoceros unicornis), Elephants (Elephas maximus),
Buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis), Swamp Deer (Cervus duvauceli), Hog-Deer
(Axis porcinus), and Hispid Hares (Carprolagus bispidus) are some of the
region’s distinctive animals....
30. • North East Region
• The North East Region makes up 5.2% of the entire geographical region.
This area serves as a merging place for peninsular India and the Himalayan
Mountains as well as the transition between the Indian, Indo-Malayan, and
Indo-Chinese bio-geographical zones. Thus, the North-East serves as both a
biodiversity hotspot and the biogeographical “gateway” for India’s flora and
fauna. ... Read more at: https://www.adda247.com/teaching-jobs-
exam/biogeographical-zones-of-india/
31. • Coastal Region
• The coastal region constitutes 2.5% of the country’s total land area.
Meanwhile, its sandy beaches, mangroves, mud flats, coral reefs, and marine
angiosperm pastures make it one of India’s wealthiest and healthiest
regions. There are 5,423 kilometres of coastline between Gujarat and the
Sunderbans. The Lakshadweep is made up of 25 islets that feature a typical
reef lagoon system with a wealth of species....
32. • Andaman and Nicobar Islands
• One of India’s three tropical moist evergreen forest zones, it comprises 0.3%
of the country’s total land area. The islands are home to a variety of plants
and animals that are unique to them. These islands sustain a broad variety of
corals and house some of India’s best evergreen forests. Only the Andaman
and Nicobar Islands in India have endemic island biodiversity....
