The document discusses the multidisciplinary nature of environmental studies. It covers key topics like the definition of environment, components of the environment including biotic and abiotic factors, importance of different spheres like the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere. It emphasizes the need for public awareness about environmental issues and outlines the objectives and scope of environmental education.

1. AMITY UNIVERSITY JHARKHAND
Subject: Environmental Science (101)
MODULE-I
MULTIDISCIPLINARY NATURE OF
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
BY:
DR. SWETA SINHA

2. ENVIRONMENT 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”.
 Our existence depends on the environment we
have. Even then, our developments are going
against nature and environment. Therefore the
importance, scope study of environment and the
need for public awareness is of great importance.

3. ENVIRONMENT
The word environment is derived from the french word
'environ' meaning surroundings. Hence, everything
surrounding us is called "ENVIRONMENT".
Definition:-
 “Sum total of all Biotic and Abiotic factors that surround and
potentially influence an organism is called 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. COMPONENTS OF ENVIRONMENT
 Environment can be divided into following
Components:

5.  Biotic Components: It include all the living
organisms. e.g. Plants, Animals, Birds, Human
Beings etc.
 Abiotic Components: All the non-living things are
included in this category. E.g. Climatic conditions,
Weather, Soil Minerals Air etc.
COMPONENTS OF ENVIRONMENT

6. MAJOR SEGMENTS OF ENVIRONMENT

7. IMPORTANCE OF ATMOSPHERE:
The atmosphere implies the protective blanket of
gases, surrounding the earth:
 It sustains life on the earth.
 It saves it from the hostile environment of outer
space.
 It absorbs most of the cosmic rays from outer space
and a major portion of the electromagnetic radiation
from the sun.
 It transmits only here ultraviolet, visible, near
infrared radiation (300 to 2500 nm) and radio
waves. (0.14 to 40 m) while filtering out tissue-
damaging ultraviolate waves below about 300 nm.

9. HYDROSPHERE
 The Hydrosphere comprises all types of water resources
oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, streams, reservoir, polar
icecaps, glaciers, and ground water.
 Nature 97% of the earth’s water supply is in the oceans,
 About 2% of the water resources is locked in the polar
icecaps and glaciers.
 Only about 1% is available as fresh surface water and
ground water.

10. Impotence of lithosphere are as
follows:
 Soil, the basis for agriculture to provide
us with food.
 Micronutrients in soil, essential for plant
growth.
 Microscopic flora, small soil fauna and
fungi in soil, important living organisms
of the lithosphere, which break down
plant litter as well as animal wastes to
provide nutrients for plants.
 A large number of minerals on which our
industries are based.
Lithosphere is the outer mantle of the solid earth. It consists of minerals
occurring in the earth’s crusts and the soil e.g. minerals, rocks, organic matter,
air and water.
LITHOSPHERE

11. BIOSPHERE
 The region of earth where life can exist is biosphere.
 Biosphere indicates the sphere of living organisms and
their interactions with environment, viz atmosphere,
hydrosphere and lithosphere.

12. MULTIDISCIPLINARY NATURE OF
ENVIRONMENT
 It incorporates information and ideas from various
disciplines, also referred as interdisciplinary field.
 It relates with Biology, Chemistry, Physics,
Geology, Social Science, Humanities, Geography
and multiple disciplines.

13. ENVIRONMENT
SCIENCE
CHEMISTRY
(Component of
environment, Pollution
issues, Ozone depletion
etc.)
PHYSICS
(Energy, Light, etc)
BIOLOGY
(All livings,
Producers,
Consumers,
Decomposers)
GEOLOGY
(Minerals,
Mining)
SOCIAL
SCIENCE
(Geography,
Economics,
Political Sci.,)
HUMANITIES
(Philosophy, Ethics
etc.)
Multidisciplinary nature of environment:

14. Environmental studies provide information about the conditions
of environment.
o It provides knowledge about the ecosystems.
o It provides necessary information about biodiversity.
o Environmental studies helps to find and solve the global and
national or local environmental problems that include:
a) National/Local Environmental problems:
Air pollution due to industries and automobiles,
urbanization, industrial and medical solid waste,
deforestation, desertification, flood, soil erosion etc.
b) Global Environmental problems:
Overexploitation of natural resources, green house effect,
acid rain, ozone layer depletion, etc.
IMPORTANCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES:

15. NEED FOR PUBLIC AWARENESS
1) Stress on natural resources and quality of life due to development
activities and rapid urbanization
2) Deterioration of air and water quality, high noise level, increasing
vehicular emissions.
3) Environmental pollution cannot prevented by laws alone. Public
participation is equally important with regard to environmental
protection.
4) It sensitizes the society about environmental issues and challenges
interested individuals to develop skills and expertise thereby
providing appropriate solutions.
5) Both formal and informal education on the environment will give
the interested individual the knowledge, values, skills and tools
needed to face the environmental challenges on a local and global
level.

16. 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.

17.  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 to ensure appropriate action to solve
those problems.

18. SCOPE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES:
The scope of the environmental studies are summarized
as:
o To study the interrelationship between biotic and abiotic
components.
o To carry out the impact analysis and environmental
audit in order to minimize the environmental problems.
o To Reduce the pollution.
o To Managing the unpredictable disaster.
o To create awareness to the public.