Lecture 4

Dr. Samrudhi Navale

Environment and Disaster Management: Dr. Samrudhi Navale

 Meaning of Environment
 Components of environment
 Structure of environment
 Functions of environment

Environment and Disaster Management: Dr. Samrudhi Navale

 Definition:
The environment “is the sum of the total of the
elements, factors and conditions in the surroundings
which may have an impact on the development, action
or survival of an organism or group of organisms, such
as, we human beings.”

OR

 It can also be defined as “external surroundings and

conditions which directly or indirectly affects the living
organism”
Environment and Disaster Management: Dr. Samrudhi Navale
Environment and Disaster Management: Dr. Samrudhi Navale
 Components Of Environment
Atmosphere

Physical Hydrosphere

Lithosphere

Abiotic
Environment Biological Producer

Biotic Consumer
Decomposer

Society

Cultural Economy
Politics

Environment and Disaster Management: Dr. Samrudhi Navale

The Physical Components of environment includes soil, water, air,
climate, temperature, light etc.

Physical Components of the environment is again divided into three

parts.

• Atmosphere •Hydrosphere •Lithosphere

(gas) (liquid) (solid)

Environment and Disaster Management: Dr. Samrudhi Navale

The atmosphere implies the protective blanket of gases,
surrounding the earth:
(a) It sustains life on the earth.
(b) It saves it from the hostile environment of outer space.
(c) It absorbs most of the cosmic rays from outer space and a
major portion of the electromagnetic radiation from the
sun.
(d) It transmits only here ultraviolet rays, visible rays, near
infrared radiation (300 to 2500 nm) and radio waves while
filtering out tissue-damaging ultraviolet waves below
about 300 nm.
The atmosphere is composed of nitrogen and oxygen
besides argon, carbon dioxide, and trace gases.

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 demarcation between aeronautics
and astronautics is known as
the Karman Line
 Lower boundary of exoshpere is
knoown as exobase

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 The exosphere has gases like hydrogen and helium, but they are very
spread out.
Environment and Disaster Management: Dr. Samrudhi Navale
The Hydrosphere comprises all types of water
resources oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, streams,
reservoir, polar icecaps, glaciers, and ground
water.
(i) 97% of the earth’s water supply is in the oceans,
(ii) About 2% of the water resources is locked in the
polar icecaps and glaciers.
(iii)Only about 1% is available as fresh surface
water-rivers, lakes streams, and ground water fit
to be used for human consumption and other
uses.
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Environment and Disaster Management: Dr. Samrudhi Navale
 Lithosphere is the crust and outer most mantle of the solid
earth.
 It consists of minerals occurring in the earth’s crusts and
the soil e.g. minerals, organic matter, air and water.
▪ Soil, the basis for agriculture to provide us with food.
▪ Stone, sand and gravel, used for construction.
▪ 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
▪ Oil, coal and gas, extracted from underground sources. It
provides power for vehicles, agricultural machinery, industry,
and for our homes.

Environment and Disaster Management: Dr. Samrudhi Navale

Environment and Disaster Management: Dr. Samrudhi Navale
 It is that relatively thin layer on earth where
living (biotic) organism exist and interact with
each other and also with non-living (abiotic)
components
 lowest sea bed level to about 24 km of the
atmosphere.
 Life supporting resources are available from the
biosphere: Air, Water, rocks, soil
 Biosphere indicates the realm of living
organisms and their interactions with
environment, viz. atmosphere, hydrosphere and
lithosphere.
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 All four spheres are closely inter-linked
systems and are dependent on the integrity
(unity) of each other.
 Disturbing one of these spheres in our
environment affects all the others.

Environment and Disaster Management: Dr. Samrudhi Navale

There are two kind of Biological components.

Abiotic
Biological

Biotic

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 Abiotic components are non-living chemical and
physical factors in the environment.
 Among the main abiotic factors of the
ecosystem are included the following:
(1) climatic factors: solar radiation, temperature,
wind, water currents, rainfall.
(2) physical factors: light, fire, pressure,
geomagnetism,
(3) Chemical factors: acidity, salinity and the
availability of inorganic nutrients (NPK) needed
by plants.
Environment and Disaster Management: Dr. Samrudhi Navale
 The biological (biotic) factors of ecosystem
include all the living organisms-plants,
animals, bacteria and viruses.
Producer

Biotic
Consumer
Component

Decomposer

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 Producers: Generally green plants and other
photosynthetic bacteria produce various organic
substances with the help of water, soil and light
energy e.g. plants

 Consumer: Consumers depend for their nutrition

on the organic food produced by the green plants,
E.g. animals

 Decomposers: Bring about the decomposition of

dead plants and animals, return various important
minerals for the running of the biogeochemical
cycles. E.g.: fungi and bacteria

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 All the organisms work to form their social
groups and organizations at several levels. Thus,
the social environment is formed.

 In this social environment the organisms work

to derive matter from the physical environment
for their sustenance and development.

 This process gives birth to economic

environment.

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 Geographers are concerned with the
sustainability (or maintenance into the
future) of the earth's environmental functions
that support human life and welfare. These
functions can be grouped into four main
types – source, sink, service and spiritual.

Environment and Disaster Management: Dr. Samrudhi Navale

1. Supplying Resources: The environment contains both renewable (air,
water, land) and non-renewable (fossil fuels) resources. While the
former are re-usable and do not get depleted soon, non-renewable
resources come with the fear of depletion.
2. Assimilating Waste: Economic activities generate waste which the
environment absorbs through natural processes.
3. Sustenance of Life: The environment comprises abiotic components
that aid the living of biotic components. In the absence of elements
such as air, water, land, etc. there would be no life on the planet.
4. Aesthetic Value: The environment adds aesthetic value to life. The
mountains, oceans, seas, landmasses and other scenery of the
environment enhance the quality of life.

Environment and Disaster Management: Dr. Samrudhi Navale

Take a simple object in daily use and track its components back
to each of its spheres.

E.g.: Textbook:
 Paper from wood – biosphere
 Water for pulping – hydrosphere
 Bleach to whiten paper – a mineral from lithosphere

Environment and Disaster Management: Dr. Samrudhi Navale