Unit 1

ENVIRONMENT, ECOSYSTEM AND

BIODIVERSITY

DEFINITION

Environmental science is the study of nature
and the facts about environment. Basically
environment can be defined as all the social,
economical, physical & chemical factors that
surrounds man (or) all abiotic and biotic
components around man-all living and non
living things surrounds man.
Scope of environmental science


Studying the interrelationship between the
components of environment.
Carrying out impact analysis and environment Audit
Preventing pollution from existing and new industries
Stopping the use of biological and nuclear weapons
Managing unpredictable disasters etc.

Importance of Risk and Hazards
Risk is the likelihood that a person may be
harmed or suffers adverse health effects if
exposed to a hazard.
A Hazard is a potential source of harm or
adverse health effect on a person or persons .
In other words a hazard is anything in the
workplace that has the potential to harm
people.

Chemical hazards
Chemicals can be broken down into hazard
classes and exhibit both physical and health
hazards. It is important to keep in mind, that
chemicals can exhibit more than one hazard or
combinations of several hazards.
It includes fires, explosions, leakages or releases
of toxic or hazardous materials that can cause
people illness, injury, disability or death.
Physical hazards
Physical hazards are hazards that arise at work
due to the influence of various forms of
energy.
They include noise, temperature, lighting and
radiation.
The physical hazards checklist is well-suited
for almost all work inspections, since the
items it contains generally affect working
environments and apply to all types of work.

Biological hazards
Biological hazards, also known as biohazards,
refer to biological substances that pose a
threat to the health of living organisms,
primarily that of humans. This can include
medical waste or samples of a microorganism,
virus or toxin (from a biological source) that
can affect human health. It can also include
substances harmful to other animals.
Concept of Ecosystem
An ecosystem is defined as a natural
functional ecological unit comprising of living
organisms and their non-living environment
that interact to form a stable self supporting
system .
Ecology deals with the study of organisms in
their natural home interacting with their
surroundings.
Structure and function of Ecosystem
Structure of Ecosystem
1. Abiotic or non-living components or physical components
2. Biotic or Living components
3. Energy components
Functions of Ecosystems
Biotic structure :Producers, Consumers(Herbivores,
Carnivores, Omnivores, Detritivores ), Decomposers.
Abiotic Structure :Physical factors (sunlight , temperature ,
annual rainfall, soil type, water availability, water currents
etc ), Chemical factors (nutrients C, N, P, H, O, S )

Oxygen and Nitrogen cycle
Nitrogen Cycle:

Plants & Algae
Fish
Ammonia (Waste
of Fish)
Nitrite
Nitrate
Food
Bacteria Bacteria

Bacteria
Oxygen Cycle
ENERGY FLOW IN ECOSYSTEM
Energy is defined as the capacity to do work.
The flow of energy from producer level to top
consumer level is called energy flow.
The main source of energy in the ecosystem is
sunlight.
Sun Producer Herbivores Carnivores
Top carnivores Decomposers
ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION
FOOD CHAIN
Sequence of eating and being eaten in an
ecosystem.
Producers (Plants)

Consumer I order (Deer)

Consumer II order (Tiger, Lion)

Decomposers (Bacteria, fungi)


In an ecosystem linking of feeding habit
relations will provide a food web.
Mouse snake
Grass Rabbit Hawk
Grasshopper Lizard
FOREST ECOSYSTEM
It is a natural ecosystem consisting of dense
growth of trees and wild animals .
Types: tropical deciduous, evergreen, wet green
Characteristics: Abiotic: soil, sun light, temperature
etc ..Biotic : forest trees, shrubs and animals
Structure:
Producer : trees and shrubs
Consumer : Primary elephants, deer etc.
Secondary snakes, birds, lizards etc
Tertiary lions, tigers etc
Decomposers : fungi, bacteria

GRASSLAND ECOSYSTEM
Dominated by grass few shrubs and trees are
also found rainfall average but erratic
overgrazing leads to desertification.
Types: Tropical grass lands ,Temperate grasslands,
Polar grasslands .
Components:
Structural Components: Abiotic: soil pH,
nutrients, soil moisture, temp, climatic
conditions, etc. Biotic: grass, caterpillar, butterfly,
worms, insects, birds, etc.

DESERT ECOSYSTEM
Types:
1. tropical desert-found in Africa-Sahara and
Rajasthan Thar
2. temperate desert-south California-Majave
3. cold desert-China-Gobi desert
Characteristics:
1. Air is dry
2. Climate is hot
3. Annual rainfall is less than 25 cm
4. Vegetation is poor

AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM
Deals with water bodies and biotic communities
present in them-Classified as fresh water and marine
ecosystems. Fresh water systems are classified as
lentic and lotic ecosystems.
Types:
Pond ecosystem
Lake ecosystem
Streams:
Oceans:
Characteristics:
Structural Components: Abiotic: pH, nutrients, D.O,
temp, climatic conditions, etc. Biotic: Phytoplankton,
fishes, snails insects, birds, etc.