St Michaels School

Subject – Biology Date- 22/11/22

Chapter 15 - Our Environment

Everything that we are surrounded by is known as Environment. They continuously interact with its
components and tries to adapt themselves to the conditions in their surroundings. In the environment,
there are different interactions between animals, plants, soil, water, and other living and non-living
things. Biosphere – The interaction between Lithosphere, Hydrosphere and atmosphere. The space so
formed is called as Biosphere. The smaller units of Biosphere are called Biomes. The smaller units of
Biomes are called as Ecosystem.

The study of ecosystems is called as Ecology

Ecosystem- It is a place where interaction of living and non- living components on the earth takes place.

Non – living components or abiotic components

Physical surroundings (air, water, and soil)

Inorganic substances (carbon dioxide, Nitrogen, water etc.)

Meteorological factors (temperature, weather, rainfall etc.)

Livings components or biotic components

Producers (Autotrophs): All green plants which are able to synthesize their own food. Consumers

(Heterotrophs): organisms which consume other organisms or their products as their food.

Herbivores: - Primary consumers - All plant-eating animals or the one which eats the producers For e.g.
deer, rabbit, rat, squirrel, goat, cattle

Omnivores: - Secondary Consumers -Organisms which feed on both plants and animals. For e.g. Human
beings

Carnivores: - Tertiary Consumers - Organisms (animals) which consume other animals. For e.g. snake,
wild cat, jackal, frog, some birds, fishes, etc.

Decomposers (Saprotrophs):- Organisms which feed on the dead bodies of plants and animals. For e.g.:
Bacteria and Fungi.

Natural Ecosystems – The ecosystems occurring naturally on the earth. Example – Pond ecosystem,
Desert, Forest, Mountains, Sea, Oceans Etc.
Artificial Ecosystems – The manmade ecosystems. Example- Wild life Sanctuaries, National Parks,
Aquarium, Agricultural land, Garden.

Trophic Level – Each level in the food chain in an Ecosystem is called as trophic level.

In an ecosystem there not more than 4 to 5 trophic levels because as the level 4 or 5 when reached, the
food or energy is totally exhausted

1. What would happen if there were no producers in an ecosystem?

2. What would happen if there no primary consumers in the ecosystems?

3. What would happen if there no secondary consumers in the ecosystems?

4. What would happen if there no tertiary consumers in an ecosystems?

The flow of energy in a food chain is always unidirectional occurring form bottom to upwards. In a food
chain the producers occupy the base and are more in number as compared to tertiary consumers which
are few in number

Ten Percent Law

This law states that only ten percent of the energy entering a particular trophic level is stored and the
remaining is lost due to the transfer of energy

The energy available at each successive trophic level is only 10 percent of the previous level E.g., Sun
energy 1000 J Plant 10 J Dear 1 J Lion

What is the energy present in the trophic level – 3 if the energy at trophic level -1 is 1000Kj? 2. What

is the energy present in the trophic level -2 if the energy present in the trophic level-4 is 10KJ? 3.

What is the energy present in the trophic level -1 if the energy present in trophic level -4 is 1KJ?
Arrange the following biotic components into food chains

1. grasshopper, plankton, fish , zooplankton

2. Deer, trees, lion

3. Crop, rat, insects, vultures

4. Bio magnification- One of the reasons is the use of pesticides and other chemicals to protect our
crop from diseases and pests. These chemicals are either washed down into the soil or into the
water bodies. From the soil, these are absorbed by the plants along with water and minerals,
and from the water bodies these are taken up by aquatic plants and animals. This is one of the
ways in which they enter the food chain. As these chemicals are not degradable, these get
accumulated progressively at each trophic level. As human beings occupy the top level in any
food chain , the maximum concentration of these chemicals get accumulated in our bodies.
This phenomenon is known as Bio magnification.

5. Example- Accumulation of DDT( Dichloro,Diphenyl Trichloroethane).

6.
Formation of Ozozne layer:-
O2 -----🡪 in presence of ultra violet rays forms ----🡪 (O) + (O) two nascent oxygen

O2 + (O) -----🡪 O3 in the presence of ultra violet rays.

Causes of Ozone depletion: -

1.The usage of nitrogen oxide.

2. The usage of pesticides.

3.Cutting down of trees

4. Using of Chlorofluorocarbons in the liquid form used in refrigerators and Air conditioners.

5. Use of Fluorocarbons in supersonic planes.

Consequences of ozone depletion

Ozone layer provides a shield which protects our earth from various damages. However, depletion in the
layer is leading to dangerous and deadly diseases like Skin Cancer, cataract and even the destruction of
the crops.

In order to protect the environment following steps should be taken:

Bann in the usage of nitrogen oxide.

Avoid usage of pesticides

Usage of environmental-friendly products.

Avoid cutting down of trees

Biodegradable Wastes

Biodegradable substances refer to the substances which can be broken down or can be decomposed by
biological means into the raw materials of nature and disappear into the Environment.

These wastes are broken down naturally by microbial actions, for e.g.: Food refuse, tree leaves urine and
faecal matter, sewage agricultural residue, paper, wood, cloth, cow-dung, etc.

They are non-poisonous and are not harmful to the environment

Non-Biodegradable Wastes

Non-Biodegradable substances refer to the substances which cannot be broken down by biological
process. These substances may be in solid, liquid or gaseous form.

These wastes pollute the environment even in small quantity.

Dumping of these wastes leads to infertile soil and subsequently reduces the crop yield on the

Management of Biodegradable waste- Mostly the waste can be used in making

Compost or Vermicomposting

Landfills or dumping in the city out skirts.

Management of Non-Biodegradable waste

Landfills or dumping in the city outskirts.

Incernation- Burning of non-biodegradable waste in order to reduce the volume of the waste. Lot of
smoke and particulate matter is produced.

Modes of Waste Disposals

Disposal of waste is significantly needed; therefore, it must be done scientifically.

There are different techniques for the disposal of wastes which completely depends on the type of
waste.

The solid wastes are buried in urban areas as landfills. All solid wastes like plastics, metals, papers are
biodegradable and hence they can be recycled and reused.

Wastes coming out of industries and factories are treated in special plants and the valuable waste out of
them are recycled.

Domestic wastes like vegetable peels, human wastes are used to manufacture manure for plants,
including trees after compositing.
Radioactive wastes are thrown and dumped in faraway ocean basins which are far away from human
habitats.

Waste coming out of industries, which included metals can be melted and remolded into solid metal
again.

Incineration or burning at very high temperature also reduces the huge volume of wastes.

Biodegradable wastes can be used to prepare biogas and manure which is environment-friendly and
even cost-effective, it cost much lesser than other fuels like coal.