Unit I- Environment

Introduction:
Term Environment – In English discourse, Environment borrowed from old French word Environner
(1603 AD). Environner means to encircle or to surround
Environment:
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.
Or
sum total of all conditions that surround a particular organism at a particular point of time in space.
Or
sum total of all living (biotic) and non- living (abiotic) component.
Or
The term environment is used to describe, in the aggregate, all the external forces, influences and
conditions, which affect the life, nature behavior and the growth, development and maturity of living
organisms’
Types of Environment
There are major two types of Environment as follows
i. Natural Environment
ii. Man- made Environment

i. Natural Environment:
The components of natural Environment are air, water, soil, solar radiation, land,
forest, wildlife flora and fauna etc. Some examples of natural environments
include rivers, mountains, forests and beaches. Features of these environments are also
developed naturally, such as soil, vegetation and rocks. Naturally occurring eco-systems
also fall into this category, and can be further classified as being either terrestrial or
aquatic.
ii. Man-made Environment:
An environment that has been created by humans to satisfy their requirements is said
to be an “environment that has been human-made.” Humans have shaped their
environments by constructing things like buildings, roads and bridges. These include
housing, agriculture implements, industries, dams, energy such as hydro, thermal and
nuclear energy.

Components of Environment:
The environment is comprised of following components
I) Abiotic or Non-living components:
These include
a. Light- An important component that have direct influence on environment. Plants
synthesized food in presence of sunlight. Almost all organisms have direct influence
of light to begin with.
b. Altitude- The altitude play an important role because the change in altitude results
change in climate thereby change in flora and fauna.
c. Humidity and water- water is the major and primary need of animals. This also have
impact on climate regulation, precipitation, ecosystem , soil moisture etc.
d. Lattitude-It affects in the sense of climate and temperature, precipitation pattern,
biodiversity, vegetation zone, daylight hours, polar regions etc.
 e. Temperature-Temperature plays important role in environment. Different vegetation
and
f. Seasonal changes- seasonality will mostly depend on the latitude. For high latitudes
where annual heat variations are large, the seasonal divisions are spring, summer,
autumn and winter, while in lower latitudes (tropical areas) where heat variations are
less relevant, rainfall changes define dry and wet seasons (monsoon).
g. Atmospheric Gases- The dry composition of the atmosphere is mostly nitrogen and
oxygen. It also contains fractional amounts of argon and carbon dioxide and trace
amounts of other gases, such as helium, neon, methane, krypton, and hydrogen
h. Topography-Topography creates differences in climate across very small distances.
These differences in temperature, moisture, and exposure to wind and sun are called
microclimates, and they are important predictors as to where various natural
communities can be found.
ii) Biotic or living Component:
These includes plants (flora and fauna). Animal including humans, parasites,
microorganisms, decomposers. Producers are the living organisms in the ecosystem that take in energy
from sunlight and use it to transform carbon dioxide and oxygen into sugars. a secondary producer is also
a consumer because it must eat plants to survive; but since herbivores produce food themselves (for
predators), they are considered a secondary producer, Transformers are the living components of the
ecosystem and they are fungi and bacteria.
iii) Energy Component:
It includes solar energy, geochemical energy, nuclear energy etc. Energy from other sources
including radiations also plays an important role for sustaining life processes.
Segments of the environment
The environment is comprising of following segments
1. Atmosphere
2. Hydrosphere
3. Lithosphere
4. Biosphere

1. ATMOSPHERE
It is the region of air present above the earth surface. It extends up to height of about 500 km from
the earth’s surface. It consists of number of gases like nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide and some
inert gases like Argon. The atmosphere is capable of supporting life on earth and save it from Ultra-
violet light from sunThe atmosphere is further divided into
a. Troposphere
b. Stratosphere
c. Mesosphere
d. Thermosphere
e. Ionosphere
a. Troposphere
It is region nearer to earth’s surface, extending up to height of 11 km. This region is the most
important region of atmosphere for sustaining life of the earth as it contain mainly oxygen and
nitrogen, Troposphere is dusty zone containing water vapors. This is the region of strong air currents
and cloud formation. The temperature ranges 150C t0 -560C

b. Stratospheres
 It extends up to 50km above stratosphere. The temperature rises from -560C to -20C. The
increase in temperature is due to the absorption of solar radiation. This region is rich in ozone, which
absorbs harmful radiations and prevents reaching to the earth. The ozone is formed by the
photochemical reaction.
c. Mesosphere
It extends upto 90 km next to the stratosphere. It is characterized by low temperature-20C to
-920C.This is the coldest region of the atmosphere. The main constituents of mesosphere are the
positive ions like O2+ and NO+.
d. Thermosphere
This region is above mesosphere and extends about 500 km. The temperature in this region
rises from -920C to -12000C.The atmospheric gase Oxygen and Nitrogen in this region absorbs solar
radiations in the far Ultraviolet region and undergo radiations.
e. Ionosphere
The region of atmosphere lying between the altitude of 50 km to 100km is the ionosphere. In
this region there are heigh levels of ions like O2+ O+, NO+ and electrons.
This species are formed due to solar radiations.

2) HYDROSPHERE

• The hydrosphere includes all water on or near earth surface and includes oceans,
lakes, rivers, wetlands, icecaps, clouds, soils, rock layers beneath surface etc.
• water exist in all three states: solid (ice), liquid (water), and gas (water vapor)

• 71%of planet surface is covered with water

• Freshwater- 2.53%

• Freshwater in glaciers-1.74%

• Water as water vapour in atmosphere-12,900 km3

• living organism contain- 1100 km3

3) LITHOSPHERE: -

The word lithosphere originated from a Greek word mean "rocky" + "sphere” i.e. the
solid outmost shield of the rocky planet. The Earth is an oblate spheroid. It is
composed of a number of different layers. These layers are:
• The Core which is around 7000 kilometers in diameter (3500 kilometers in radius)
and is situated at the Earth's center.
• The Mantle which environs the core and has a thickness of 2900 kilometers.

The Crust floats on top of the mantle and is composed of basalt rich oceanic crust and granitic rich
continental crust
4) BIOSPHERE

II) BIOTIC COMPONENTS (LIVING): - It consists of the living parts of the

environment, including the association of a lot of interrelated populations that belong
to different species inhabiting a common environment. The populations are those of the
animal community, the plant community and the microbial community.

Fig. 2 Components of biotic community.

The biotic community is divided into:

a. Autotrophs,

b. Saprotrophs, and

c. Heterotrophs

AUTOTROPHS (derive from Greek word: auto - self, trophos - feeder) are called producers,
transducers or convertors, as well. Those are photosynthetic plants, normally chlorophyll
bearing, which synthesize a high-energy complex organic compound (food) from the inorganic
raw materials utilizing the aid of the sun, and this process is called photosynthesis. Autotrophs
form the core of all biotic systems. In terrestrial ecosystems, autotrophs are usually rooted
plants. In
the aquatic ecosystems, the floating plants referred to as phytoplankton and the shallow water
rooted plants – macrophytes - are the main producers.

HETEROTROPHS (from Greek: heteros - other; trophs - feeder) are the consumers,
normally animals that feed on the other organisms. Consumers are also referred to as
phototrophs (phago - to swallow or ingest) while macroconsumers are normally herbivores
and carnivores. Herbivores are called First order or primary consumers, for they feed directly
on green plants. For example, Terrestrial ecosystem consumers are cattle, deer, grass hopper,
rabbit, etc. Aquatic ecosystem consumers are protozoans, crustaceans, etc.

Carnivores are animals that prey or feed on other animals. Second order consumers or
Primary carnivores include those animals that feed on herbivorous animals. For example,
fox,frog, smaller fishes, predatory birds, snakes, etc.

Third order consumers or Secondary carnivores are the animals that feed on primary
carnivores. For example, wolf, owl, peacock, etc. Some larger carnivores prey on Secondary
carnivores. Quaternary consumers or Tertiary carnivores include those animals which feed
upon secondary carnivores. For example, the lion, the tiger, etc. Those are not eated by any
other animal. The larger carnivores which cannot be preyed on further are also called the top
carnivores.

SAPROTROPHS (from Greek again: sapros - rotten; trophos - feeder) are called the
reducers or decomposers or osmotrophs. They break the complex organic compounds in dead
matter down (dead plants and animals). Decomposers don’t ingest the food. Instead they
secrete a digestive enzyme into the dead, decaying plant or animal remains and digest this
organic material. The enzymes act on the complex organic compounds in the dead matter.
Decomposers absorb a bit of the decomposition products to provide themselves with
nourishment. The remaining substance is added as minerals in the process of mineralisation
to the substratum. Released minerals are utilised or reused as nutrients by plants - the
producers.

4) BIOSPHERE

The part of the earth’s surface and atmosphere in which plants and can live. It comprises
 of lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere. Biosphere denotes the realm of living organisms
and their interaction with the environment, that is, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere.
Both the biosphere and the environment are influenced by each other considerably. Thus, the
levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere depend entirely on the plant kingdom.
As a matter of fact, green plants alone are responsible for the accumulation of oxygen in the
atmosphere, through photosynthesis and decay; the original atmosphere was devoid of
oxygen. The biological world, in general, is intimately related to the energy flow in the
environment and water chemistry

ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION

Pollution of the three segments of the environment i.e. air (atmosphere), water
(Hydrosphere) and land (lithosphere) is referred to as environmental pollution.
The basic causes of environmental pollution are
1. Rapid Industrial and Technological development all over the world has resulted in the
release of poisonous matter ( gases and other by-products) into air, water and land.
2. The manufacturing units engaged in the production of drugs, antibiotics, dyes and
agrochemicals (for example pesticides, fungicides, herbicides etc.) has added to
environmental pollution.
3. Excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides for agriculture.
4. Development of atomic and nuclear energy ha resulted in the release of highly toxic
radioactive materials into the environment.
5. A large number of effluents and emissions, especially toxic gases and other by-products
from cement, sugar, distillery, drug, paper and pulp, thermal power plants, nuclear power
plants, metallurgical processes etc. Are released into the environment.
Due to the above reasons and several other factors, the environment has become
polluted to a great extent. The level of many pollutants has risen beyond the permissible
limit and the slowly becoming Lethal to all organisms including man.

ECOSYSTEM
Definition: The living community of plants and animals in any area together with the nonliving
components of the environment such as soil, air and water, constitute the ecosystem.
Or
An ecosystem is a chain of interaction between organisms and their environment

TYPES OF ECOSYSTEM
An ecosystem consists of all the living and non-living things in a specific natural setting. Plants,
animals, insects, microorganisms, rocks, soil, water and sunlight are major components of many
ecosystems.
All types of ecosystems fall into one of two categories: terrestrial or aquatic. Terrestrial ecosystems
are land-based, while aquatic are water-based.The word “biome” may also be used to describe
terrestrial ecosystems which extend across a large geographic area, such as tundra.

(1) Terrestrial Ecosystems

The ecosystem which is found only on landforms is known as the terrestrial ecosystem. The
main factor which differentiates the terrestrial ecosystems from the aquatic ecosystems is the
relative shortage of water in the terrestrial ecosystems and as a result the importance that water
attains in these ecosystems due to its limited availability. Another factor is the better availability
of light in these ecosystems as the environment is a lot cleaner in land than it is in water. The main
types of terrestrial ecosystems are the forest ecosystems, the desert ecosystems, the grassland
ecosystems and the mountain ecosystems. We are going to study all of these individually here in
detail.
(a) Forest Ecosystems
These ecosystems have an abundance of flora or plants and hence in these ecosystems a large
number of organisms live in a small space. This means that these ecosystems have a high density
of living organisms. These ecosystems are classified according to their climate type as tropical,
temperate or boreal i.e; tropical evergreen forest, tropical deciduous forest, temperate evergreen
forest, temperate deciduous forest and taiga. In the tropics, rainforest ecosystems contain more
diverse flora and fauna than ecosystems in any other region on earth. In these warm, moisture-
laden environments, trees grow tall and foliage is lush and dense, with species inhabiting the forest
floor all the way up to the canopy. In temperate zones, forest ecosystems may be deciduous,
coniferous or oftentimes a mixture of both, in which some trees shed their leaves each fall, while
others remain evergreen year-round. In the far north, just south of the Arctic, boreal forests – also
known as taiga – feature abundant coniferous trees.
(b) Grassland Ecosystems
The grasslands are the areas which comprise mainly of the grasses with a little number of
shrubs and trees. Grazing animals, insectivores and herbivores are the main types of organisms
which are found in these regions. The three major types of grasslands are the prairies, savannas
and 17 steppes. Grassland ecosystems are typically found in tropical or temperate regions, although
they can exist in colder areas as well, as is the case with the well-known Siberian steppe.
Grasslands share the common climactic characteristic of semi-aridity. Trees are sparse or non-
existent, but flowers may be interspersed with the grasses. Grasslands provide an ideal
environment for grazing animals. Savanna are the tropical grasslands which are dry seasonally and
have a large number of predators and grazers. Prairies are temperate grasslands which are totally
devoid of large shrubs and trees. Prairies are of three different types, mixed grass, tall grass and
short grass prairies.
(c) Desert Ecosystems
The common defining feature among desert ecosystems is low precipitation, generally less
than 25 centimeters, or 10 inches, per year. Almost 17% of all the land on this planet is occupied
by the desert ecosystems. The fauna and flora in these ecosystems is generally not much developed
because of the high temperatures, intense sunlight and low availability of water. The main
vegetation of such regions are the shrubs, bushes and a few grasses and trees. The stems and leaves
of these plants are also developed in order to conserve as much water as possible. Camels, reptiles
and some insects and birds are the living creatures which are found in such regions. Not all deserts
are hot – desert ecosystems can exist from the tropics to the arctic, but regardless of latitude, deserts
are often windy. Some deserts contain sand dunes, while others feature mostly rock. (
(2) Aquatic Ecosystem
An ecosystem which exists in a body of water is known as an aquatic ecosystem. The
communities of living organisms which are dependent on each other and the aquatic surroundings
of their environment for their survival exist in the aquatic ecosystems. The aquatic ecosystems are
mainly of two types, the freshwater ecosystems and the marine ecosystems.
(a) Marine Ecosystem
Marine ecosystems are the biggest ecosystems. They cover around 71% of earth’s surface
and also contain almost around 97% of the total water present on earth. High amounts of minerals
and salts are generally present in the water in the marine ecosystems and to better understand the
amount and composition of the different minerals and salts in the water in different marine
ecosystems. Marine ecosystems differ from freshwater ecosystems in that they contain saltwater,
which usually supports different types of species than does freshwater. Marine ecosystems are the
most abundant types of ecosystems in the word. They encompass not only the ocean floor and
surface but also tidal zones, estuaries, salt marshes and saltwater swamps, mangroves and coral
reefs.
(b) Freshwater Ecosystem
The freshwater ecosystems are very small in magnitude as compared to the marine ecosystems
as these covers only 0.8% of the earth’s surface and only account for 0.009% of the total water
present on earth. There are three basic kinds of freshwater ecosystems and these are Lentic, Lotic,
and Wetlands. The lentic ecosystems are slow-moving or still water like ponds or lakes. Lotic
ecosystems are fast-moving water like rivers. The wetlands are those systems where soil remains
saturated for a long period of time. Many different species of reptiles, amphibians, and around
41% of the world’s fish species live in these ecosystems. The faster moving waters contain more
dissolved oxygen than the slow moving waters and hence support greater biodiversity.

Pond Ecosystems – These are usually relatively small and contained. Most of the time they
include various types of plants, amphibians and insects. Sometimes they include fish, but as these
cannot move around as easily as amphibians and insects, it is less likely, and most of the time fish
are artificially introduced to these environments by humans. River Ecosystems – Because rivers
always link to the sea, they are more likely to contain fish alongside the usual plants, amphibians
and insects. These sorts of ecosystems can also include birds because birds often hunt in and
around water for small fish or insects. As is clear from the title, freshwater ecosystems are those
that are contained to freshwater environments. This includes, but is not limited to, ponds, rivers
and other waterways that are not the sea (which is, of course, saltwater and cannot support
freshwater creatures for very long). Freshwater ecosystems are actually the smallest of the three
major classes of ecosystems, accounting for just 1.8% of the total of the Earth’s surface. The
ecosystems of freshwater systems include relatively small fish (bigger fish are usually found in the
sea), amphibians (such as frogs, toads and newts), insects of various sorts and, of course, plants.
The absolutely smallest living part of the food web of these sorts of ecosystems is plankton, a small
organism that is often eaten by fish and other small creatures.
THE POND ECOSYSTEM ecosystem.
self-sufficient and self-regulating
Apond is a good example of asmall ofthe pond
the biology
Location, size, depth, and substratum of a pond influence
ecosystem. The components of the systems are as follows:

Abiotic components like CO2, 0,

substances
Temperature, light, water, and several inorganic andIorganic
lipids make abiotic components.
N, PO, Ca, S, and carbohydrates,proteins, and of them are
presently
Some proportions of nutrients are in a solution state but most
organisms. The amount O
stored in the particulate matter as wellas in living the
environment of the pondis called
minerals present at any time in the physical
standing state.

Biotic components
These include:

a) Producers
into two types:
They are green plants and photosynthetic bacteria categorized

i)Macrophytes
Ceratophyllum, Hydrilla, Utricularia, Vallisneria, Jussiaea, Nitella, Wolfia, Lemna,
Spirodella, Pistia, Eichhornia, Azolla, Salvinia, Trapa, Typha, Marsilea, etc. are
included in this category. This may be classified further into submerged, free
floating, andamphibious plants.
i) Phytoplanktons
These are minute floating or suspended lower plants belonging tO some algae and
flagellates. Ulothrix, Spirogyra, Oedogonium, ChlamydYmonas, Zygnema, VolvOX,
Pandorina,
Cosmarium, Scendesmus,Closterium, Anabaena, Pediastrum, Microcystis, diatoms,
etc. are common algal phytoplanktons.
b) Consumers
These are as follows:

i) Primary consumers

(a) Zooplankton comprises ciliates, flagellates, other protozoans, smallcrustaceans

like Copepods and Daphnia,etc. These animals drift with the water current and are
found along with phytoplankton upon which they feed.
(b) Benthos or bottom forms comprise the bottom-dwelling animals, e.g., annelids
and mollusks which feed on plants directly or on plant remains at the bottom.
ii)Secondary consumers
These are the carnivores that feed on the herbivores, e.g. insects and fish.
ii)Tertiary consumers

biinfoline.com/aquatic-ecosystems/