ENVIRONMENT-

DEFINITION AND
FUNCTIONS

Archita Arora
 INDEX
1. Definition
2. Biotic and abiotic factors
3. Functions
4. Interruptions in environment's functions
5. The situation today
6. Question: Are environment problems new to
this century? If so, why?
7. Conclusion

PRESENTATION TITLE 2
 DEFINITION Environment is defined as the total planetary
inheritance and the totality of all resources. It
includes all the biotic and abiotic factors that
influence each other.

PRESENTATION TITLE 3
 BIOTIC VS ABIOTIC
Basis Biotic factors Abiotic factors

1. Meaning Living things within an ecosystem Non-living things within an ecosystem

2. Examples Birds, animals, plants Air, water, rocks, sunlight

PRESENTATION TITLE 4
 FUNCTIONS

It supplies It assimilates Aesthetic

It sustains life
resources waste services
There is a continuous supply • The environment has a It sustains life by providing For example- sceneries
of both renewable and non- certain absorptive capacity. genetic and bio diversity
renewable This capacity of the
resources. environment enables it to
remove waste products
without harming the
environment or those who
use it.

PRESENTATION TITLE 5
FUNCTIONS
The environment is able to perform these
functions without any interruptions as long as:

1. The demand on these functions is within the

carrying capacity:

2. Resource extraction is not above the rate of

its regeneration.

3. Wastes generated are within the

environment's assimilation capacity.
INTERRUPTION IN
ENVIRONMENT'S FUNCTIONS
The environment fails to perform its third
and vital function of life sustenance and
results in an environmental crisis.
THE SITUATION TODAY
Rising population + affluent consumption +
production standards of the developed world =
huge stress on the environment (in terms of its
first 2 functions)
➢ Resources have become extinct

➢ Wastes generated are beyond the absorptive

capacity

➢ We are at the threshold of environmental

crisis
➢ Past development has polluted and dried up
rivers making water an economic good.
THE SITUATION TODAY
➢ Intensive and extensive extraction of noth
renewable and non-renewable resources has
exhausted some of the vital resources.

➢ We are compelled to spend huge amounts on

technology and research to explore new
resources

➢ Decline in air and water quality which have

resulted in increase of respiratory and water-
borne diseases.

➢ Hence. The expenditure on health is

also rising.
THE SITUATION TODAY
➢ Moreover, global issues such as global
warming and ozone depletion also
contribute to increased financial
commitments for the government.
➢ Thus, it is clear that
the opportunity costs of negative
environmental impacts are high.
 Are environment
problems new to this
century? If so, why?

PRESENTATION TITLE 11
 THE BEGINNING
OF CIVILISATION
• The demand for
environmental resources and
services was much less than
their supply.
• Pollution was within the
absorptive capacity of the
environment
• The rate of resource
extraction was less than the
rate of its regeneration.
• Hence, environmental
problems did not arise.

PRESENTATION TITLE 12
 POPULATION EXPLOSION
& INDUSTRIAL
REVOLUTION
• To meet the growing needs, things
changed.
• The demand for both production
and consumption went bryonf the
rate of regeneration of resources
• The pressure on the absorptive
capacity on the environment
increased tremendously.
• We are now faced with increased
demand for resources but their
This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-SA- supply is limited due or
NC.
overuse/misuse.

PRESENTATION TITLE 13
 The environmental
issues of waste
generation and
pollution have become
critical today.

PRESENTATION TITLE 14
THANK YOU

-Archita Arora

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