DAILY

CLASS NOTES
Environment

Lecture - 01
Introduction
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Introduction
Six Aspects to be covered in the study of Environment:
❖ Concept of Environment:
➢ Understanding Environment: The term environment comes from the French word "environ" which
means 'surroundings'. Everything which surrounds us whether, living or nonliving, is a component of
our environment.
❖ Components of Environment: The components could be of three types:
➢ Biotic components: All the living organisms around us within an environment are the Biotic components.
➢ Abiotic components: Non-living factors and physical components of the environment are the Abiotic
components.
➢ Energy: The driving force that powers ecological processes and sustains life in an ecosystem is termed
Energy.
❖ Types of Environment:
➢ Biological Environment: It comprises plants, animals, and microbes and is also known as the biosphere.
➢ Physical Environment: The physical environment is the product of nature where there is no direct or
indirect effect of human activity. Rocks, minerals, temperature, humidity, wind, rain, and other related
non-living elements are examples of physical environments. It comprises of Lithosphere, Hydrosphere,
and Atmosphere.
➢ Cultural Environment: The cultural environment is man-made like railways, population density, cultural
background of the people, the level of technological development, and factors like personal, domestic,
religious, educational, means of transport, market facilities, economic conditions, and policies of the
government. Examples: Social environment, economic environment, etc.
*NOTE: Biological, physical, and cultural environments are influencing and impacting each other.
❖ Importance of Environment:
➢ It is the basis of life.
➢ It provides air and water.
➢ It provides food.
➢ It provides shelter/ habitat/ home.
➢ It provides resources, medicine, and clothes.
➢ It facilitates cleansing activities. Example: Bioremediation.
➢ The environment provides habitat, biodiversity, and energy.
❖ Environmental Problems:
➢ Environmental Degradation: Global warming, climate change, O3 depletion, land degradation, water
degradation, acid rain, etc.
➢ Environmental pollution: This includes air, water, soil, sound, light (can affect the circadian rhythm of
the body), and radioactive pollution.
❖ Environmental Adaptation:
➢ It is the ability to adapt to a changing environment.
➢ There are three types:
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✓ Physiological Adaptations: Getting cozy in the blanket during winters, Efficient kidneys in desert
animals to save water, anti-blood clotting agents (Hirudin) in leeches, etc.
✓ Structural or Physical Adaptations: Ears of Elephants in Africa are larger in sides as compared to
those in India because Africa is located near the Equator thus, the temperature is very high (greater
surface area).
• To radiate the heat out of their body, the enlarged ears will help in the cooling effect.
• Other examples of mammals- white fur polar bears, seals, and whales have flippers (modified hands
and legs) so that they can swim in the water, and long-neck of giraffes resulted from their search for
food as they resided in territories where vegetation was available at an upper level.
✓ Behavioral Adaptations: In search of food, shelter, sustainable living conditions, and mating
during the freezing months in Siberia, Siberian cranes migrate to India.
• Example: In Prayagraj, January months witness the migration of seagulls. Hibernation and
aestivation (summer sleep) too are forms of behavioral adaptations.
• Example: Frogs cannot migrate so they sleep inside the soil by minimizing their activities. Any
animal going into hibernation and aestivation depends on their body fat as a source of their food.
Difference between Hibernation and Aestivation:

Hibernation Aestivation

❖ It means winter sleep which slows down ❖ It means summer sleep which slows down
metabolism. metabolism.

❖ It helps in preventing any damage due to low ❖ It helps in preventing damage due to high
temperatures. temperatures. It occurs in animals living in tropical
and desert regions.

❖ It lasts for a longer period (a few months). ❖ Last shorter period (a month).

❖ In this phenomenon, animals search for warm ❖ In this phenomenon, animals search for cold places
places to sleep. to sleep.

❖ It occurs in cold-blooded and warm-blooded ❖ It occurs in cold-blooded animals.

animals.

❖ Example: (amphibians Reptiles); warm- blooded ❖ Examples: Earthworms, snails, frogs, etc.
(birds and mammals)
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Environmental Adaptation in Plants:

Tundra (Polar area) Taiga Rainforest Desert Mangroves

❖ No trees because ❖ Located below ❖ Dense forests ❖ Because of ❖ This type of

of the extremely Tundra with big trees. desertification, vegetation grows
cold weather. ❖ Only coniferous ❖ The canopy of cacti modified in salty, saline,
❖ Lichens, Mosses, tree survives. the tree is and adapted saturated land
Grass, and shrubs continuous themselves to (backwaters).
are found. ❖ Fruit-eating the changing ❖ Pneumatic roots
animals are climatic (roots above water
found here. conditions and for breathing)
their roots and ❖ In India, mangroves
❖ Difficult for
got deeper. are seen extensively
sunlight to
reach the ❖ Leaves are not in the Sundarbans.
surface of the present in desert
earth because plants which
of the would then cause
extensive transpiration
canopy. (loss of water).
❖ Example: ❖ Leaves modified
Amazon into thorns.
Rainforest. ❖ These plants have
high water
retention
capacity.
❖ Stems perform
photosynthesis.
They store water
and have a wax-
like coating to
prevent the loss of
water.
❖ The plants have
sunken stomata
which open only
during the night to
save water.

Levels of Organizations:
❖ Chemical Organizations: Electrons, protons, and neutrons are the basic constituents of atoms. Several atoms
together form molecules.
❖ Biological Organizations: Integration of molecules leads to the formation of cells. The number of cells forms
tissue. Tissues form organs. Several organs form the organ system. Many organ systems form organisms.
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❖ Ecological Organizations: The number of organisms of the same species is known as population.
Community is the combination of populations of different species (biotic). The ecosystem comprises
community (biotic) and abiotic factors or physical environment. The number of ecosystems in a particular
climatic condition forms a Biome. The number of biomes forms a Biosphere (Earth).
Biosphere:
❖ Understanding the concept of Biosphere: It is a place where life is possible. It is a combination of the
Atmosphere, Lithosphere, and Hydrosphere.
➢ Range of biosphere: It extends vertically into the atmosphere to about 8km, downward into the ocean
to depths of about 10.4 km, and into about 27,000 ft of the earth’s surface where maximum living
organisms have been found.
✓ Most of the organisms are found in the range of 8 km into the atmosphere and 200 m in the ocean.
➢ Biomes: Biomes are the regions of the biosphere that are divided based on climatic conditions,
vegetation, and adaptation to flora and fauna. Climatic conditions determine the boundaries of biomes
and plants and animals living in that biome.
✓ Climatic conditions of biomes influence the vegetation pattern and vegetation pattern facilitates
the specific adaptation in flora (plants) and fauna (animals).
Types of Biomes:

Terrestrial Biomes Aquatic Biomes

Tropical rainforest Sea

Temperate forest River

Grasslands Wetlands

Deserts Mangroves

Taiga Coral reefs

Tundra Estuaries

Intertidal zone

*NOTE: Taiga is the largest terrestrial biome which comprises 11% of biome space.
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