Environmental Studies.

                   

Terminology

Environment- 
The living and non-living things that has some effect in our surrounding is known as environment.

Ecology- 

This word is coined by Ernest Haeckel in 1869.

Ecology is the branch of biology which deals with how an organism interact with their surrounding.

Ecosystem-

This word is coined by A.G. Tansley in 1935.

Ecosystem is defined as biotic and abiotic components are live in a specific environment.

Ecotone-

It is the imaginary line that divides two ecosystem.

Niche-

A place where an organism live, perform their daily tasks like eating, hunting or other daily activities.

Biodiversity-

Different-Different living organisms live together in an ecosystem.

Ecology Succession-

It is the process of change in the structure of ecosystem according to time.

Biotic Component-

Basically, all the living this is known as biotic component.

e.g. animal, plant, aquatic organisms, etc.

Abiotic component-

Basically, all the non-living things comes under abiotic component.

e.g. light, water, air, etc.

Natural Resources-

Resources that occurs naturally or without the interference  of human.

Renewable Resources-

Renewable resources are the resources that are re-new or re-made.

e.g. Wind energy, Solar energy, geothermal energy, etc.

Non-renewable resources-

Resources that cannot re-made.

e.g. oil, coal, fossil fuel, natural gas, etc.

Alien species-

Species (animal, plant, pathogens) coming from its native habitats into the new habitat and dominant themselves which results competition, survival or other harmful effect.

Biodiversity loss-

Losing of  species  from Earth which has some effect on the environment is known as biodiversity loss. 

Periphyton-

Periphyton is the group of microorganisms like blue-green algae, fungi, bacteria, plant detritus together attached tot the lower surface of aquatic ecosystem.

Nutrient Pool-

The amount of a particular nutrient stored in a portion of an ecosystem.

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Multidisciplinary Nature of Environment-

Environmental studies is a multidisciplinary nature because its principles are taken from different-different major subjects like- science, geography, commerce, humanities, etc.

Objective of Environmental Studies-

• Environmental studies plays a vital role for controlling and solving problems related to our environment.
• Environmental studies aware people and introduce their environment to themselves.
• It motivates people to protect and to improve their environment.

Scope of environmental studies-

• Environmental studies manage and maintain the natural resources like- forest, wild life, ecosystem, etc.
• Environmental engineering is also comes under the scope of environmental studies. It deals with technical parts that involves in environmental protection.

Ecological Balance-

Ecological Balance is the equilibrium position between the living things in an ecosystem.

Biome-

Area in which biotic make their habitat.

Five major types of biomes are-

Aquatic, grassland, forest, desert, etc.

       Types or Structure of Environment-

Mainly, their are two types of environment are-

(a) Biotic Environment. 

(b) Abiotic Environment.

Biotic environment-

The environment in which flora and fauna live together.

Abiotic environment or physical environment-

It is categorized in three groups are-

a. Lithosphere.

b. Hydrosphere.

c. Atmosphere.

Lithosphere-

                      It is related to terrestrial or land things like- forest, agricultural land, etc.

Hydrosphere-

                       It is related to aquatic like- river, sea, etc.

Atmosphere- 

                      It is the layer of gases in our surrounding.

                Component of  environment-

There are three component of environment are-

a. Abiotic Component.

b. Biotic Component.

c. Energy Component.

a. Abiotic related to non-living things in an ecosystem.

b. Biotic component is related to living thing in an ecosystem.

c. Energy component-

                                   The environment in which solar energy, geo chemical energy, thermoelectrical energy, nuclear energy takes place is known as energy component of environment.

Ecological factor-

Ecological factor is also known as aerial factor.

Ecological factor are of four types-

a. Climatic factor-

                             The climatic factor are light, temperature, atmosphere, humidity, etc.

b. Topographic factor-

                             Topographic factor also known as physiographic factor.

Topographic factor are the physical structure of an area like height, direction of slope, steepness of slope, etc.

c. Edaphic factor-

Edaphic factor based on soil condition like physical, chemical and biological phenomenon of soil that has some effect on organisms and on the process occur on soil.

e.g. soil colour, pH, texture, etc.

d. Biotic factor-

It includes flora and fauna.

                      Ecosystem

It is the community or society of living or non-living things live in an specific area.

                        Kind of Ecosystem-

a. Artificial Ecosystem. 

b. Natural Ecosystem.

a. Artificial Ecosystem-

It is a man-made ecosystem in which takes place flora and fauna.

like-Zoo, park, etc.

b. Natural Ecosystem-

Natural ecosystem in which living organisms in a balance condition supporting each other in a free environment.

e.g. Forest, ocean ecosystem, desert ecosystem.

Function of an ecosystem-

The function of an ecosystem is to exchange or pass the energy or nutrient in a systematic way of a food chain.

The function of ecosystem are divided in three parts-

(a).Primary Functions-

  Primary function are the first stair of ecosystem in which producers or autotrophs takes place.

(b). Secondary Functions-

 In secondary function the primary consumers are found or top carnivorous.

(c). Tertiary Functions-

 In this part of food chain the decomposers are play their role.

               Basic type of Ecosystem-

1. Producers-

First consumer or autotrophs.

e.g. grass.

2.Consumers-

Second or third consumers.

e.g. grasshopper or snake.

3.Decomposers-

Top consumers that digest all the dead matters.

e.g. Bacteria or fungi.

Relationship between organisms-

Mutualism-

                   When two species are beneficial for each other this condition is known as mutualism.

Neutralism-

                 When two species do not affect each other is known as neutralism.

Competition-

                 When two species are harmful for each other is known as competition.

Commensalism-

   When one spp. has benefit but the other one has no effect is known as commensalism.

Parasitism-

        One spp. is harmful and the other one is taking benefit is known as parasitism.

Amensalism-

   When one spp. is harmful for other but other do not has any effect this condition is known as amensalism.