Our Environment
Environment is a surrounding where an organism lives with its abiotic components which influence it.
Ecosystem is a self contained unit of biotic and abiotic component interacting with each other and maintain a
balance in nature( food chain/ energy flow).
2Types : Natural ecosystem- lake, pond , ocean
Artificial ecosystem- garden, garden, aquarium.
2 basic processes in ecosystem are:
i) Cycling/ exchange of material
ii) Flow of energy is unidirectional
Components of ecosystem
Biotic Abiotic
1. Producers- autotrophs 1. Inorganic( N,P, S) & organic
2. Consumers- herbivores, carnivores, substances(carbohydrates, proteins)
omnivores, parasites 2. Climate(rain ,sunlight, heat)
3. Decomposers –Saprophytes 3. Edaphic(soil type-sandy clayey)
4. Topography (slope, valley)
Food chain and webs:
Trophic level: each step or level of food chain forms a trophic level.
Producers, primary consumers ,secondary consumers, tertiary consumers(1,2,3,4)
Food chain:it is the sequence which shows the passage of food energy from one organism to another.
Eg. Aquatic plants small aquatic insects fish.--> Flamingo
We eat food to get energy(unidirectional) to do work. Autotrophs capture the energy present in sunlight and
convert it to chemical energy. From autotrophs energy goes to heterotrophs and then decomposers.
Energy diminishes as 10% of the food eaten is available to the next level of consumer. So, we have greatest
number of producers. Instead of straight line food chain we have branching food web.
Food web : it is the interconnected food chain operating in an ecosystem which establish relationship between
various species.
Ecological pyramid is a graphical representation of ecological parameter present in different trophic level.
Tertiary consumers
Secondary consumers
Primary consumers
producers
Biological magnification: Harmful chemicals enter our body through food chain. Several pesticides and
insecticides are absorbed by plants along with water and minerals and enter the food chain. These chemicals
are non-biodegradable and get accumulated at each trophic level. Human beings are at top level in any food
chain, so maximum concentration of these is in our body. It is called biological magnification. Eg. DDT(dichloro-
diphenyl-trichloroethane) used to kill mosquitoes.
Effects of biomagnifications:
i) Chemicals are found in humans in maximum concentration
ii) It effects human organs(DDT-brain)
iii) Can cause decline in population to due infertility, thin egg shell breaks, etc.
Precaution to reduce use of pesticides:
1. We should ban pesticides,
2. Monitor and make judicious use of them.
3. We should use biodegradable pesticides only.
Human activities affect the environment
We are integral part of environment. Changes in environment effect us and our activities affect environment
around us. Two major problems are:
1. Ozone layer depletion (in stratosphere):
Ozone is a deadly poison. It also shields us from the ultra violet radiation from the Sun that causes skin cancer
and eye diseases. Thinning of ozone layer is called ozone depletion.
The high energy UV radiation:O2 O+O or O+ O2 O3 (ozone)
Ozone layer began to deplete due to use of CFCs(chloroflurocarbons) in refrigerators and fire extinguishers and
nitrous oxides in aircrafts.
2. Managing the waste we produce:
In our daily activities we produce a lot of garbage. It can be Biodegradable & Non-Biodegradable
Biodegradable: Non-biodegradable:
I. Can be broken down into simple and harmless I. Cannot be broken down into simple and
substances by biological or microbial action . harmless substances by biological or microbial
II. It is natural. action.
III. Do not enter food chain & never accumulate. II. It is human made.
IV. Microbes secrete enzymes that are specific in III. May enter food chain & can accumulate.
their action .Eg. Fruit peels, paper cups. IV. Eg. Plastic cups can be broken down by high
heat and pressure
Harmful Affect:
Release foul smell when in large quantity Harmful Affect:
Can support growth of harmful microbes when Biological magnification
in large quantity Make soil infertile due to use of fertilizers it
Can block drains and become breeding site for becomes acidic.
insects. Pollute water and make it unfit for use. Eg.DDT
use.
References:
NCERT textbook for class X
Youtube : CBSE Class 10 Science 15 our environment full chapter by shiksha house
(http://youtu.be/FJYcXbM91oY)
Biology today Cordova class X
Youtbe: for question answers : Our environment CLASS 10 SCIENCE NCERT SOLUTIONS CHAPTER 15 HINDI
(http://youtu.be/9MbA3blWC2s)
