ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY

BAS-204
CHAPTER 1: ENVIRONMENT

INTRODUCTION

ENVIRONMENT - In simple way environment may be defined as everything that

surrounds us. In other words, the definition can be phrased as “Our surrounding
which is formed by the interaction of living and non-living things, collectively
known as our environment”.
As per the Environment Protection Act of 1986, the environment encompasses the
totality of water, air, and land (A-Biotic), along with the interrelationships among
them, as well as their connections with human beings, other living
organisms( Biotic) , and surroundings.

Types Of Environment

1) Natural environment: The environment that comes in its existence by its own or
naturally without the influence of human beings is called as natural environment. It
operates through a self regulating mechanism known as Homeostasis.
2) Man-made environment: The environment which has been modified by human
activities is called as man-made environment. When in a specific area, the
temperature, humidity etc. are controlled by human beings – it is known as
anthropogenic environment. The increase in the scientific technology, which is the
result of human brain, is deteriorating the natural environment.

Basic Constituents (Or Components) Of Environment

The natural environment has following two parts:

1) Biotic or the living components: These include plants, animals, human
beings and microorganisms.
2) Abiotic or the non-living components: These include everything that effects
the biotic components, such as sunlight, water, air, soil, etc. Abiotic
components also include other factors such as temperature, rainfall, wind
directions and salinity levels of water and soil.
Abiotic Biotic
• Energy • Green plants
• Radiation • Non-green plants
• Temperature and heat flow • Decomposers
• Water • Parasites
• Atmospheric gases and wind • Symbionts
• Fire • Animals
• Man
• Topography
• Soil
• Geological substratum

THE SEGMENTS/PARTS OF ENVIRONMENT

The environment consists of four segments:

(1). ATMOSPHERE (sphere of air)

 Gaseous layer encircling the planet, essential for sustaining life. All
components of air, except inert gases, act as vital metabolites for living
organisms.
 It is segmented into four layers, categorized by temperature variations:
troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere and thermosphere.
 Other gases like Hydrogen, Neon, Krypton, Methane , Helium are also present
in atmosphere.
 Gases Percentage by volume
Nitrogen 78.08 ( 75.46 by wt )
Oxygen 20.95 (23.19 by wt )
Argon 0.93
Carbon dioxide 2.04

(2). LITHOSPHERE (Sphere of soils and rocks)

 The lithosphere is the Earth's solid outermost layer, comprising the brittle
upper mantle and the crust. It lies between the atmosphere above and the
asthenosphere (a more flexible section of the upper mantle) below.
 Among all Earth's layers, the lithosphere is the most rigid.
 One of the most notable features of Earth's lithosphere is tectonic activity,
which involves the movement and interaction of massive lithospheric slabs
known as tectonic plates.
 The geothermal gradient is the rate at which temperature increases with depth
below the Earth's surface. It is around 25–30°C per kilometer in the
continental crust. It varies depending on location, rock type, tectonic activity,
and depth.
(3). HYDROSPHERE (sphere of water)

 The hydrosphere includes all the water present on or near Earth's surface.
 It extends between 10 to 20 km in thickness.
 The hydrosphere consists of water found in various forms —**liquid, vapor,
and ice—** in oceans, rivers, lakes, underground sources, and even the
atmosphere.
 Water moves continuously through a natural cycle: it evaporates, forms
clouds, falls as precipitation (rain or snow), collects in water bodies, and
evaporates again. This repeating process is known as the WATER CYCLE.
(4). BIOSPHERE (sphere of life)

 The biosphere consists of all living organisms and plays a crucial role in the
large-scale recycling of energy and matter on Earth.
 Sometimes, it is also referred as the place where atmosphere, lithosphere and
hydrosphere meets.
 The movement of matter by living organisms (biota) is not limited to specific
geographic areas but occurs on a global scale.
 The biosphere relies on solar energy for photosynthesis, which is the
foundation of food chains. Nutrient cycles like the carbon, nitrogen, and water
cycles maintain ecological balance.
 The biosphere supports biodiversity, which ensures the stability and resilience
of ecosystems.

LAYERS OF ATMOSPHERE

The Earth's atmosphere is divided into distinct layers (troposphere, stratosphere,

mesosphere, and thermosphere ), each characterized by unique temperature trends.
This variation occurs primarily due to differences in solar radiation absorption,
composition of gases, and altitude effects.
REGION ALTITUDE TEMPERATURE MAIN LAPSE
(HEIGHT), RANGE, 0C ACTIVITY RATE*
Km
Troposphere 0 to 12/15 17 to -55 Clouds +ive
formation,
rainfall
Stratosphere 12 to 50 -55 to 0 O3 formation -ive
(Ozonosphere)
Mesosphere 50 to 80 0 to -75 Meteors +ive
burning
Thermosphere 80 to 500 -75 to more than Very high -ive
1200 temperature
*LAPSE RATE – rate of change of temperature with respect to altitude

(1). TROPOSPHERE

 The troposphere is the lowest layer of the atmosphere, extending 10–15 km

above Earth's surface and containing about 75% of the atmosphere's total
mass.
 It is wider at the equator compared to the poles, and both temperature and
pressure decrease with altitude.
 Tropopause: The upper boundary of the troposphere, where temperature
reaches its lowest stable point. This region acts as a "thermal layer" or "cold
trap", preventing water vapor from escaping into space by condensing it into
ice. Without this cold trap, earth would lose all its water.
  The majority of weather phenomena occur in the troposphere.
 Temperature decreases with altitude (~6.5°C per km) - The Earth’s surface
absorbs solar radiation and radiates heat upward, warming the air closest to the
ground. As altitude increases, the air expands due to lower pressure, causing it
to cool.
 The troposphere is heated from below, meaning the farther from the Earth’s
surface, the cooler it gets.
 Average temperature of earth surface is in range of 15 °C to 17 °C
 Example: At sea level, temperatures may be 30°C, but at 5 km altitude, they
may fall to 0°C or lower.

(2). STRATOSPHERE (Also known as ozone layer)

 Positioned directly above the troposphere, the stratosphere extends from 15

km to 50 km above Earth's surface, spanning a depth of approximately 35 km.
 The Ozone Layer: This layer consists of a thin layer of ozone molecules,
which acts as a protective shield against the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet
radiation, safeguarding life on Earth. The primary role of the ozone layer is to
absorb harmful ultraviolet radiation (UV-B and UV-C) from the sun. UV-C
(most dangerous) is completely absorbed, UV-B (can cause skin cancer,
cataracts) is mostly absorbed and UV-A (less harmful) passes through.
 The highest concentration of ozone is found between 15–35 km altitude.
 The thickness of the ozone layer varies worldwide and is generally thinner
near the equator and thicker near the poles.
 Air is dry and stable, making it ideal for jet planes. If the planes were to fly in
troposphere, heavy air in troposphere would result in more fuel consumption
and also, weather activities can cause turbulence in the plane.
 The stratosphere experiences a temperature increase with altitude due to the
absorption of sunlight by ozone. While the lower portion maintains a nearly
constant temperature, the upper part warms as elevation rises.
 The ozone layer absorbs ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the Sun, converting it
into heat. This absorbed energy warms the upper part of the stratosphere.
Since ozone concentration is higher at the mid of the stratosphere,
temperatures are warmer there than at the bottom.
 Example: The temperature rises from around -60°C at the bottom to about 0°C
at the top.
(3). MESOSPHERE

 Situated above the stratosphere, between 50 to 80 km above Earth’s surface,

the mesosphere is the coldest layer of the atmosphere, where temperature
decreases with altitude.
 Though the air in the mesosphere is extremely thin, it is still dense enough to
slow down meteors, causing them to burn up and create fiery streaks in the
night sky.
 Temperature decreases with altitude. There is no ozone layer in the
mesosphere to absorb solar radiation. The air is extremely thin, causing heat to
radiate quickly into space. As altitude increases, molecules become sparse,
reducing their ability to retain heat.
 Example: Temperatures can drop to around -90°C in the upper mesosphere,
the coldest temperature in Earth’s atmosphere.

(4). THERMOSPHERE

 Extending from 80 km above Earth to outer space, the thermosphere is

characterized by extremely high temperatures, reaching thousands of degrees.
This occurs because the few molecules present in this layer absorb large
amounts of solar energy.
 The thermosphere is part of the heterosphere, a region where gases are not
uniformly distributed but are instead layered based on their molecular masses.
 In contrast, the homosphere—which includes the troposphere, stratosphere,
and mesosphere—has gases that are evenly mixed throughout.
 Air density is extremely low.
 Temperature increases significantly with altitude (can exceed 1500°C)
 In this layer, molecules absorb high-energy radiation such as X-rays and
gamma rays from the Sun
  Although temperatures seem extremely high, the air density is so low that heat
transfer is minimal, so it wouldn’t feel hot despite the high temperature.
 Example: Despite temperatures exceeding 1500°C, astronauts in orbit feel cold
because heat transfer via air molecules is negligible.

IONOSPHERE

 The ionosphere is a section of Earth’s upper atmosphere, ranging from 60 km

to 1,000 km in altitude. It overlaps with the thermosphere and includes
portions of the mesosphere and exosphere.
 This region is ionized by solar radiation, contributing to atmospheric
electricity and serving as the inner boundary of the magnetosphere.
 The ionosphere is crucial for radio communication, as it affects radio wave
propagation, enabling long-distance transmission across Earth.

Exosphere

 Outermost layer, merging into outer space.

 Contains extremely sparse gas molecules like hydrogen and helium.
 Temperature is stable or slight increase with altitude.
 Reason for Temperature Stability: Molecules are widely dispersed and may
travel great distances without colliding, resulting in minimal heat transfer.
While solar radiation is intense, the extremely low air density means there’s
virtually no measurable temperature in the traditional sense.

IMPORTANCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

 Environmental studies aware us about the valuable natural resources, their

importance and conservation methods.
 Environmental studies provide knowledge about the ecology and
biodiversity.
 Environmental studies help us to find ways to maintain ecological balance.
 Environmental studies help us to solve the big environmental problems like
Environmental Pollution, Urbanization, Deforestation, Desertification,
Global Warming, Acid Rain, Ozone Layer Depletion etc.
SCOPE OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE/STUDIES:

There are various fields/areas in which we can see the scope of environmental
science.
 Natural Resources, their conservation and management.
 Ecology and Biodiversity conservation
 Environmental pollution and its control
 Global environmental issues and their control measures: Such as-Global
warming, Ozone layer depletion, Acid rain, Desertification, Deforestation,
Urbanization etc.

THE NEED OF PUBLIC AWARENESS ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT

 The environment is degrading day by day because of, increasing population,

rapid industrialization, urbanization, deforestation and environmental
pollution.
 All these problems have disturbed the ecological balance in such a way that
the survival of life on earth has been seriously threatened. Therefore public
awareness is must for protection of environment.
 Public awareness can be achieved through environmental education i.e.
people should be told about environment and its importance.
 Environmental education or environmental awareness among public can be
spread through books, magazines (for ex: down to earth), schools/
colleges/institutes/university, news paper, media, television, radio, eco-
clubs, Government and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’S).
  Public participation is possible only when the public is aware about the
environment and environmental issues (problems)”.

MULTIDISCIPLINARY NATURE OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

Environmental science is a multidisciplinary science and it includes not only life
science (i.e. zoology, botany) but also chemistry, physics, mathematics, geology,
geography, atmospheric science, medical science, history, social science and
statistics etc. (HOW? – SELF STUDY)