Basic Concepts of the

Environment
The term environment is derived from the French word “environ” and means
everything that surrounds us. It is defined as the complex of physical, chemical,
and biotic factors that act upon an organism or an ecological community and
ultimately determines its form and survival.

The Element of Environment is constituted by the interacting systems of

physical, biological, and cultural elements inter-related in various ways,
individually as well as collectively.

Space, landforms, water bodies, climate, soils, rocks, and minerals are the
physical elements which determine the variable character of the human habitat,
its opportunities as well as limitations.

The biological environment consists of Plants (flora) and animals (fauna). All the
organisms work to form their social groups and organizations at several levels.
Thus, the social environment is formed. In this social environment, the
organisms work to derive matter from the physical environment for their
sustenance and development. This process leads to the economic environment.

The cultural elements of the environment are influenced by the level of

development that humans have attained in the path towards progress. The
level of development is manifested in economic, social, and political elements
which are essentially man-made features, which make up the cultural
background.

Types of Environment

The environment is divided into two types: the natural environment and the
built environment. The natural environment encompasses all living and
nonliving things occurring naturally in the area while the built environment
refers to the human-man made surroundings that provide the setting for human
activities (e.g. buildings, parks, cities, and supporting infrastructures such as
transport, water supply, and energy supply).

Components of Environment
The environment is divided into four major components which are lithosphere,
hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere; these correspond to rocks, water, air,
and life respectively.

● Lithosphere is the outermost layer of earth called the crust, which is

made of different minerals. Its depth can reach up to 100 kilometers
and is found on both land (terrestrial crust) and oceans (oceanic crust).
The main component of the lithosphere is the earth’s tectonic plates.
● Hydrosphere comprises all forms of water bodies on earth including
oceans, seas, rivers, lakes, ponds, streams, etc. It covers 70% of the
earth’s surface. 97.5% of water found on Earth is in the oceans in the
form of saltwater. Only 2.5 % of the water on Earth is freshwater. Out
of this, 30.8% is available as groundwater and 68.9% is in frozen
forms as in glaciers. The amount of 0.3% is available in rivers,
reservoirs, and lakes and is easily accessible to man.
● Atmosphere is a gaseous layer enveloping the Earth. The atmosphere
with oxygen in abundance is unique to Earth and sustains life. It mainly
comprises 78.08% nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen, 0.93% argon, 0.038%
carbon dioxide, and traces of hydrogen, helium, and noble gases. The
amount of water vapour present is variable.
● Biosphere refers to all the regions on Earth where life exists. The
ecosystems that support life could be in the soil, air, water, or land. The
term Biosphere was coined by Geologist Edward Suess who used this
term for a place on Earth where life can be found. Biosphere refers to
the sum total of all living matter, the biomass, or biota. It extends from
the polar ice caps to the equator, with each region harboring some life
forms suitable to the conditions there.

Environmental science is an interdisciplinary subject. It draws from a whole

gamut of subjects like geography, geology, biology, chemistry, physics, botany,
zoology, genetics, sociology, rural development, urban planning, policy
development, politics, cultural studies, economics, ethics, law, education,
health, communication, and philosophy. It is a science that will address the
biggest challenges encountering the planet in this millennium. It studies the
complex interaction of humans with nature and provides guidelines for the way
forward.

Ecology and Ecosystem

The study and understanding of Ecology is an integral part of Environment

Science learning. Every living being however small or big depends on the
environment for its existence and also competes with others for essentials in
life. For survival, living beings form groups and different groups compete with
each other for survival. The study of interrelationships between organisms and
the group of organisms is called the science of Ecology. The word ecology
derived from the Greek word ‘Oikos meaning habitation, and logos meaning
discourse or study, implies a study of the habitations of organisms. Ecology was
first described as a separate field of knowledge in 1866 by the German Zoologist
Ernst Haeckel, who invented the word Ecology for ‘the relation of the animal to
its organic as well as its inorganic environment, particularly its friendly or
hostile relations to those animals or plants with which it comes in contact.
Ecology is hence the study of the interrelationship among plants and animals
and their interactions with the physical environment.

An Ecosystem is defined as a group of plants, animals, or living organisms

living together and interacting with the physical environment in which they live.
An Ecosystem has a more or less a closed boundary and the flow of mass in and
out of the system is very less as compared to the internal movement of the
mass. Ecosystems can be large or small. Examples of large ecosystems are
rainforests, deserts, salt marshes, coral reefs, lakes and ponds, Open Ocean,
grasslands, etc. An ecosystem is made up of organisms, which established
themselves in the given area and have continued to survive and have not
become extinct. The species hence possess genes, which fit the environment
and are tolerant of disturbances like a flood, fire, drought; and a reproductive
rate that balances the natural catastrophes. The birth rate of organisms will
have to be optimized to avoid overpopulation and hence starvation. The human
population is a good example. As technological evolution brings down our
normal death rate, social evolution lowers the birth rate to strike a balance.
Biological evolution is however much slower than social or technological.

In ecosystems, organisms constantly adjust themselves to geologic or climatic

changes and to each other. As an example, the bats developed sonar to find the
moths and the moths developed ears sensitive to the bat’s frequency. The
behavioral adaptations are also reflected in the anatomy of the body structure
of the organisms. An ecosystem does not remain constant. Changes occur in it
continuously in one form or the other. It is significant that even a small change
in one part of an ecosystem is felt throughout the ecosystem. This establishes
the importance of inter-linkages in an ecosystem. However, the system tries to
maintain the stability of an ecosystem depending on its diversity. More the
diversity, the more interdependence and the resistance to change.

Functions of Ecosystem

1. The ecosystem performs the most important function of satisfying the

requirements of the different aspects of the biotic component.
2. It is through an ecosystem that the interaction, as well as the
interdependence between the biological component and the physical
component in the environment, takes place, this interdependence is
 between biotic and biotic components. For example, plants depend on
solar energy and soil. The interdependence is also between different
aspects within the biotic components. For example, carnivores depend
on herbivores.
3. Eco-system leads to the transfer of food energy and nutrients from
one source to another source.
4. The different forms of ecosystem are beneficial because they lead to
positive effects on the environment which in turn helps the living
organisms.
5. Eco-systems have helped human beings by providing materials as well
as services necessary for survival as well as development.

Environmental Pollution

As a result of over-population, rapid industrializations, and other human

activities like agriculture and deforestation, etc., the earth became loaded with
diverse pollutants that were released as by-products.

Environmental pollution is defined as the undesirable change in physical,

chemical and biological characteristics of the air, land and water. It is the
introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that causes adverse
change.

Pollutants may cause primary damage, with direct identifiable impact on the
environment, or secondary damage in the form of minor perturbations in the
delicate balance of the biological food web that are detectable only over long
time periods.

Pollutants are grouped under two classes:

● Biodegradable pollutants – Biodegradable pollutants are broken down

by the activity of microorganisms and enter into the biogeochemical
cycles. Examples of such pollutants are domestic waste products, urine
and fecal matter, sewage, agricultural residue, paper, wood, and cloth,
etc.
● Non- Biodegradable pollutants have stronger chemical bonds. They do
not break down into simpler and harmless products. These include
various insecticides and other pesticides, mercury, lead, arsenic,
aluminum, plastics, radioactive waste, etc.
Pollution is classified according to the components of the environment that are
polluted. Examples are; Air pollution, Water pollution, Soil pollution (land
degradation) and Noise pollution.

Environmental Degradation

It is a well-known fact that there is an interaction between various components

of the environment. The atmosphere, the lithosphere, the hydrosphere, and the
biosphere are interdependent on each other in a symbiotic manner. One
component cannot function without the others. The inter-relationship between
the various components is vital in the achievement of a dynamic equilibrium
condition in the environment. The absence or extended disturbance of one
component may render dynamic equilibrium unattainable and leads to
environmental degradation.

Environmental degradation is described as the erosion of the natural

environment through the depletion of resources, the destruction of ecosystems,
and the extinction of plant and animal species. Environmental degradation is
caused in a variety of ways, predominantly by human actions, however, natural
events can also result in the deterioration of an environment. Earthquakes,
volcanoes, and intense rainfall events can all affect the environment in negative
ways. Environmental changes may be driven by many factors including
economic growth, population growth, urbanization, intensification of agriculture,
rising energy use, and transportation. The extraction of natural resources and
the production of waste and other pollutants have severely degraded many of
the planet’s ecosystems. Mining, deforestation, fossil fuel burning, and pollution
are just some of the human activities that have led to environmental
degradation.