GE6351- ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

UNIT I -ENVIRONMENT, ECOSYSTEMS AND BIODIVERSITY

ENVIRONMENT: The physical, chemical and biological

presence of living and non- living things outside an individual species is called as its ENVIRONMENT.

For example Forest environmental Land environmental Aquatic environment

MAIN FACTORS OF ENVIRONMENT Biotic factors

Abiotic factorsBiotic = living (BIO = life)Abiotic = nonliving

Biotic factors are all of the living things in an environment.

Abiotic factors are all of the nonliving things in an environment. e.g.rocks,oxygen,water,sunlight

BIOTIC OR ABIOTIC?

BIOTIC OR ABIOTIC?

Biotic!

BIOTIC OR ABIOTIC?

BIOTIC OR ABIOTIC?

Abiotic!

BIOTIC OR ABIOTIC?

BIOTIC OR ABIOTIC?

Biotic!

BIOTIC OR ABIOTIC?

BIOTIC OR ABIOTIC?

Abiotic!

SCOPE OF ENVIRONMENT1) Ecosystem structure and function: study of the process that link the

living or biotic components to the non-living or abiotic components.

2) Natural resources: natural resources such as forest contribute towards maintaining a balance in the environment. Therefore, managing and maintenance of forest and wildlife is an important task under natural resource conservation.

3) Environmental pollution control: with the knowledge of environment sciences, one can look methods to control pollution and mange waste effectively

4) Environmental management: There are several independent environmental consultants working with central and state pollution control boards. These consultants offer advice related to environment problems and their solutions. They also direct the concerned industry, looking for advice on environmental issues.

5) Industry: Environmental scientists works towards maintaining ecological balance, conservation of biodiversity, and preservation of natural resources. Rapid industrialization is increasingly degrading the environment

IMPORTANCE OF ENVIRONMENTEnvironmental studies is important

because of the following reasons: To obtain solutions to the environmental problems our planet is facing

today. Moveover , it encourages the development of scientific principles and the application of these principles to solve environmental problems.

Environmental studies helps maintain ecological balance by providing a basic operating knowledge of environmental systems and process.

Environmental studies helps achieve sustainable development and understand the relationships between development and the environment.

IMPORTANCE OF ENVIRONMENT

Environmental studies also aims to protect biodiversity. Growth in human population and the resulting increase in

material consumption and technological development have increased the rate.

Environmental studies gives information related to population explosion, growth and development, impact of population growth on the resources consumption, and national economy.

RISK AND HAZARDSRisk is the chance or probability of a hazard resulting in an injury or disease.

Some risk in workplace are: Breathing high levels of dust in the workplace air without a

respirator. Being exposed to high levels of noise without hearing

protection. Handling untreated solid waste and waste water without any

glouse. Being required to perform hard work in a hot environment.

TYPES OF ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS

Physical hazards Chemical hazards Biological hazards

PHYSICAL HAZARDS A physical hazard is defined as "A

factor within the environment that can harm the body without necessarily touching it. Vibration and noise are examples of physical hazards“

For example : Earthquakes, floods, fires.

CHEMICAL HAZARDS A chemical hazard is any substance

that can cause harm, primarily to people.

 Chemicals environment due to exposure of any chemicals in any form(liquid, solid and gas).

For example : pesticides, corrosion Chemicals,

alcohol.

BIOLOGICAL HAZARDS Biological hazards are the types of

hazards originating from one organism to another organism that is being affected.

Ex. Work in hospitals, hotel laundry and room cleaning, laborites.

Bacteria Viruses

ECOSYSTEM An ecosystem is a natural unit

consisting of all plants, animals and micro-organisms (biotic factors) in an area functioning together with all of the non-living physical (abiotic) factors of the environment.

Ecology is the scientific study of the interactions between organisms and their environment. 

EXAMPLES OF ECOSYSTEM Pond ecosystem Lake ecosystem Desert ecosystem Forest ecosystem

POND ECOSYSTEM

LAKE ECOSYSTEM A lake ecosystem includes biotic

(living) plants, animals and micro-organisms, as well as abiotic (nonliving) physical and chemical interactions. 

DESERT ECOSYSTEM desert ecology is the sum of the

interactions between both biotic and abiotic processes and it includes the interactions of plant, animal, and bacterial populations in a desert ecosystem.

FOREST ECOSYSTEM A forest ecosystem is a natural

woodland unit consisting of all plants, animals and micro-organisms (Biotic components) in that area functioning together with all of the non-living physical (abiotic) factors of the environment.

BLOCK DIAGRAM OF AN ECOSYSTEM

STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF AN ECOSYSTEM

Producers (autotrophs)

Consumers (heterotrophs)

Decomposers

OXYGEN CYCLE

OXYGEN CYCLE

ENERGY FLOW IN THE ECOSYSTEM All organisms require energy, for growth, maintenance, reproduction, locomotion, etc.

Hence, for all organisms there must be: A source of energy

A loss of usable energy

ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION

ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION Ecosystems tend to change with time

until a stable system is formed. The stable system that will form

depends on climatic limitations. The replacement of one community by

another until a stable stage is reached is called ecological succession.

The final stage of succession is called the climax community.

TWO MAIN TYPES OF ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION:

Primary Succession: The process of creating life in an area where no life previously existed.

Secondary Succession: The process of re-stabilization that follows a disturbance in an area where life has formed an ecosystem.

EXAMPLES OF SUCCESSION Primary Secondary

The development of an ecosystem in an area that has never had a community living within it occurs by a process called PRIMARY SUCCESSION.

SECONDARY SUCCESSION begins in habitats where communities were entirely or partially destroyed by some kind of damaging event.

SECONDARY SUCCESSION