ENERGY & ENVIORNMENT

MODULE 3
ENVIRONMENT & ECOSYSTEM
Definition
 Environmental studies deals with every issue that
affects an organism.
 It is essentially a multidisciplinary approach that
brings about an appreciation of our natural world and
human impacts on its integrity.
 It is an applied science as it seeks practical answers to
making human civilization sustainable on the earth’s finite
resources.
 Its components include biology, geology, chemistry, physics,
engineering, sociology, health, anthropology, economics,
statistics, computers and philosophy.
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Scope
 As we look around at the area in which we live, we see that our
surroundings were originally a natural landscape such
as a forest, a river, a mountain, a desert, or a combination of
these elements.
 Most of us live in landscapes that have been heavily
modified by human beings, in villages, towns or cities.
 But even those of us who live in cities get our food supply
from surrounding villages and these in turn are
dependent on natural landscapes such as forests,
grasslands, rivers, seashores, for resources such as water for
agriculture, fuel wood, fodder, and fish.
 Thus our daily lives are linked with our surroundings
and inevitably affects them.
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Scope Cont’d
 The industrial development and intensive agriculture that
provides the goods for our increasingly consumer oriented
society uses up large amounts of natural resources such
as water, minerals, petroleum products, wood, etc.
 Our dependence on nature has led to environmental
degradation and we cannot continue to live without
protecting the earth’s environmental resources.
 Our natural resources can be compared with money in a
bank. If we use it rapidly, the capital will be reduced to zero.
 On the other hand, if we use only the interest, it can
sustain us over the longer term.
 This is called sustainable utilization or development.
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Importance
 Environment is not a single subject. It is an integration of
several subjects that include both Science and Social Studies.
 To understand all the different aspects of our environment we
need to understand biology, chemistry, physics, geography,
resource management, economics and population issues.
 Thus the scope of environmental studies is extremely
wide and covers some aspects of nearly every major discipline.
 We live in a world in which natural resources are limited.
 As we keep increasing in numbers and the quantity of
resources each of us uses also increases, the earth’s resource
base must inevitably shrink.
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Importance
 The earth cannot be expected to sustain this expanding
level of utilization of resources.
 Added to this is misuse of resources. We waste or pollute
large amounts of nature’s clean water.
 We create more and more material like plastic that we
discard after a single use; and we waste colossal amounts of
food, which is discarded as garbage.
 Manufacturing processes create solid waste byproducts
that are discarded, as well as chemicals that flow out as
liquid waste and pollute water, and gases that pollute the air.
 Increasing amounts of waste cannot be managed by
natural processes.
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Importance
 These accumulate in our environment, leading to a
variety of diseases and other adverse environmental
impacts now seriously affecting all our lives.
 Air pollution leads to respiratory diseases, water pollution to
gastro-intestinal diseases, and many pollutants are known to
cause cancer.
 Improving this situation will only happen if each of us begins
to take actions in our daily lives that will help preserve
our environmental resources.
 Some common problems of pollution are Acid Rain, plastic,
(cancer), Contaminated water, smog (Asthma), Mercury, Lead,
Arsenic etc., Disrupted pattern of Rainfall, Natural calamities
ENVIRONMENT & ECOSYSTEM
NEED FOR PUBLIC AWARENESS
 As the earth’s natural resources are dwindling and our
environment is being increasingly degraded by human activities,
it is evident that something needs to be done.
 We often feel that managing all this is something that
the Government should do.
 But if we go on endangering our environment, there is no
way in which the Government can perform all these clean-up
functions.
 It is the prevention of environment degradation in which
we must all take part that must become a part of all our lives.
 This can only be made possible through mass public
awareness.
ENVIRONMENT & ECOSYSTEM
NEED FOR PUBLIC AWARENESS
We are living on spaceship earth with a limited supply of
resources. Each of us is responsible for spreading this message to
as many people as possible. Suggested activities are:
 Join a group to study nature, such as WWF or BNHS, or
another environmental group. (World Wide Fund for Nature, Bombay
Natural History Society)

 Begin reading newspaper articles and periodicals such as

‘Down to Earth’,WWF-I newsletter, BNHS Hornbill, Sanctuary
magazine, etc.
 Lobby for conserving resources by taking up the cause of
environmental issues during discussions.
 Practice and promote issues such as saving paper, saving
water, reducing use of plastics, practicing the 3Rs principle of
reduce, reuse, recycle, and proper waste disposal.
ENVIRONMENT & ECOSYSTEM
NEED FOR PUBLIC AWARENESS
 Join local movements that support activities such as saving
trees in your area, go on nature treks, recycle waste, buy
environmentally friendly products. (banning of plastics bags in
Mysore City)
 Practice and promote good civic sense such as no
spitting or chewing tobacco, no throwing garbage on the road,
no smoking in public places, no urinating or defecating in public
places. (Fine for littering on the road in US)
 Take part in events organised on World Environment Day,
Wildlife Week, etc.
 Visit a National Park or Sanctuary, or spend time in whatever
nature you have near your home to realize its problems.
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CONCEPT OF AN ECOSYSTEM
 An ‘Ecosystem’ is a region with a specific and recognizable
landscape form such as forest, grassland, desert, wetland or
coastal area.
 Definition: The living community of plants and animals in any
area together with the non-living components of the
environment such as soil, air and water, constitute the
ecosystem.
 Ecosystems are divided into terrestrial or land based
ecosystems, and aquatic ecosystems in water.
 Ecosystems have been formed on land and in the sea by
evolution that has created species to live together in a
specific region.
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Understanding ecosystems
 Natural ecosystems include the forests, grasslands, deserts, and
aquatic ecosystems such as ponds, rivers, lakes, and the sea.
 Man modified ecosystems include agricultural land and
urban or industrial land use patterns.
 The ecosystem functions through several biogeochemical
cycles and energy transfer mechanisms.
 Ecosystems are the basis of life itself!!!..
 The natural ecosystems in the wilderness provide a variety of
products and are regions in which a number of vital ecological
processes are present, without which human civilization
would not be able to exist.
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 STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS OF AN ECOSYSTEM
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ENERGY FLOW IN THE ECOSYSTEM
 Every ecosystem has several interrelated mechanisms that
affect human life.
 These are the water cycle, the carbon cycle, the oxygen cycle,
the nitrogen cycle and the energy cycle.
 In an ecosystem, green plants – the producers, utilize energy
directly from sunlight and convert it into matter/energy.
 The herbivorous animals that eat plants are called primary
consumers.
 The predators that feed on them are known as secondary
consumers.
 This is how energy is used by living creatures and flows
through the ecosystem from its base to the apex.
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The Water Cycle
 When it rains, the water runs along the ground and
flows into rivers or falls directly into the sea.

 A part of the rainwater that falls on land percolates into

the ground.

 This is stored underground throughout the rest of the

year.

 Water is drawn up from the ground by plants along with

the nutrients from the soil.

 The water is transpired from the leaves as water vapour

and returned to the atmosphere.
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ENVIRONMENT & ECOSYSTEM

The Water Cycle

 Also, water in the sea is evaporated by Sun to form
water vapour. As it is lighter than air, water vapour rises
and forms clouds.

 Winds blow the clouds for long distances and when the
clouds rise higher, the vapour condenses and changes
into droplets, which fall on the land as rain. (Mountains and
Forest block more clouds)

 Though this is an endless cycle on which life depends,

man’s activities are making drastic changes in the
atmosphere through pollution which is altering rainfall
patterns.
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The Carbon cycle
 In the atmosphere, carbon occurs as carbon dioxide
(CO2).
 In the presence of sunlight, plants take up carbon
dioxide from the atmosphere through their leaves.
 The plants combine carbon dioxide with water,
which is absorbed by their roots from the soil.
 In the presence of sunlight they are able to form
carbohydrates that contain carbon. This process is known
as photosynthesis.
6CO2 + 6H2O + light energy = C6H12O6 + 6O2
 In this process, plants release oxygen into the
atmosphere on which animals depend for their respiration.
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ENVIRONMENT & ECOSYSTEM
The Carbon cycle
 Herbivorous animals feed on plant material, which is
used by them for energy (carbon) and for their growth.
 Both plants and animals release carbon dioxide during
respiration.
 They also return fixed carbon to the soil in the waste
they excrete.
 When plants and animals die they return their carbon
to the soil.
 These processes complete the carbon cycle.
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The Oxygen Cycle
 Oxygen is taken up by plants and animals from the air
during respiration.
 The plants return oxygen to the atmosphere during
photosynthesis.
 This links the Oxygen Cycle to the Carbon Cycle.
Deforestation is likely to gradually reduce the oxygen
levels in our atmosphere.
 Thus plant life plays an important role in our lives which
we frequently do not appreciate.
 This is an important reason to participate in
afforestation programs.
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ENVIRONMENT & ECOSYSTEM
The Nitrogen Cycle
 Nitrogen is transferred to carnivorous animals when
they feed on herbivorous animals which in turn feed
on plants.

 When animals defecate, the waste material is broken

down by worms and insects mostly beetles and ants.

 These small ‘soil animals’ break the waste material into

smaller bits on which microscopic bacteria and fungi can
act. The smaller bits is broken down further by bacteria
and fungi into nutrients called nitrates. (not seen)

 Plants can absorb these nitrates and use for their

growth by forming new plant proteins.
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ENVIRONMENT & ECOSYSTEM
The Nitrogen Cycle
 Thus nutrients are recycled back from animals to plants.
 Similarly the bodies of dead animals are also broken
down into nutrients that are used by the plants for their
growth.
 Thus the nitrogen cycle on which life is dependent is
completed.
 Thus our own lives are closely interlinked to soil
animals, fungi and even bacteria in the soil. When we think
of food webs, we usually think of the large mammals and
other large forms of life.
 But we need to understand that it is the unseen small
animals, plants and microscopic forms of life that
are of great value for the functioning of the ecosystem.
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Integration of cycles in Nature
 These cycles are a part of global life processes. These
biogeochemical cycles have specific features in each of the
ecosystems.
 These cycles are however linked to those of adjacent
ecosystems. Their characteristics are specific to the plant
and animal communities in the region.
 This is related to the geographical features of the area, the
climate and the chemical composition of the soil.
 Together the cycles are responsible for maintaining
life on earth.
 If mankind disturbs these cycles beyond the limits
that nature can sustain, they will eventually break
down and lead to a degraded earth on which man
will not be able to survive.
ENVIRONMENT & ECOSYSTEM
FOOD CHAINS, FOOD WEBS AND ECOLOGICAL PYRAMIDS
 The transfer of energy from the source in plants through a
series of organisms by eating and being eaten constitutes food
chains.
 At each transfer, a large proportion of energy is lost in
the form of heat.
 These food chains are not isolated sequences, but are
interconnected with each other.
 This interlocking pattern is known as the food web.
 Each step of the food web is called a trophic level.
 Hence green plants occupy the first level, herbivores the second
level, carnivores the third level and secondary carnivores the
fourth level.
 These trophic levels together form the ecological pyramid.
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ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION
 Ecological succession is a process through which ecosystems
tend to change over a period of time.
 Succession can be related to seasonal environmental changes,
which create changes in the community of plants and animals
living in the ecosystem.
 Other successional events may take much longer periods of
time extending to several decades.
 For example, if a forest is cleared, it is initially colonized by a
certain group of species of plants and animals, which gradually
change through an orderly process of community development.
 One can predict that an opened up area will gradually be
converted into a grassland, a shrub land and finally a woodland
and a forest if permitted to do so without human interference.
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Forest Ecosystem
 Forests are formed by a community of plants which is
predominantly structurally defined by its trees, shrubs, climbers
and ground cover.
 Natural vegetation looks vastly different from a group of
planted trees, which are in orderly rows.
The forest ecosystem has two parts:
1. The non-living or abiotic aspects of the forest.
2. The living or the biotic aspects of the forest.
 As the plant and animal species are closely dependent on each
other, together they form different types of forest communities.
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Forest types in India:
 The forest type depends upon the abiotic factors such as
climate and soil characteristics of a region.
 Forests in India can be broadly divided into
1. Coniferous forests &
2. Broadleaved forests.
 Coniferous forests grow in the Himalayan mountain region,
where the temperatures are low.These forests have tall stately
trees with needlelike leaves and downward sloping branches so
that the snow can slip off the branches.They have cones
instead of seeds and are called gymnosperms.
 Broadleaved forests have several types, such as evergreen
forests, deciduous forests, thorn forests, and mangrove forests.
Broadleaved forests have large leaves of various shapes.
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Evergreen forests
Evergreen forests grow in the high rainfall areas of the Western
Ghats, North Eastern India and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Evergreen plants shed a few of their leaves throughout the year. An
evergreen forest thus looks green throughout the year.The forest is
rich in orchids and ferns.The barks of the trees are covered in
moss.The forest abounds in animal life and is most rich in insect
life.
Deciduous forests
Deciduous forests are found in regions with a moderate amount of
seasonal rainfall that lasts for only a few months. Most of the
forests in which Teak trees grow are of this type.The deciduous
trees shed their leaves during the winter and hot summer months.
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Thorn forests
Thorn forests are found in the semi- arid regions of India.The trees,
which are sparsely distributed, are surrounded by open grassy
areas.Thorny plants are called xerophytic species and are able to
conserve water.Thorn forest trees have long or fibrous roots to
reach water at great depths.

Mangrove forests
Mangrove forests grow along the coast especially in the river deltas.
These plants are able to grow in a mix of saline and fresh water.
They grow luxuriantly in muddy areas covered with silt that the
rivers have brought down.The mangrove trees have breathing roots
that emerge from the mudbanks.
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Threats to the forest ecosystem
 As forests grow very slowly, we cannot use more resources than
they can produce during a growing season.
 If timber is felled beyond a certain limit the forest cannot
regenerate.
 The gaps in the forest canopy change the habitat quality for its
animals.The more sensitive species cannot survive under these
changed conditions.
 Overutilizing forest resources is an unsustainable way of
misusing our limited forest resources.
 We are now creating more and more goods that are
manufactured from raw material from the forest.
 This leads to forest degradation and finally changes the
ecosystem into wasteland.Wood is illegally extracted from many
forests leading to a highly disturbed ecosystem.
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Threats to the forest ecosystem cont’d
 Forests are shrinking as our need for agricultural land increases.
It is estimated that India’s forest cover has decreased from about
33% to 11% in the last century.
 The increasing use of wood for timber, wood pulp for paper and
the extensive use of fuelwood results in continual forest loss.
 Forests are also lost by mining and building dams.
 As the forest resources are exploited beyond what they can
produce the forest canopy is opened up, the ecosystem is
degraded, and its wildlife is seriously threatened.
 As the forest is fragmented into small patches its wild plant and
animal species become extinct.These can never be brought back.
Extinction is forever.
 Rainfall also gets seriously affected when the forest is destroyed.
ENVIRONMENT & ECOSYSTEM
How can forest ecosystems be conserved?
 We can conserve forests only if we use its resources carefully.
 This can be done by using alternate sources of energy instead
of fuelwood.
 There is a need to grow more trees than are cut down from
forests every year for timber.
 Afforestation needs to be done continuously from which
fuelwood and timber can be judiciously used.
 The natural forests with all their diverse species must be
protected as National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries where all
the plants and animals can be preserved.
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Grassland ecosystems
 A wide range of landscapes in which the vegetation is mainly
formed by grasses and small annual plants adapted to India’s
various climatic conditions form a variety of grassland
ecosystems with their specific plants and animals.
 Grasslands cover areas where rainfall is usually low and/or the
soil depth and quality is poor.
 The low rainfall prevents the growth of a large number of trees
and shrubs, but is sufficient to support the growth of grass
cover during the monsoon.
 Many of the grasses and other small herbs become dry and the
part above the ground dies during the summer months.
 In the next monsoon the grass cover grows back from the root
stock and the seeds of the previous year.
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Grassland Types in India:
 Grasslands form a variety of ecosystems that are located in
different climatic conditions ranging from near desert
conditions, to patches of shola grasslands that occur on hill
slopes alongside the extremely moist evergreen forests in South
India.
 In the Himalayan mountains there are the high cold Himalayan
pastures.
 There are tracts of tall elephant grass in the low-lying Terai belt
south of the Himalayan foothills.
 There are semi-arid grasslands in Western India, parts of
Central India, and in the Deccan Plateau.
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The Himalayan pasture belt extends uptothe snowline.The
grasslands at a lower level form patches along with coniferous or
broadleaved forests. Himalayan wildlife require both the forest and
the grassland ecosystem as important parts of their habitat.The
animals migrate up into the high altitude grasslands in summer and
move down into the forest in winter when the snow covers the
grassland. Himalayan hill slopes are covered with thousands of
colourful flowering plants.There are also a large number of
medicinal plants.
TheTerai consists of patches of tall grasslands interspersed with a
Sal forest ecosystem.The patches of tall elephant grass, which
grows to a height of about five meters, are located in the low-lying
waterlogged areas.The Sal forest patches cover the elevated regions
and the Himalayan foothills.The Teraialso includes marshes in low-
lying depressions.This ecosystem extends as a belt south of the
Himalayan foothills.
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The Semi-arid plains of Western India, Central India and
the Deccan are covered by grassland tracts with patches of thorn
forest. Several mammals such as the wolf, the blackbuck, the
chinkara, and birds such as the bustards and floricansare adapted
to these arid conditions.The Scrublands of the Deccan Plateau are
covered with seasonal grasses and herbs on which its fauna is
dependent. It is teaming with insect life on which the insectivorous
birds feed.
The Shola grasslands consist of patches on hillslopesalong with
the Shola forests on the Western Ghats, Nilgiriand
Annamalairanges.This forms a patchwork of grassland on the
slopes and forest habitats along the streams and lowlyingareas.
The grasses are the major producers of biomass in these regions.
Each grassland ecosystem has a wide variety of species of grasses
and herbs.
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How are grasslands used?
 Grasslands are the grazing areas of many rural communities.
Farmers who keep cattle or goats, as well as shepherds who
keep sheep, are highly dependent on grasslands.
 Fodder is collected and stored to feed cattle when there is no
grass left for them to graze in summer.
 Grass is also used to thatch houses and farm sheds.
 The thorny bushes and branches of the few trees that are seen
in grasslands are used as a major source of fuelwood.
 Grasslands have diverse species of insects that pollinate crops.
 There are also predators of these insects such as the small
mammals like shrews, reptiles like lizards, birds of prey, and
amphibia such as frogs and toads.
 All these carnivorous animals help to control insect pests in
adjoining agricultural lands.
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What are the threats to grassland ecosystems?
 In many areas grasslands have been used for centuries by
pastoral communities.
 Overutilization and changes in land use of the ‘common grazing
lands’ of rural communities has lead to their degradation.
 The grassland cover in the country in terms of permanent
pastures now covers only 3.7 percent of land.
 A major threat to natural grasslands is the conversion of
grasslands into irrigated farmlands.
 After continuous irrigation such land becomes saline and
useless in a few years.
 More recently many of these residual grassland tracts have
been converted into industrial areas.
 This provides short-term economic gains but result in long-term
economic and ecological losses.
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How can grassland ecosystems be conserved?
 Grasslands should not be overgrazed and areas of the
grasslands should be closed for grazing. It is better to collect
grass for stall feeding cattle.
 A part of the grassland in an area must be closed every year so
that a rotational grazing pattern is established.
 Fires must be prevented and rapidly controlled in grasslands.
 In hilly areas soil and water management in each micro-
catchment helps grasslands to return to a natural highly
productive ecosystem.
 To protect the most natural undisturbed grassland ecosystems,
Sanctuaries and National Parks must be created.
 Their management should focus on preserving all their unique
species of plants and animals and not to convert it into tree
plantations.
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Desert Ecosystem
 Desert and semi arid lands are highly specialised and sensitive
ecosystems that are easily destroyed by human activities.The
species of these dry areas can live only in this specialised habitat.
 Deserts and semi arid areas are located in Western India and the
Deccan Plateau.The climate in these vast tracts is extremely dry.
 There are also cold deserts such as in Ladakh, which are located
in the high plateaus of the Himalayas.
 The most typical desert landscape that is seen in Rajasthan is in
the Thar Desert.This has sand dunes.
 There are also areas covered with sparse grasses and a few
shrubs, which grow if it rains.
 In most areas of the Thar the rainfall is scanty and sporadic. In an
area it may rain only once every few years.
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How are desert and semi-arid ecosystems used?
 Desert and semi arid regions have a number of highly specialized
insects and reptiles.
 The rare animals include the Indian wolf, desert cat, desert fox
and birds such as the Great Indian Bustard and the Florican.
 Areas of scanty vegetation with semi-arid scrubland have been
used for camel, cattle and goat grazing in Rajasthan and Gujarat,
and for sheep grazing in the Deccan Plateau.
 Areas that have a little moisture, such as along the watercourses,
have been used for growing crops such as jowar, and bajra.
 The natural grasses and local varieties of crops have adapted to
growing at very low moisture levels.
 These can be used for genetic engineering and developing arid
land crops for the future.
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What are the threats to desert ecosystems?
 Several types of development strategies as well as human
population growth have begun to affect the natural ecosystem of
the desert and semi arid land.
 Conversion of these lands through extensive irrigation systems has
changed several of the natural characteristics of this region.The
canal water evaporates rapidly bringing the salts to the surface.
 The region becomes highly unproductive as it becomes saline.
 Pulling excessive groudwater from tube wells lowers the water
table creating an even drier environment.
 Thus human activities destroy the naturalness of this unique
ecosystem.
 The special species that evolved here over millions of years may
soon become extinct.
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How can desert ecosystems be conserved?
 There is an urgent need to protect residual patches of desert
ecosystem within National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries in
desert and semi arid areas.
 The Indira Gandhi Canal in Rajasthan is destroying this important
natural arid ecosystem, as it will convert the region into intensive
Agriculture which has to be stopped.
 In Kutch, areas of the little Rann, which is the only home of the
Wild Ass, will be destroyed by the spread of salt works.
 Development Projects alter the desert and arid landscape.
 There is a sharp reduction in the habitat available for its
specialised species bringing them to the verge of extinction.
 We need a sustainable form of development that takes the
special needs of the desert into account.
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Aquatic ecosystems
 The aquatic ecosystems constitute the marine environments of the
seas and the fresh water systems in lakes, rivers, ponds and
wetlands.
 These ecosystems provide human beings with a wealth of natural
resources.They provide goods that people collect for food such as
fish and crustaceans.
 Natural aquatic systems such as rivers and seas break down
chemical and organic wastes created by man.
 However, this function has limitations, as the aquatic ecosystem
cannot handle great quantities of waste. Beyond a certain limit,
pollution destroys this natural function.
 If aquatic ecosystems are misused or over utilized, their ability to
provide resources suffers in the long term.
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What is an aquatic ecosystem?
 In aquatic ecosystems, plants and animals live in water.These
species are adapted to live in different types of aquatic habitats.
 The special abiotic features are its physical aspects such as the
quality of the water, which includes its clarity, salinity, oxygen
content and rate of flow.
 Aquatic ecosystems may be classified as being stagnant
ecosystems, or running water ecosystems.
 The mud gravel or rocks that form the bed of the aquatic
ecosystem alter its characteristics and influence its plant and
animal species composition.
 The aquatic ecosystems are also classified into freshwater, brackish
and marine ecosystems, which are based on the salinity levels.
 There is very little fresh water on earth, which is a key resource for
ENVIRONMENT & ECOSYSTEM

 The fresh water ecosystems that have running water are streams
and rivers.
 Ponds, tanks and lakes are ecosystems where water does not flow.
 Wetlands are special ecosystems in which the water level
fluctuates dramatically in different seasons.
 They have expanses of shallow water with aquatic vegetation,
which forms an ideal habitat for fish, crustaceaand water birds.
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Types of Aquatic Ecosystems Cont’d
 Marine ecosystems are highly saline, while brackish areas have
less saline water such as in river deltas.
 Coral reefs are very rich in species and are found in only a few
shallow tropical seas.
 The richest coral reefs in India are around the Andaman and
Nicobar islands and in the gulf of Kutch.
 Brackish water ecosystems in river deltas are covered by
mangrove forests and are among the world’s most productive
ecosystems in terms of biomass production.
 The largest mangrove swamps are in the Sunderbans in the delta
of the Ganges.
ENVIRONMENT & ECOSYSTEM
The Pond Ecosystem
 The pond is the simplest aquatic ecosystem to observe.
 There are differences in a pond that is temporary and has water
only in the monsoon, and a larger tank or lake that is an aquatic
ecosystem throughout the year.
 Most ponds become dry after the rains are over and are covered
by terrestrial plants for the rest of the year.
 When a pond begins to fill during the rains, its life forms such as
the algae and microscopic animals, aquatic insects, snails, and
worms come out of the floor of the pond where they have
remained dormant in the dry phase.
 Gradually more complex animals such as crabs frogs and fish
return to the pond.
 The vegetation in the water consists of floating weeds and rooted
vegetation on the periphery.
ENVIRONMENT & ECOSYSTEM
Lake Ecosystem
 A lake ecosystem functions like a giant permanent pond.
 A large amount of its plant material is the algae, which derives
energy from the sun.This is transferred to the microscopic animals,
which feed on the algae.
 There are fish that are herbivorous and are dependent on algae
and aquatic weeds.
 The small animals such as snails are used as food by small
carnivorous fish, which in turn are eaten by larger carnivorous fish.
 Some specialised fish, such as catfish, feed on the detritus on the
muddy bed of the lake.
 Energy cycles through the lake ecosystem from the sunlight that
penetrates the water surface to the plants.
ENVIRONMENT & ECOSYSTEM
Stream and River Ecosystems
 Streams and rivers are flowing water ecosystems in which all the
living forms are specially adapted to different rates of flow.
 Some plants and animals such as snails and other burrowing
animals can withstand the rapid flow of the hill streams.
 Other species of plants and animals such as water beetles and
skaters can live only in slower moving water.
 Some species of fish, such as Mahseer, go upstream from rivers to
hill streams for breeding.They need crystal clear water to be able
to breed.They lay eggs only in clear water so that their young can
grow successfully.
 As deforestation occurs in the hills the water in the streams that
once flowed throughout the year become seasonal.
 This leads to flash floods in the rains and a shortage of water
once the streams dry up after the monsoon
ENVIRONMENT & ECOSYSTEM
Marine Ecosystems
 The Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal
constitute the marine ecosystems around peninsular India.
 In the coastal area the sea is shallow while further away, it is
deep. Both these are different ecosystems.
 The producers in this ecosystem vary from microscopic algae to
large seaweeds.There are millions of zooplankton and a large
variety of invertebrates on which live fish, turtles and marine
mammals.
 The shallow areas near Kutch and around the Andaman and
Nicobar Islands are some of the most incredible coral reefs in the
world. Coral reefs are only second to tropical evergreen forests in
their richness of species.
 Fish, crustacea, starfish, jellyfish and the polyps that deposit the
coral are a few of the thousands of species that form this
incredible world under the shallow sea.
ENVIRONMENT & ECOSYSTEM
Seashore Ecosystems
 Beaches can be sandy, rocky, shell covered or muddy.
 On each of these different types, there are several specific species
which have evolved to occupy a separate niche.
 There are different crustacea such as crabs that make holes in
the sand.
 Various shore birds feed on their prey by probing into the sand or
mud on the sea shore.
 Several different species of fish are caught by fishermen.
 In many areas the fish catch has decreased during the last
decade or two.
ENVIRONMENT & ECOSYSTEM
How are aquatic ecosystems used?
 Man uses aquatic ecosystems for the clean freshwater on which
his life is completely dependent.
 We need clean water to drink and for other domestic uses.Water
is essential for agriculture.
 Fisher folk use the aquatic ecosystems to earn a livelihood.
 People catch fish and crabs.They also collect edible plants.
 This is used locally as food or for sale in the market.
 Over fishing leads to a serious decline in the catch and a long-
term loss of income for fisher folk.
 Marshes and wetlands are of great economic importance for
people who live on their fish, crustacea, reeds, grasses and other
produce.
ENVIRONMENT & ECOSYSTEM
What are the threats to aquatic ecosystems?
 Water pollution occurs from sewage and poorly managed solid
waste in urban areas when it enters the aquatic ecosystem of
lakes and rivers.
 Sewage leads to a process called eutrophication, which destroys
life in the water as the oxygen content is severely reduced.
 Fish and crustacea cannot breathe and are killed. A foul odour is
produced. Gradually the natural flora and fauna of the aquatic
ecosystem is destroyed.
 In rural areas the excessive use of fertilisers causes an increase in
nutrients, which leads to eutrophication. Pesticides used in
adjacent fields pollute water and kills off its aquatic animals.
 Chemical pollution from industry kills a large number of life forms
in adjacent aquatic ecosystems. Contamination by heavy metals
and other toxic chemicals affects the health of people who live
near these areas as they depend on this water.
ENVIRONMENT & ECOSYSTEM
How can aquatic ecosystems be conserved?
 For sustainable use of an aquatic ecosystem, water pollution must
be prevented. It does not make sense to allow water to be
polluted and then try to clean it up.
 Changing the nature of the aquatic ecosystem from a flowing
water ecosystem to a static ecosystem destroys its natural
biological diversity.
 Thus dams across rivers decrease the population of species that
require running water, while favouring those that need standing
water.
 Aquatic ecosystems, especially wetlands, need protection by
including them in Sanctuaries or National Parks in the same way
in which we protect natural forests.
 These sanctuaries in aquatic ecosystems protect a variety of
forms of life as well as rare fish which are now highly endangered
such as the Mahseer.