MULTIDISCIPLINARY NATURE OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

As the environment is complex and actually made up of many different environments like natural,
constructed and cultural environments, the environmental studies is inter disciplinary or
multidisciplinary in nature including the study of biology, geology, politics, policy studies, law, religion
engineering, chemistry and economics to understand the effects of humans on the natural world.

EVS is an interdisciplinary academic subject that investigates, researches, and expands knowledge about
the living and physical environment. It also contributes to a better understanding of ecological, political,
technological, economic, social, and cultural environmental factors.

Environmental Studies, often known as EVS, is the science of physical phenomena in the environment.

The term MULTIDISCIPLINARY consists of two words: multi and disciplinary. The phrase “disciplinary”
refers to focused research on a certain topic. In contrast, “multidisciplinary” refers to the integration of
more than one field or area of study.

It defines cross-disciplinary, multi-sectoral, and multi-dimensional research. This subject educates the
students to appreciate the complexity of environmental Issues and citizens and experts in many fields.

It studies about the sources, reactions, transport, effect and fate of physical and biological species in the
air, water, soil and the effect of human activity upon these.

Environmental Studies is a broad subject of study that includes components of Physics, Chemistry,
Medical Science, Agriculture, Geography, and Biology. It is not just limited to environmental protection
and resource management. Still, it also emphasises comprehension:

Pollution types and their negative consequences on living creatures

Biodiversity, its forms, and the factors that contribute to its depletion

Deforestation and strategies for increasing forest cover

Desertification

Waste disposal and sewage treatment, for example.

Environmental studies include several components. These are:

Anthropology studies human qualities, biology, psychology, communities, civilisations, and human
growth and evolution. EVS is related to anthropology since it analyses people and their settings across
time.

Biology is the study of living things. Physico-chemical processes, molecular interactions and evolution
are all covered. EVS is linked to biology since it concerns live beings’ natural habitat.

Chemistry is the study of chemicals and the components of matter. Understanding EVS natural
phenomena require chemistry understanding.

Computer Science: As the world advanced, computers became essential. The EPA uses computers to
track contaminants in soil and water.
Geology is the study of Earth’s physical structures and substances, as well as their history and processes.
EVS also studies the planet and environment.

Economics studies the production, consumption, and distribution of goods and services. Various
economic techniques have been devised to protect the environment from pollution, global warming, and
climate change.

Physics studies energy, matter, and their interactions in space and time. Physics addresses concerns
about the environment.

Sociology is the study of social life, change, causes, and consequences. It also discusses the relationship
of modern civilisation to the environment.

Statisticis gather, analyse, interpret, and present quantitative data. It also analyses data to identify
patterns and recommends the best environmental growth.

SCOPE OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

Environmental studies as a subject has a wide scope. It includes a large number of Areas and aspects,
which are as follows:

Some of the basic aspects of environmental studies which have a direct relevance to every section of
society.

i. Natural resources- their conservation and management

ii. Ecology and Biodiversity
iii. Environmental pollution and control
iv. Human population and environment
v. Social issues in relation to development and environment

Several career options have emerged in these fields that are broadly categorized as:
 (i) Research and development in environment: Skilled environmental scientists have an
important role to play in examining various Environmental problems in a scientific manner
and carry out R&D activities for developing cleaner technologies and promoting sustainable
development.

(ii) Green advocacy: With increasing emphasis on implementing various Acts and Laws related
to Environment, need for environmental lawyers has emerged, who should be able to plead
the cases related to water, air, forest, wildlife, pollution and control etc.
(iii) Green marketing: While ensuring the quality of products with ISO mark, now there is an
increasing emphasis on marketing goods that are environment friendly. Such products have
Ecomark or ISO 14000 certification. Environmental auditors and environmental Managers
would be in great demand in the coming years.
(iv) Green media: Environmental awareness can be spread amongst masses through mass media
like Television, radio, newspaper, magazine, hoardings, advertisements etc., for which
environmentally educated persons are required.
(v) Environmental consultancy: Many non-government organizations, industries and
government bodies are engaging environmental consultants for systematically studying and
tackling environment related problems.

IMPORTANCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

To reverse the current trend of environmental degradation is only possible when the people of
educated communities are organized, empowered and experts are involved in sustainable
developmemt
The environmental issues which has grown in size and complexity threatening the survival of
mankind on Earth can be studies to solve or give effective suggestions in environmental
studies.
The environment studies enlighten us, about the importance of protection and conservation of our
natural resources, indiscriminate release of pollution into the Environment etc.

It has been well recognized that environment issues like global warming, ozone Depletion, acid rain,
marine pollution and loss of biodiversity are not merely national Issues but are global issues and hence
must be tackled with knowledge of environmental studies, international efforts and cooperation.

Development gave birth to Urbanization, Industrial Growth, Transportation Systems, Agriculture and
Housing etc leading to increase in waste production and accumulation causing environmental impacts.
Hence to study of environment is necessary to minimime these impacts.

3. Explosively Increase in Pollution: There is a heavy pressure on the natural resources including land.
Agricultural experts have recognized soils health problems like deficiency of micronutrients and Organic
matter, soil salinity and damage of soil structure.
ECOSYSTEMS
1INTRODUCTION:

ECOLOGY:

The term was first coined by Hons Reiter and Haekel in ECOLOGY

The term ecology (Okekologie) is originated from two Greek words Oikos (eco) –Means “house” (or)
place of living and “ology” means “the science of (or) the study of. Hence, ecology is the branch of
science that deals with the study of the pattern of relations between the organism and their
environment. (OR)

Ecology is the study of interactions among organisms (or) group of organisms with their environment.

(OR) Ecology is the study of ecosystems.

ECO SYSTEM:

In 1935, the British ecologist A.G.Tansley coined the term “eco system”.

The term “eco system” is made up of two Greek words. “Eco” means ecological sphere (or) house (or)
place of living (or) surroundings (or) Environment, where living Organism does exist while “system”
means “group of organisms joined in regular and interdependent manner. Hence, A group of organisms
interacting among themselves and with environment is known as Ecosystem.

(OR)

A system of interaction of organisms with their surroundings (i.e., environment) is called as “ecosystem”.

Examples: Pond, lake, ocean, forest and desert…. Etc are some of the examples of the Ecosystems

STRUCTURE (OR) COMPONENTS OF AN ECOSYSTEM:

The term structure refers to various components. So, the structure of an ecosystem explains the
relationship between the abiotic (non-living) and the Biotic (living) components.

Each and every ecosystem has two major components are:

1. Biotic (living) components.

2. Abiotic (Non-living) components.
1) BIOTIC COMPONENT

The living component of an ecosystem is called “Biotic component”.

The biotic components of an ecosystem are classified into three types based on how they get their food.

A. Producers (Autotrophs) : Plants

B. Consumers (Heterotrophs) : Animals
C. Decomposers (Saprotrophs) : Micro organisms.
A. Producers (or) Autotrophs (Auto=self, troph=feeder)

Self food producing organisms are known as autotrophs.

Examples: All green plants and trees.

Producers synthesize their food themselves through photosynthesis. Hence They are also called “Photo
autotrophs”. (photo = light)

B.Consumers (or) Heterotrophs (Hetero = other, troph = feeder:

Consumers are organisms, which cannot prepare their own food and depend directly (or) indirectly on
the producers.

Depending upon the food habits the consumers are divided into four types.

i. Herbivores (or) Primary Consumers (Plant Eaters)

Animals that eat only plants are called Herbivores.
• They directly depend on the plants for their food. So they are called Plant Eaters.
Examples: Insects, goat, deer, cow, horse, etc
ii. Carnivores (or) Secondary Consumers (Meat Eaters)
Animals that eat other animals are called carnivores.
They directly depend on the herbivores for their food.
Examples: Frog, cat, snake & foxes, etc.
iii. Omnivores (or) Tertiary Consumers (With plant & meat eaters)
Animals that eat both plants and animals are called omnivores.
They depend on both herbivores and carnivores for their food.
Examples: humans, tigers, lions, rats and fox etc.
iv. Detritivores (dead organism eaters)
Animals that eat dead organisms and waste of living are called detritivores.
Examples: beetles, termites, ants, crabs, earthworms, etc.

C.Decomposers (or) Saptrotrophs: (Sapros = Rotten, trophos = feeder)

Decomposers attack the dead bodies of producers and consumers and decompose them into simple
compounds. During the decomposition inorganic Nutrients are released.

The organisms which break down the complex compounds into simple products are called decomposers
(or) reducers.

Examples: micro-organisms such as bacteria and fungi, etc.

2) ABIOTIC COMPONENTS

The non-living component of an ecosystem is called “abiotic component”

These non-living components enter the body of living organism, take part in metabolic activities and
then return to the environment. The abiotic component of the ecosystems divided into three portions.

1. Climate factors : Solar radiation, temperature, wind, water current, Rainfall, etc.
2. Physical factors : light, fire, soil, air, etc.
3. Chemical factors : Organic and Inorganic substances.
Food Chain:

Anything which we eat to live is called food. Food contains energy.

Food can be transferred from one organism to the other.

The process of transfer of food (energy) from one organism to a series of organisms is called as “food
chain”.

A food chain always starts with a plant life and end with animal life. Thus, a food chain is a picture (or)
model that shows the flow of energy from autotrophs (producers) to series of organisms in an
environment

Example

SUN →Producers→ primary consumers → secondary consumers→tertiary consumers →Decomposer

Infact, all the food chains starts with the sun. The sun provides energy for Plants.

The producers (plants) can make their food themselves with the help of the sunlight, chlorophyll, water
and air. The consumers, including animals and humans, cannot make their own food. They are always
depending upon the producers for their energy.

Decomposers are the micro-organisms that break down the dead animals

And plants and release nutrients that become part of the soil, which are re-used by new plants, back to
the starting point of the food chain.

Types of food chain:

Three basic types of food chains are found in a typical eco system. They are:

1. Grazing food chains.

2. Detritus food chains.
3. Parasitic food chains.

1. Grazing food chain: The grazing food chain is a type of food chain that starts with green plants,
passes through herbivores and then to carnivores. In a grazing food chain, energy in the lowest
trophic level is acquired from photosynthesis. In this type of food chain, the first energy transfer
is from plants to herbivores. This type of food chain depends on the flow of energy from
autotrophs to herbivores. As autotrophs are the base for all ecosystems on Earth, the majority of
ecosystems in the environment follow this kind of food chain
2. Detritus food chain: The detritus food chain includes different species of organisms and plants
like algae, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, mites, insects, worms and so on. This type of food chain
starts with the disintegrated dead bodies of plants called detritus. A huge amount of organic
matter is contributed by the dead remains of plants and animals, as well as by their excretory
products. Such food chains are found in all ecosystem, but they are over dominating in forest
ecosystem. Primary consumers like fungi, bacteria, protozoans, and so On are detritivores which
feed on detritus which are further eaten by smaller organisms, carnivores, like worms, which
become a meal for bigger carnivores like rat ,snakes and So on..
Food Web

Food web is a network of food chains.

Food web is a diagram that explains the feeding relationship between different plants and animals in an
ecosystem.

In nature food chains are not isolated. Most ecosystem contain interconnected food chain forming food
web.

It illustrates all possible transfer of energy and nutrients among the organisms in an ecosystem.

A particular predator does not usually live on only one type of food so the interlocking pattern is
formed.

Many carnivorous animals eat fruit and other plant material when their normal animal prey is not readily
available or they may eat other carnivores or herbivores .

For example, grass in a forest clearing produces its own food through photosynthesis. A rabbit eats the
grass. A fox eats the rabbit. When the fox dies, decomposers such as worms and mushrooms break down
its body, returning it to the soil where it provides nutrients for plants like grass.