Environment

The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things

occurring naturally, meaning in this case not artificial.
 Components of the Environment
Atmosphere Lithosphere

Hydrosphere Biosphere
 Atmosphere

An atmosphere is a layer or a set of layers of gases surrounding a planet or other material body, that is held in
place by the gravity of that body. An atmosphere is more likely to be retained if the gravity it is subject to is
high and the temperature of the atmosphere is low.
 Lithosphere

A lithosphere is the rigid, outermost shell of a terrestrial-type planet, or natural satellite, that is defined by its
rigid mechanical properties. On Earth, it is composed of the crust and the portion of the upper mantle that
behaves elastically on time scales of thousands of years or greater.
 Hydrosphere

The hydrosphere is the combined mass of water found on, under, and above the surface of a planet, minor planet
or natural satellite. Although Earth's hydrosphere has been around for about 4 billion years, it continues to
change in shape.
 Biosphere

The biosphere also known as the ecosphere is the worldwide sum of all ecosystems. It can also be termed the
zone of life on Earth, a closed system, and largely self-regulating.
 Ecosystem

• An ecosystem is a community of living organisms in conjunction with the

nonliving components of their environment, interacting as a system.
• These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient
cycles and energy flows.
• Energy enters the system through photosynthesis and is incorporated into
plant tissue.
• By feeding on plants and on one another, animals play an important role in
the movement of matter and energy through the system.
• They also influence the quantity of plant and microbial biomass present.
• By breaking down dead organic matter, decomposers release carbon back
to the atmosphere and facilitate nutrient cycling by converting nutrients
stored in dead biomass back to a form that can be readily used by plants
and other microbes.
Structure of Ecosystem
Abiotic Components
 Biotic Components
The biotic components include all living organisms present in the environmental system .
 Autotrophic components
• An autotroph or primary producer is an organism that produces complex organic
compounds (such as carbohydrates, fats, and proteins) using carbon from simple
substances such as carbon dioxide, generally using energy from light (photosynthesis)
or inorganic chemical reactions (chemosynthesis).
 Heterotrophic components
In the food chain, heterotrophs are primary, secondary and tertiary consumers, but not
producers. Living organisms that are heterotrophic include all animals and fungi, some
bacteria and protists, and many parasitic plants.
Biotic components of an ecosystem can be described under the following three heads:
1. Producers
2. Consumers
3. Decomposers or reducers and transformers
Forest Ecosystem
Desert Ecosystem
Wetland Ecosystem
Freshwater Ecosystems
Marine Ecosystem
Polar Ecosystem
Grassland Ecosystem
Biodiversity
• Biodiversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth.
• Biodiversity is typically a measure of variation at the
genetic, species, and ecosystem level.
• Terrestrial biodiversity is usually greater near the equator,
which is the result of the warm climate and high primary productivity.
• Biodiversity is not distributed evenly on Earth, and is richest in the tropics.
• These tropical forest ecosystems cover less than 10 percent of earth's surface, and contain
about 90 percent of the world's species.
• Marine biodiversity is usually highest along coasts in the Western Pacific, where sea
surface temperature is highest, and in the mid-latitudinal band in all oceans.
• There are latitudinal gradients in species diversity.
• Biodiversity generally tends to cluster in hotspots, and has been increasing through time,
but will be likely to slow in the future.
1. Ecological diversity
An ecosystem is a collection of living and non-living organisms and
their interaction with each other. Ecological biodiversity refers to the
variations in the plant and animal species living together and connected
by food chains and food webs. It is the diversity observed among the
different ecosystems in a region. Diversity in different ecosystems like
deserts, rainforests, mangroves, etc., include ecological diversity.
2. Species diversity
Species diversity refers to the variety of different types of species found
in a particular area. It is the biodiversity at the most basic level. It
includes all the species ranging from plants to different microorganism.
No two individuals of the same species are exactly similar. For example,
humans show a lot of diversity among themselves.
3.Genetic diversity
It refers to the variations among the genetic resources of the organisms.
Every individual of a particular species differs from each other in their
genetic constitution. That is why every human looks different from each
other. Similarly, there are different varieties in the same species of rice,
wheat, maize, barley, etc.
 Importance Of Biodiversity

Biodiversity and its maintenance are very important for sustaining life on earth. Few of the reasons explaining the
importance of biodiversity are:

• Ecological Stability
Every species has a specific role in an ecosystem. They capture and store energy and also produce and decompose
organic matter. The ecosystem supports the services without which humans cannot survive. A diverse ecosystem is more
productive and can withstand environmental stress.
• Economic Importance
Biodiversity is a reservoir of resources for the manufacture of food, cosmetic products and pharmaceuticals. Crops
livestock, fishery, and forests are a rich source of food. Wild plants such as Cinchona and Foxglove plant are used for
medicinal purposes. Wood, fibers, perfumes, lubricants, rubber, resins, poison and cork are all derived from different
plant species. The national parks and sanctuaries are a source of tourism. They are a source of beauty and joy for many
people.
• Ethical Importance
All the species have a right to exist. Humans should not cause their voluntary extinction. Biodiversity preserves
different cultures and spiritual heritage. Therefore, it is very important to conserve biodiversity.
BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOTS
What’s a Hotspot?
A biodiversity hotspot is a biogeographic region that
is both a significant reservoir of biodiversity and is
threatened with destruction. The term biodiversity
hotspot specifically refers to 35 biologically rich areas
around the world that have lost at least 70 percent of
their original habitat.
 BASIC CRITERIA
According to CI (Continuous integration), to qualify as a
hotspot a region must meet two strict criteria:

1. It must contain at least 1,500 species of vascular plants (> 0.5%

of the world’s total) as endemics
2. It has to have lost at least 70% of its original habitat
THE 35 BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOTS
THE 35 BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOTS
 THE 35 BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOTS

• These areas held as endemics about 44% of the world’s plants

and 35% of terrestrial vertebrates
• Formerly covered only 11.8% of the planet’s land surface. The
habitat extent of this land area had been reduced by 87.8% of
its original extent, now biodiversity was restricted to only 1.4%
of Earth’s land surface
• 20% of worlds the human population lives in these areas
 BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOTS IN INDIA

1. Himalaya: Includes the entire Indian Himalayan region (and that falling
in Pakistan, Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, China and Myanmar)

2. Indo-Burma: Includes entire North-eastern India, except Assam and

Andaman group of Islands (and Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia
and southern China)

3. Sundaland: Includes Nicobar group of Islands (and Indonesia, Malaysia,

Singapore, Brunei, Philippines)

4. Western Ghats and Sri Lanka: Includes entire Western Ghats (and Sri Lanka)
Himalaya
 Himalaya

Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens) Yak (Bos mutus) Tibetan wild dog (Cuon alpinusa) Snow leopard (Uncia uncia)

Bar-headed Goose (Anser indicus) Great hornbill (Buceros bicornis) Black-necked crane (Grus nigricolliss) White-crested Kalij Pheasant
(Lophura leucomelanos hamiltonii)

Himalayan newt (Tylototriton verrucosus) Himalayan toad Himalaya Paa Frog Himalayan agama
(Duttaphrynus himalayanus) (Paralaudakia himalayana)
Indo-Burma
 Indo-Burma

Large-antlered Muntjac Grey-shanked douc langur Annamite striped rabbit leaf deer (Muntiacus putaoensis) Saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis)
(Muntiacus vuquangensis) (Pygathrix cinerea) (Nesolagus timminsi)

Racket-tailed Treepie Giant ibis (Thaumatibis gigantea)

(Crypsirina temia)
Sundaland
 Fauna of Nicobar

Diadem Leaf-Nosed Bat

Nicobar long-tailed macaque Nicobar shrew
Nicobar flying fox (Pteropus faunulus) (Hipposideros diadema nicobarensis)
(Macaca fascicularis umbrosa) (Crocidura nicobarica)

Nicobar scrubfowl White-headed Starling

Nicobar pigeon (Caloenas nicobarica) Nicobar bulbul Nicobar sparrowhawk Nicobar parakeet
(Megapodius nicobariensis) (Sturnia erythropygius) (Psittacula caniceps)
(Ixos nicobariensis) (Accipiter butleri)

Nicobar Cricket Frog Great Nicobar Treefrog Green-crested Lizard Nicobar Gliding Gecko Asian Sunbeam Snake
(Amnirana nicobariensis) (Polypedates insularis) (Bronchocela cristatella) (Ptychozoon nicobarensis) (Xenopeltis unicolor)
Western Ghats and Sri Lanka
 Fauna of Western Ghats

Lion-tailed macaque (Macaca silenus) Malabar large-spotted civet Nilgiri tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius) Nilgiri langur (Trachypithecus johnii)
Flagship species of Western Ghats (Viverra civettina)

Nilgiri wood pigeon (Columba elphinstonii) Malabar Parakeet (Psittacula columboides) White-bellied treepie Malabar barbet (Psilopogon malabaricus)
(Dendrocitta leucogastra)

Purple frog or pig-nosed frog Malabar gliding frog or Malabar Denison's barb, Miss Kerala,
Mugger crocodile (Crocodylus palustris) flying frog (Rhacophorus malabaricus) or roseline shark (Sahyadria denisonii)
(Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis)
 Reasons for biodiversity loss in hotspots

•Habitat destruction and Deforestation

•Pollution
•Poaching
•Climate change
 Habitat destruction and Deforestation

Deforestation is a direct cause of extinction and loss of biodiversity. An estimated 18

million acres of forest are lost each year, due in part to logging and other human
practices, destroying the ecosystems on which many species depend. Tropical rainforests
in particular, such as the Amazon, hold a high percentage of the world's known species,
yet the regions themselves are in decline due to humans.

What can we do? The solutions to deforestation mostly lie in policy companies and
corporations can adopt best practices and refuse to use timber and paper suppliers that
contribute to deforestation. In the same vein, conscious consumers can refuse to
patronize companies that do, and put pressure on retailers that employ unsustainable
manufacturing methods. Individuals can also participate in land preservation through
charities and private corporations. Ultimately, however, international governments need
to enact stronger, scientific forest protection laws.
 Pollution

From the burning of fossil fuels (releasing dangerous chemicals into the atmosphere
and, in some cases, depleting ozone levels) to dumping 19 billion pounds of
plastic into the ocean every year, pollution completely disrupts the Earth's
ecosystems. While it may not necessarily cause extinction, pollutants do have the
potential to influents species habits.
For example, acid rain, which is typically caused by the burning of fossil fuels, can
acidify smaller bodies of water and soil, negatively affecting the species that live
there by changing breeding and feeding habits.

What can we do? The average person can do a number of things to fight
atmospheric and hydrologic pollution, such as recycling, conserving energy at home
and using public transportation. The Environmental Protection Agency has a helpful
guide here.
 Poaching

Overhunting, overfishing and over-harvesting contribute greatly to the loss of

biodiversity, killing off numerous species over the past several hundred years.
Poaching and other forms of hunting for profit increase the risk of extinction; the
extinction of an apex predator or, a predator at the top of a food chain can result
in catastrophic consequences for ecosystems.

What can we do? Conservation and continued awareness surrounding

overexploitation, especially poaching and overfishing, are key. Governments need
to actively enforce rules against such practices, and individuals can be more
conscious of what they eat and purchase. Other solutions, such as
removing subsidies granted to large-scale fisheries, can help, too.
 Climate change
Changes in climate throughout our planet's history have, of course, altered life on Earth
in the long run ecosystems have come and gone and species routinely go extinct.
But rapid, manmade climate change speeds up the process, without affording
ecosystems and species the time to adapt. For example, rising ocean temperatures and
diminishing Arctic sea ice affects marine biodiversity and can shift vegetation zones,
having global implications.
Overall, climate is a major factor in the distribution of species across the globe; climate
change forces them to adjust. But many are not able to cope, causing them to die out.

What can we do? Individuals can take various steps to fight climate change, such as
reducing their carbon footprints, promoting education and contacting elected officials.
International governments and cities can lead the charge, however, and the 2015 United
Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris will hopefully be a turning point.