Biology
Mercury Notes
POST CLASS NOTES
Our Environment
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Topics
1. Ecosystem
2. Food chains and webs
3. Human activities that
affect environment
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1. Ecosystem
Is a community or group of living and non-living constituents that interact with
each other in a specific environment
1.1 Components
les
Biotic: Comprises of 1.2 Examp
living organisms
r a l ec o s ystem
Natu
s , p o n ds an d
Fores t
lakes
Abiotic: Non-livin
g constituents d e e c o s ystem
comprising physica Man-ma rium
l factors like n , a qu a
temperature, rain Garde
fall, wind, soil
1.3 Classification of Organisms
Based on how an organism obtain its nutrition
Producers Consumers Decomposers
Produce food by Depend on the producers Break down complex
photosynthesis either directly or organic dead matter into
indirectly for their simple inorganic matter
sustenance
Green plants Herbivores, carnivores, Bacteria and fungi
omnivores and parasites
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2. Food Chains and Webs
2.1 Food Chain
A linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass as one
organism eats another
Plant Grasshopper Frog Snake Hawk
2.2 Food Web
An interconnection of various food chains
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2.3 Trophic Levels
The trophic level of an organism is the position it occupies in a food chain
5 Quaternary
consumers
4 Tertiary consumers
(Carnivores)
3 Secondary consumers
(Carnivores)
2 Primary consumers
(Herbivores)
1
Producers
(Autotrophs)
Biomagnification Chemicals
The increasing
concentration of toxins
in organisms at successively higher Concentration of toxins
trophic levels
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2.4 Energy Flow in Food Chain
10% law of energy: Only 10% of the energy gets transferred from one trophic
level to the next
Tertiary
consumers
Energy lost
10% Secondary consumers Energy lost
Energy lost
10% Primary consumers
10%
Producers
The green plants capture about 1% of the energy of sunlight and convert it
into food energy
The flow of energy is unidirectional
Since so little energy is available for the next level of consumers, food chains generally
consist of only three or four steps
There are generally a greater number of individuals at the lower trophic levels
of an ecosystem
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3. Human Activities
That Affect Environment
3.1 Ozone Layer Depletion
Ozone layer
A part of the Earth's atmosphere that absorbs almost all of the sun's
harmful ultraviolet radiations
Ozone layer depletion
Thinning of the ozone layer due to pollutants
Causes Effects Preventive measures
Chlorofluorocarbons Increased UV radiation It is now mandatory
(CFCs) - used levels at the Earth's for all the manufacturing
surface companies to make
as refrigerants and
CFC-free refrigerators
in fire extinguishers throughout the world
Increased UV levels
lead to certain types of
skin cancers, eye
cataracts and immune
deficiency disorders
Ozone (O3)
A molecule formed by three atoms of oxygen
Formed at the higher levels of the atmosphere due to action of UV radiation
on oxygen (O2) molecule
UV O + O2 O3
O2 O + O
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3.2 Improper Waste Disposal
Types of waste
Bio-degradable Non-biodegradable
Can be broken down by the Cannot be broken down by the
action of bacteria action of bacteria
Persist in the environment for a Persist in the environment
relatively shorter time for a long time
Usually safe for the Harmful to the environment
environment
Food waste, paper waste Plastic bottles, metal cans
Waste management
3R
Reduce Reuse Recycle
Minimising waste Using items again for Turning a used
generation original or different material into a new
purpose product
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Mind Map
Decomposers Consumers
Abiotic Producers
Biotic
Classification
Ecosystem and
of organisms
its components
Our Environment
Human activities
Food chain and
that affect the
food web
environment
Trophic level Biomagnification
Ozone layer Improper
depletion waste disposal
Energy flow
in food chain