ACHIEVER’S ACADEMY

Creating Achievers……
Session: 2025–26
CLASS- X
OUR ENVIRONMENT
(NOTES)
Biodegradable and Non-biodegradable Wastes, Ecosystem, Components of Ecosystem. The
environment includes our physical surroundings like air (or atmosphere), water bodies, soil
(land and all the organisms such as plants, animals, human beings and micro-organisms like
bacteria and fungi (called decomposers). The waste materials produced by the various
activities of man £nd animals are poisonous to some extent and can be divided into two main
groups

1. Biodegradable Wastes: Substances that are broken down by the biological processes are
said to be biodegradable. These substances are decomposed through the actions of fungi,
bacteria, and other living organisms. Temperature and sunlight also play an important role in
the decomposition of biodegradable substances.
For Examples: Food waste, trees leaves, urine and fecal matter, sewage agricultural residue,
paper, wood, cloth, cow-dung etc.

2. Non-Biodegradable Wastes: Substances that are not broken down by biological

processes. These substances may be in solid, liquid or gaseous form. These substances are
inert and simply persist in the environment for a long time or may harm the various members
of the ecosystem.
For Examples: These includes DDT (Di-chloro-di phenyl trichloro ethane-in-pheneyle the
cheoro ethane), insecticides, pesticides, mercury, lead, arsenic aluminum, plastics, polythene
bags, glass, radioactive wastes. These non-biodegradable wastes are major pollutants of the
environment.

Harmful effects of biodegradable and Non-Biodegradable Substance

1. The waste destroys the natural beauty and our surroundings become dirty.
2. Decomposition of these wastes results in the production of foul smell, which spreads to
the surrounding areas.
3. These wastes may also block the drains creating pools of waste, which becomes the
breeding sites of mosquitoes. The latter is carriers of diseases like malaria and dengue.

IT Foundation Course
Difference between Biodegradable and Non-Biodegradable wastes

Biodegradable wastes Non-Biodegradable wastes

1. The wastes that are broken down naturally by 1. The wastes that are not broken

microbial action. down by the microbes.

2. Biodegradation forms harmless and non- poisonous

2. No such action is possible.
products.

3. They release raw materials back to nature.

3. They do not release raw materials.

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4. They pollute the environment only when they are 4. Non-biodegradable wastes pollute

produced in quantity beyond the capacity of the the environment even in small

environment to degrade them. quantity.

5. Bioconcentration or

5. Bioconcentration does not occur. biomagnifications occurs when

wastes enter food chains.

6. Recycling is possible both naturally or through 6. Recycling is possible only through

human efforts. human efforts.

Ecosystem: An ecosystem is a self-contained unit of living things (plants, animals and

decomposers), and their non-living environment (soil, air and water). For example; a forest, a
pond, a lake, a green land etc.
In an ecosystem, energy and matter are continuously exchanged between living and
non¬living components.
An ecosystem can be both natural or man-made. Some examples of natural ecosystems are
grass land, forest, sea, river, desert, mountain, pond, lake etc.

The desert, grass land and mountains represent the terrestrial ecosystem (land-based
ecosystem).
The ponds, rivers, lakes and sea represent the aquatic ecosystem (water-based ecosystem).
Man-made artificial ecosystems are garden, crop fields, park, aquarium, etc.

Components of Ecosystem: There are two components of an ecosystem : (i) biotic

component and (ii) abiotic component.
1. Biotic component: It includes three types of organisms :
(a) Producers: All green plants, blue green algae can produce their food (Sugar and starch)
from inorganic substance using light energy (Photosynthesis). Therefore, all green plants are
called producers. They are also called autotrophs.
Planktons are very minute or microscopic organisms freely floating on the surface of water in
a pond, lake, river or ocean. Planktons are of two types : Phytoplanktons and Zooplanktons.
The microscopic aquatic plants freely floating on the surface of water are called
phytoplanktons.
The microscopic aquatic animals freely floating on water are called zooplanktons. The freely
floating protozoa are an example of zooplankton.

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(b) Consumers: They are organisms which consume other organisms or their products as
their food. All animals belong to this category. The consumers depend upon producers for
their food directly or indirectly. They get their food by eating other organisms or their
products. For example, man, goat, deer, fish, lion, cow, buffalo, etc., are common consumers.
The consumers can be classified into the following types :

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 Herbivores.
 Carnivores.
 Parasite.
 Omnivores.
(i) Herbivores: These are organisms (animals) which get their food by eating the producers
(or plant) directly. Herbivores are also called first order consumers. Some common examples
of herbivores are : deer, rabbit, rat, squirrel, goat, cattle, etc.

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(ii) Carnivores: These are organisms (animals) which consume other animals. Therefore,
carnivores feed on the flesh of herbivores. These are also called primary carnivores or second
order consumers. Some common examples are snake, wild cat, jackal, frog, some birds,
fishes, etc.
There are animals which prey upon primary carnivores. They are called second order
consumers or third order consumers. For example, owl, peacock, tiger, lion, etc., are some
second order carnivores and may be eaten by third order carnivores. The carnivores which are
not preyed upon further are called top carnivores. For example, lion is a top carnivore.

(iii) Omnivores: The organisms which feed on both plants and animals are called omnivores.
Human beings are common example of omnivores because they eat both plants (For example;
pulses, grams, oilseeds, fruit, etc.) and animal products (milk, meat, egg, etc.).

(c) Decomposers: Fungi and bacteria which break down (decompose) the dead plants,
animals complex compounds into the simpler one. The decomposers help in the
replenishment of natural resources. These are also known as microorganism or saprotrophs.
These are also called reducers.

Importance of Decomposers

 Decomposers help in disposing of the wastes and dead bodies of plants and animals.
Therefore, they clean the environment and create space for a living of newer
generations of organisms.
 The decomposers release minerals and other raw materials trapped in organic matter.
These are picked up by plants. This also helps to maintain the fertility of soil.
 The decomposers produce some acids which are useful in solubilization of some
minerals.
 Decomposers help in recycling the materials in the biosphere so that, the process of life
may go on and on like an unending chain.

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2. Abiotic Components: These are non-living components of an ecosystem. These include
the physical environment.
  Edaphic factors like soil texture, topography, water, and air.
 Inorganic substances like carbon dioxide, nitrogen, oxygen, water, phosphorus,
sodium, potassium, and calcium. These are involved in the cyclic of materials in the
ecosystem.
 Organic compounds like proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids. These largely form the
living body and link the abiotic and biotic components.

Climatic factors: These are sunlight temperature, pressure humidity, moisture, rainfall, etc.
these factors affect the distribution of the organisms.

Functions of an Ecosystem

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 Ecosystem indicates available solar energy and the efficiency of an ecosystem to trap
the same.
 It gives information about the available essential minerals and their recycling periods.
 It provides knowledge about the web of interactions and inter-relationship among the
various population as well as between the population and the abiotic environment.
 It helps human beings to know about conservation of resources, protection from
pollution and inputs required for maximizing productivity.
 In the ecosystem, two processes of energy flow and biogeochemical cycles (nutrients
movement) proceed side by side. The energy flow is unidirectional while the
movement of nutrients is cyclic.

Food chain, Food web, Trophic levels. Flow of energy ten percent law, Depletion of the
ozone layer, Biological magnification. Mode of waste disposal.

Food Chain: The sequence of living organisms in a community in which one organism
consumes another organism to transfer food energy, is called a food chain.
A food chain is unidirection where transfer of energy takes place in only one direction.
OR
Food chain is sequential process which represents “who eats whom”.
OR
Food chain refers to an arrangement of different biotic groups in a sequence of energy
transfer. These biotic groups are producer herbivores, carnivores.
For example, T1(Grass) → T2(Deer) → T3(Lion)

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Examples of Food Chains: Simple food chain operating in a grass land or forest
Grass(Producer) → Deer(Herbivore) → Lion(Carnivore)
In this food chain, grass represent the producers (first tropic level). Grass synthesize their
own food by the process of photosynthesis. Grass is eaten up by deer, which represents the
herbivores or the primary consumers. Deer in turn is consumed by lion, the carnivores or the
secondary consumers.
A food chain in grassland which has four steps is :
Grass(Producers) → Insect(Herbivores) → Frog(Carnivores) → Eagle(Secondary Carnivore)
Significance of Food Chains

 The study of food chains helps in understanding food relationships and interactions
among the various organisms in an ecosystem. The food chains, transfer energy and
materials between various living components of an ecosystem.
 The food chains transfer energy and materials between various living components in an
ecosystem or biosphere.
 The food chains give dynamicity to an ecosystem or biosphere.
 The movement of toxic substances like pesticides, weedicides, etc., through food
chains, can prove very harmful.

Food Web: The inter-connected food chains operating in an ecosystem which establish a
network of relationship between various species, are called a food web.
In a food web, one organism may occupy a position in more than one food chain. An
organism can obtain its food from different sources and in turn, may be eaten up by different
types of organisms.

Trophic Levels: The various steps in the food chain at which the transfer of food (or energy)
takes place is called trophic levels.
There is a gradual decrease in the amount of energy transfer from one trophic level to the
next trophic level in a food chain.
So only 10% of energy is transferred to next trophic level while 90% of energy is used by
present trophic level in its life processes.
The various trophic levels are given below :

 The plant or the producers constitute the first trophic level.

 The herbivores or primary consumers form the second trophic level.
 Carnivores or secondary consumers make up the third trophic level.
 Large carnivores or the tertiary consumers which feed upon the small carnivores
constitute the fourth trophic level.

Flow Open Energy

Energy is used and conveyed from one trophic level to another in a food chain. This is called
flow of energy. Green plants capture about 1% of the solar energy incident on the Earth
through the biochemical process of photosynthesis. A part of this trapped energy is used by
plants in performing their metabolic activities and some energy is released as heat into the
atmosphere. The remaining energy is chemical energy stored in the plants as ‘carbohydrates’.
When plants are eaten up by herbivores, the chemical energy stored in the plants is
transferred to these animals. These animals (herbivores) utilize some of this energy for
metabolic activities, some energy is “released as heat and the remaining energy is stored. The
process of energy transferred is similarly repeated with carnivores and so on.

Ten percent law: Ten percent law states that only 10 percent of the energy entering a
particular trophic level of organisms is available for transfer to the next higher trophic level.

For example, Suppose 1000 J of solar energy is received by green plants, then only 1% of
solar energy available on earth is utilized by plants. So only 10 J (1% of 1000 J) is trapped by
plants and the rest 990 J of energy is lost to the environment. So, plants utilizes only 10 J of
energy. Next, only 10% of the 10 J energy of plant, that is, 1 J, is available to the herbivore
animal while 9 J is lost to the environment. Again, just 10% of the 1 J of energy of herbivore
animals is utilized by carnivore animals. Thus, carnivore animals have only 0.1 J of energy
while 0.9 J is lost to the environment.

Environmental Problems: Changes in the environment affect us and our activities change
the environment around us. This led to the slow degradation of the environment that arose
many environmental problems. For Example; depletion of the Ozone Layer and waste
disposal.

Depletion of Ozone Layer: Ozone (O3) layer is largely found in the stratosphere which is a
part of our atmosphere from 12 km -50 km above sea level. This region is called
ozonosphere. Ozone is deadly poisonous at the ground level.
Ozone is formed as a result of the following photochemical reaction.
Ozone layer is a protective blanket around earth which absorbs most of the harmful U.V.
(Ultraviolet) radiation of the Sun, thus, protecting the living beings of the Earth from health
hazards like skin cancer, cataract in eyes, weaken immune system, destruction of plants etc.
The decline of Ozone layer thickness in Antarctica was first discovered in 1985 and was
termed as OZONE HOLE.

Steps taken to limit damage of ozone layer: Excessive use of CFCs (Chloro Flouro Carbon) a
synthetic, inert chemical. For example; Freon which are used as refrigerants and also in fire
extinguishers caused Ozone depletion in the upper atmosphere. A single chlorine atom can
destroys 1,00,000 Ozone molecules. U.N.E.P. (United Nation Environment Programme) did
an excellent job in forging an agreement to freeze CFC production at 1986 levels (KYOTO
Protocol) by all countries.

Biological Magnification: The increase in concentration of harmful chemical substances like

pesticides in the body of living organisms at each trophic level of a food chain is called
biological magnification.
Example:

Maximum concentration of such chemicals gets accumulated in human bodies.

Garbage Disposal: Industrialization and rise in demand of consumer goods have created a
major problem in the form of wastes/garbage accumulation and its disposal especially in
urban areas.
The disposal of waste should be done in a scientific way. There are different methods of
waste disposal. The method to be used depends on the nature of the waste. Some of the
important modes of waste disposal are :

 Incineration: Burning of waste on high temperature to form ash is called incineration.

This process is carried out in an incinerator. Incineration is used to destroy household,
chemical and biological wastes.
 Open dumping: A conventional method in which solid waste are dumped in selected
areas of a town. It actually cause pollution
 Land fillings: Wastes are dumped in low living areas and are compacted by rolling
with bulldozers
 Composting: Organic wastes are filled into a compost pit (2m × 1m × 1m). It is then
covered with a thin layer of soil. After about three months the same garbage filled
inside the pit changes into organic manure.
 Recycling: The solid wastes is broken down into its constituent simpler materials.
These materials are then used to make new items. Even non-bio degradable solid
wastes like plastic, metal can be recycled.
 Reuse: A very simple conventional technique of using an item again and again. For
example; paper can be reused for making envelops, etc…

Environment: The combination of all the physical and biological conditions affecting the
responses of living organisms is called environment.
Biodegradable wastes: The wastes which are broken down by the activity of
micro¬organisms and enter into the biogeochemical cycle are known as biodegradable
wastes.

Non-biodegradable wastes: The wastes which cannot be broken down by the enzymes
produced by microorganisms into simpler and harmless products in nature are called non-
biodegradable wastes.

Garbage: Domestic wastes including the kitchen waste are termed as garbage.

Incineration: Destruction of waste materials by burning at high temperature is called

incineration.

Biotic Community: A group of various populations of organisms living in a region is called

the biotic community.

Ecosystems: The self-contained and distinct functional unit capable of independent existence
made by the interaction of living and non-living components is called an ecosystem.

Ecosystem component consists of two components- Abiotic and biotic

 Abiotic: Components consist of inorganic and organic substances and climatic factors.
 Biotic: Components consist of a living organism.

Autotrophs: Those organisms which can produce their own food are called autotrophs or
producers. All green plants are producers.

Consumers: Those organisms which are unable to synthesise their food themselves and
consume the food produced by producers or eat other organisms as food, are known as
consumers.

Decomposers: Bacteria and fungi which break down the complex organic compounds
present in the dead plants and animals and their products into simpler substances are known
as decomposers.

Food Chain: A series of organisms in a community in which one organism consumes

another organism to transfer food energy is called a food chain.
Characteristics:

 A food chain helps in understanding the food relationship and interactions among
various organisms in an ecosystem.
 There is a progressive decline in the amount of energy available as we move from one
trophic level to another in a food chain.

Trophic levels: Each step of the food chain is known as a trophic level. 10% of food taken
by one trophic level is available for the next trophic level.
Food Web: The web formed by the interconnection of food-chains of the various trophic
levels is called a food web.

Biomagnification: The increase in the concentration of the harmful chemicals in the body of
an
organism per unit its mass at each successive trophic level in a food chain is known as
biomagnification.

Ozone Depletion: The thinning of the ozone layer is called ozone depletion.

Ozone-depleting substances: Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), oxides of nitrogen, methane,

carbon tetrachloride and chlorine are the ozone-depleting substances.

Four practices which can help in the protection of our environment:

 Disposal of wastes after separating them into biodegradable and non-biodegradable

waste material.
 Use of unleaded petrol and alternate sources of energy, and keeping the engine
properly tuned and serviced and the tyres inflated to the right pressure so that the
vehicle runs efficiently.
 The use of gunny bags and paper bags in place of polythene/plastic bags.
 Activities such as gardening, rain-water harvesting and use of compost in place of
fertilizers will help protect our environment from further damage.

Harmful effects of agricultural practices on the environment.

 Excessive use of fertilisers changes the chemistry of soil and kills useful microbes.
 Excessive use of non-biodegradable chemical pesticides leads to biological
magnification.
 Extensive cropping causes loss of soil fertility.
 Excess use of groundwater for agriculture lowers the water table.
 Agricultural practices lead to some amount of damage to the natural ecosystem/habitat