Chapter – Our Environment
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🌍 1. Ecosystem – The Foundation
Term Definition / Explanation
Interaction between living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic)
Ecosystem
components.
Biotic
Living organisms – plants, animals, decomposers.
Components
Abiotic
Non-living factors – sunlight, water, air, temperature, soil.
Components
Producers Green plants – make food via photosynthesis.
Depend on others for food (Herbivores, Carnivores,
Consumers
Omnivores).
Decomposers Fungi & bacteria – break down dead matter into nutrients.
🧬 2. Types of Ecosystem
Forest, Desert, Pond,
Natural
Ocean
Artificial (Man-
Crop field, Aquarium
made)
🌿 3. Food Chain
· Sequence of organisms feeding on one another.
· Always starts with a producer and ends with decomposers.
Example:
🌿 Grass → Grasshopper → Frog → Snake → Eagle
Energy flow direction: Producer → Consumer → Decomposer
⚡ 4. Food Web
· Interconnected food chains in an ecosystem.
· Provides stability to the ecosystem.
🔋 5. Flow of Energy
Law Explanation
10% Law (Lindeman’s Only 10% of energy is transferred from one trophic level to the
Law) next.
Energy Flow is From Sun → Producers → Consumers → Decomposers →
Unidirectional Environment
Example:
1000 J (Producers) → 100 J (Primary Consumers) → 10 J (Secondary) → 1 J (Tertiary)
🧠 6. Trophic Levels
Level Organisms Energy
1️⃣ Producers (Plants) Highest
Primary Consumers
2️⃣ ↓
(Herbivores)
Secondary Consumers
3️⃣ ↓
(Carnivores)
Tertiary Consumers (Top
4️⃣ Lowest
Predators)
Each level loses energy as heat, respiration, waste.
🪱 7. Decomposers
· Include bacteria & fungi.
· Break complex organic matter into simpler inorganic substances (CO₂, H₂O, minerals).
· Help recycle nutrients in nature.
🌳 8. Biological Magnification
“Increase in concentration of harmful substances as we move up the food chain.”
Pesticides (DDT) sprayed on crops → Enters soil → Plants → Herbivores →
Example:
Humans
Result: Humans (top of chain) get maximum toxin accumulation.
🌈 9. Ozone Layer
Feature Details
Location Stratosphere (10–50 km above Earth)
Formula O₃
Function Absorbs harmful UV rays
Depletion Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) from ACs,
Cause refrigerators, sprays
Effect of UV
Skin cancer, cataract, plant & aquatic life damage
rays
Ozone Hole: Thinning of ozone layer mainly over Antarctica.
Solution: Ban on CFCs (Montreal Protocol, 1987).
🗑️10. Waste Management
Types of Waste
Type Examples
Paper, wood, food waste, cow
Biodegradable
dung
Non- Plastic, glass, metals, DDT,
biodegradable polythene
♻️Biodegradable → Decomposed by microbes
❌ Non-biodegradable → Cannot decompose easily → Pollutes environment
🚯 11. Waste Disposal & Management
Method Explanation
3Rs Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Separate biodegradable & non-
Segregation
biodegradable waste
Composting Convert organic waste → manure
Convert plastic, metal, paper → reusable
Recycling
form
Landfilling Waste buried under soil
Burning waste at high temp. (for medical
Incineration
waste)
🌎 12. Environmental Problems due to Human Activities
Activity Effect
Soil erosion, loss of
Deforestation
biodiversity
Overuse of
Land & water pollution
plastics
Burning fossil Air pollution, global
fuels warming
Use of
Biomagnification
pesticides
Industrial waste Water & soil contamination
💡 13. Key Differences
Biodegradable Non-Biodegradable
Broken by Cannot be broken
microorganisms easily
Return nutrients to Accumulate &
nature pollute
Example: Plastic
Example: Food waste
bottles
🧭 14. Important Terms Recap
Term Meaning
Interaction between living & non-living
Ecosystem
things
Producers Make their own food
Consumers Eat other organisms
Decomposers Recycle nutrients
Biological Increase in toxin level in higher trophic
Magnification levels
Ozone Layer Protects from UV rays
CFCs Ozone-depleting substances
💯 15. Exam Tips
✅ Learn 10% Law and its example (energy flow numericals may come).
✅ Revise difference between biodegradable & non-biodegradable.
✅ Prepare Biological Magnification diagram.
✅ Revise Ozone layer cause, effect, prevention.
✅ Prepare a Food chain/web diagram – easy 3-marker!