Environment and Sustainable Development

Environment development is a subject of sensitivity in the context of natural

resources from one to another generation. *The main objective
*Environment is defined as ‘the sum total of biotic and abiotic
of sustainable development is the conservation of natural
components that surrounds and influences an organism’.
Everything that surrounds an organism is collectively known resources, proper management of natural resources and use of
as its environment. *The biotic and abiotic components of the natural resources in a just manner.
environment interact with each other.
*‘Silent Spring’ is an environmental science book published
in 1962. It was written by an American biologist and ecologist
‘Rachel Carson’.
*According to Environment (Protection) Act 1986,
‘Environment includes physical / abiotic and biotic components
and their interaction with each other’.
*Environment includes three components-

*The Brundtland Report, published in 1987 by United Nations

World Commission on Environment and Development, coined
the term "Sustainable Development". This word was coined by
WCED report titled "Our Common Future".
*It captured full attention by Agenda 21 (Rio Conference) in
Earth Summit of 1992. It was the main point of discussion in
the Johannesburg Conference of 2002.
Events Year
Publication of ‘The Limit to Growth’ 1972
Report

(1) Physical / abiotic components - Soil, air and water. Publication of Brundtland Commission April, 1987
(2) Biotic component - plant, human, animal and Report
microorganisms. Adoption of Montreal Protocol September, 1987
(3) Cultural Element - cultural environment include man- Rio Earth Summit June, 1992
made features such as economical, social and political
*Sustainable development includes - poverty mitigation,
elements.
conservation of biodiversity and control of environmental
Sustainable Development pollution.
*Sustainable development is the concept of development that *Nature has its own beauty and boundaries, so at first, we should
meets the need of the present without compromising the ability understand the nature and then the road map of development
of future generations to meet their own needs. *Sustainable should be prepared.

Environment and Ecology General Studies F–9

*Sustainable development is a balanced approach between
Economic development and Environmental conservation.
*Compelling terms for sustainable development are based on CO2 in Earth’s
atmosphere
the availability of information.
*These information are obtained by Remote sensing technology,
Statistical method, Geographical Information System (GIS),
Environment information system etc. On the basis of these
(Plants)

information, road map of development is prepared.

Carbonates

(Shells)

*Solar radiation plays the most important role in the water

Population Size cycle. Solar radiation initiates water cycle by evaporating
water. Humidity is defined as some measure of the water
vapour content of air (or other gas). The term "humidity" is
a general term to quantity the amount of water vapour in the
gas. Significantly humidity is measured using a hygrometer or
psychrometer.
*The water cycle is driven primarily by the energy from the
sun. The solar radiation drives the cycle by evaporating water
from the oceans, lakes, rivers and even the soil. It forms water
droplets and clouds, where water droplets eventually gain
enough mass to fall back to earth. The water cycle is essentially
Water & Carbon Cycle in Nature a closed system which means that the volume of water that is
*Environment includes biotic and abiotic factors. These in the hydrosphere today is the same amount of water that has
factors interact with each other. In general, this interaction always been present in the earth system.
occurs in a cyclic manner. The flow of energy and matter
Low temperature
takes place between these factors (abiotic & biotic) in a
cyclic process.
*These cycles exist in nature in the form of Carbon Cycle,
Water Cycle etc. *CO2 is released in the atmosphere by a
number of processes, some of them are-respiration, volcanic
eruptions, combustion of fossil fuels etc. *Autotrophic plants
perform photosynthesis wherein they use CO2 and water in the
presence of sunlight and chlorophyll to produce carbohydrates.
*It is noteworthy that carbon is found in various forms on
the earth. Elemental carbon is generally found in nature as
three crystaline allotropes forms: graphite, fullerene and
diamond. In compound form, it is found in the form of
CO2, Carbonates and Hydrogen carbonates. Carbon is also
recycled by different physical and biological processes.

F–10 General Studies Environment and Ecology

*Many transplanted seedlings do not grow because most of *The share of various gases in the composition of air is as
the root hairs are lost during transplantation. The function of follows:

root hairs is to collect water and mineral nutrients present in Gas Percentage
the soil and take this solution up through the roots to the rest Nitrogen (N2) 78.08%
of the plant. Oxygen (O2) 20.95%
Argon (Ar) 0.93%
Carbon dioxide (Co2) 0.036%
Neon (Ne) 0.002%
Helium (He) 0.0005%
Krypton 0.001%
Xenon 0.00009%
Hydrogen 0.00005%

*Nitrogen is the most abundant gas available in the

environment.
*We need oxygen to survive and therefore we depend on the
plants and trees for our survival. The process by which plants
*These are made up of cellulose and nominal Pectin which
make their food is called photosynthesis. In this process, they
helps it as a gelling agent with the soil. Another reason is consume CO2 present in the atmosphere and release oxygen
the use of fertilizers which increases the concentrations of in the atmosphere.
the soil and make it difficult for plants to absorb water. This *The United Nations has identified 17 Sustainable Development

situation causes desiccation of plant cells causing the leaves Goals which have to be realised by the year 2030. These goals
are -
to turn brown.
(1) No Poverty : End poverty in all its forms everywhere.
Atmosphere (2) Zero Hunger : End hunger, achieve food security and
*The thin layer of gases surrounding the earth is called the improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.
(3) Good Health and Well Being: Ensure healthy lives &
atmosphere. The atmosphere is majorly consists of Nitrogen,
promote well-being for all at all ages.
Oxygen, Carbon dioxide etc. The air around us is a mixture
(4) Quality Education: Ensure inclusive and equitable
of gases.
education and promote lifelong learning opportunities
for all.
(5) Gender Equality: Achieve gender equality and empower
all women and girls.
(6) Clean Water and Sanitation: Ensure availability and
sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
(7) Affordable and Clean Energy: Ensure access to
affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for
all.
(8) Decent Work and Economic Growth: Promote
sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth,
full and productive employment and decent work for all.

Environment and Ecology General Studies F–11

(9) Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure: Build *Sustainable Farming is also an important aspect of
resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable Sustainable development. *UN declared 2022 as "International
industrialization and foster innovation. year of Basic sciences for Sustainable Development".
(10) Reduced Inequalities: Reduce inequality within and *Sustainable agriculture is the production of food, fibre or other
among countries. plants or other animal products using farming techniques that
(11) Sustainable Cities and Communities: Make Cities protect the environment, public health, human communities
and human settlements inclusive, safe resilient and and animal welfare. In short, it is proper utilization of the land
sustainable. without affecting the environment so that it's quality remains
(12) Responsible Consumption and Production: Ensure intact.
sustainable consumption and production pattern. *Use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has adversely
(13) Climate Action: Take urgent action to combat climate affected soil health. To cope up with this, National Mission
change and its impacts. for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) has been formulated
(14) Life Below Water: Conserve and sustainably use for enhancing agricultural productivity, water use efficiency,
the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable promoting nutrient management and Livelihood diversification
development. through the adoption of sustainable development pathways.
(15) Life on Land: Combat desertification, sustainably This mission is a part of the National Action Plan of Climate
manage forests, half and reverse land degradation and Change.
halt biodiversity loss. *Club of Rome is an association of economists, civil servants
(16) Peace and Justice Strong Institutions: Promote peaceful and scientists with a mission to promote understanding of
and inclusive societies and provide access to justice. the global challenges facing humanity. The organisation has
(17) Partnerships to achieve the Goal: Global Partnerships prioritised five key areas of impact: emerging New Civilisations;
for Sustainable Development. Planetary Emergency; Reframing Economics; Rethinking
*A Sustainable Development Goal - Index had also been Finance; and Youth Leadership and Intergenerational Dialogues.
initiated to measure the progress made by various countries Earth Summit (RIO Summit)
in the direction of achieving these goals. In 2021, India was *The United Nations Conference on Environment and
placed at 120th position among 165 Countries. Development (UNCED), also known as the 'Earth Summit' was
Position of Countries in Sustainable Development Goals held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 3 - 14 June 1992. This global
(SDG) Index 2021 conference, held on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the
Sr. No. Position Country first Human Environment Conference in Stockholm, Sweden
in 1972. The primary objective of the Rio 'Earth Summit' was
1. 1 Finland
to produce a broad agenda and a new blueprint for international
2. 2 Sweden
action on environmental action and development issue.
3. 3 Denmark
*The Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) was
4. 4 Germany created to monitor and report on the implementation of the
5. 5 Belgium Earth Summit agreement. It was agreed that a five-year review
6. 6 Austria of Earth Summit progress would be made in 1997 at the United
7. 7 Norway Nations General Assembly meeting in special session. And so,
8. 8 France a special session of UN General Assembly was held from 23-27
June, 1997 in New York to take stock of how well countries,
9. 9 Slovenia
international organizations and sectors of civil society have
10. 10 Estonia
responded to the challenges of the Earth Summit. This meeting
11. 120 India was known as Earth Summit +5.
12. 129 Pakistan *Rio + 10 summit was held in Johannesburg in 2002 and Rio

F–12 General Studies Environment and Ecology

+20 was held in Rio de Janeiro in 2012. Agenda - 21
*GEF provides funds to the least developed countries "Least
*Agenda 21 is legally non-binding, voluntarily implemented
Developed Countries Fund" (LDCF). It helps in provision
action plan of the United Nations on Sustainable Development.
& co-ordination for National Adaptation Programmes of
Action (NAPAs) for these countries.
*It is notable that meeting of COP7 was held at Marrakesh
from 29 October to 10 November 2001. *The Special
Climate Change Fund (SCCF) is established by the COP7.
*This fund helps developing countries in the adaptation as well
as transmission of technologies.
*UNDP and UNEP and World Bank are associated with
the GEF.
*The Global Environment Facility (GEF) was established on
the eve of the 1992 Rio Earth Summit to tackle our planet's most
pressing environmental problems. Carlos Manuel Rodriguez is *It is a product of the Earth Summit (UN Conference on
presently the Chief Executive Officer and Chairperson of the Environment and Development) held in Rio de Janeiro,
Global Environment Facility. Brazil in 1992.

RIO + 20 Conference
*Rio+20 is the short name for the United Nations Conference
on Sustainable Development. This conference was held in
Brazil in June 2012 to mark the 20th anniversary of the 1992
United Nations Conference on Environment and Development
(UNCED), in Rio de Janeiro. The conference's outcome
document entitled 'The Future We Want' was a call to action
for governments, businesses and the UN alike to support
countries interested in the transition to a green economy. PAGE
*It is a financial mechanism for five major international
(Partnership for Action on Green Economy) was created as the
conventions: the Minamata Convention on Mercury, the
Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, the UN's direct response to this call of action.
United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, the
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and
Organizations & Institutions
the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate *National and International organizations and institutions are
Change. established for environmental conservation and protection.

Environment and Ecology General Studies F–13

*National Environmental Engineering Research Institute Sustainable Development Goals in India.
(NEERI) is situated in Nagpur, Maharashtra. It was established Acts - Related to Environment
as Central Public Health Engineering Research Institute
Conservation
(CPHERI) in 1958 to focus on water supply, sewage disposal
*Some Acts are passed for promoting conservation of
and related diseases and to some extent on industrial pollution.
Environment. The Environment (Protection) Act was passed
*NEERI is a pioneering laboratory in the field of environmental
in India in 1986. In India, The Environment (Protection) Act,
science and engineering and part of Council of Scientific and
1986 is also known as Umbrella Legislation.
Industrial Research (CSIR).
*The 1986 Act was passed for the purpose of implementation
*NEERI has five zonal laboratories at Chennai, Delhi,
of decisions that were taken by United Nations Conference
Hyderabad, Kolkata & Mumbai. NEERI works under the
on the Human Environment held in Stockholm in 1973.
Ministry of Science & Technology of the Government of India.
*The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 was enacted after
*The National Environment Appellate Authority (NEAA)
Bhopal Gas Tragedy under Article 253 of the Constitution.
better known as NEA was set up by the Ministry of Environment
This Act provides a framework to the Central Government
and Forest to address cases in which environment clearances
for coordination of the activities of various central and state
were required in certain restricted areas. It was established by
the National Environment Appellate Authority Act 1997 to authorities under various previous laws.

hear appeals with respect to restriction of areas in which any *The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee is constituted
industries, operations or processes shall or shall not be carried under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
out, subject to certain safeguards under the Environment *On 22nd July, 2010 Genetic Engineering Approval
(Protection) Act, 1986. Committee was renamed as Genetic Engineering Appraisal
*The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) provides Committee.
a framework for international cooperation in the development *The National Green Tribunal was established on 18 October,
of meteorology and operational hydrology and their practical 2010 under the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010 for effective
application. WMO is an intergovernmental organization with a and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental
membership of 193 Member States and Territories WMO was protection and conservation of forest to provide the right to
originated from the International Meteorological Organization healthy environment, construed as a part of Right to a Life
(IMO) which was founded in 1873 to facilitate the exchange of under Article 21.
weather information across national borders. WMO became a *Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel is the present Chairperson of
specialized agency of the United Nations on 17 March, 1951. the National Green Tribunal.
*World Meteorological Convention was implemented *It was established to solve the problems relating to
on 23 March, 1950. WMO has its headquarters in Geneva, environmental safety, forest conservation, enforcement of
Switzerland. Its current Secretary-General is Petteri Taalas legal rights and to provide compensation to the victim for their
and President is Gerhard Adrian of Germany. property damage.
*UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) was *This tribunal will help to reduce the number of trials
established in 1972. It is headquartered in Nairobi (Kenya). which are pending in high courts. Tribunal is bound to solve
Head of UNEP is Inger Andersen of Denmark. applications and petition within one month from the time of
*EPA (Environment Protection Agency) is an agency of the their filing.
U.S. It was established on 2 Dec. 1970 for enforcing standards
and laws that promote the health of human/individuals and the Environment - Some Important
environment. Facts For Exams
*Green Peace International is a non-governmental *Excess urbanization and industrialization is a challenge
organization. *Its headquarter is in Amsterdam, Netherlands. for sustainable development, ecology & environment and
*NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog biodiversity conservation.
is a Nodal Institution for coordination and implementation of *Green Development is a book written by W.M. Adams. *The

F–14 General Studies Environment and Ecology

full name of this Book is 'Green Development: Environment for well being of human society.
and Sustainability in a Developing World'. First edition of Reason (R) : Sustainable development is a kind of
this book was published in the year1990. development that meets the needs of
*Masanobu Fukuoka, the discoverer and innovator of Natural the present without compromising the
Farming, was a Japanese farmer and philosopher. ability of future generations to meet
*Australia launched Green Army for environmental their own needs.
Conservation in which 15000 youngsters of age between 17-24 Codes :
years old will be recruited. (a) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is correct explanation
*Under an agreement between Markfed of Punjab and Sayag of (A)
Group of Israel on 21 Apr 2001 the vegetables are grown by (b) Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct
Green House farming in Punjab. explanation of (A)
*Mixed cropping, organic manures, nitrogen-fixing plants (c) (A) is true but (R) is false
and pest resistant crop varieties are the best strategy for (d) (A) is false but (R) is true
environment-friendly sustainable development in agriculture. U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2019
*The underlying dimension of SDG targets are closely related to Ans. (a)
education and health aspect as evident in the positive correlation
Sustainable development is important for well being of
between HDI (Human Development Index) and SDG rankings human society. Sustainable development has been defined
of Indian State. in many ways. The most frequently quoted definition is from
*World Environment Day is celebrated on 5th June. The first our common future, also known as the Brundtland Report :
World Environment Day was celebrated in 1974. "Sustainable development is development that meets the
*Stockholm Summit was held in 1972. It was the 1st World needs of the present without compromising the ability of
Summit on Environment. It was decided in this summit that future generation to meet their own needs".
World Environment Day will be celebrated on 5th June every 2. Arrange the following events in chronological order and
year. select the correct answer from the codes given below:
*In 2018 theme of World Environment Day was 'Beat I. Rio Earth Summit
Plastic Pollution'. India was the global host of 2018 World II. Publication of Brundtland Commission Report
Environment Day. III. Enforcement of Montreal Protocol
*World Environment Day 2019 was hosted by China with a IV. Publication of ‘The Limit to Growth’ Report
theme of "Air Pollution". Codes:
*In 2020, theme of World Environment Day is 'Biodiversity'. (a) I, IV, III, II (b) IV, II, III, I
This year's host is Colombia in partnership with Germany. (c) IV, III, II,I (d) IV, I, III, II
*Pakistan hosted World Environment Day 2021. This year's U.P. P.C.S. (Pre) 2020
observance of World Environment Day's theme was 'Ecosystem Ans. (b)
Restoration'.
Events Year
*World Environmental Day 2022 theme only one Earth Focus
Publication of ‘The Limit to 1972
on living sustainably in harmony with nature. Growth’ Report
*2022 marks 50 years science stockholm conference which Publication of Brundtland August, 1987
led to the designation of 5 June as World Environment Day. Commission Report
Enforcement of Montreal January, 1989
Basic Questions Protocol
Rio Earth Summit June, 1992
1. Given below are two statements, one labelled as
Assertion (A) and other as the Reason (R). 3. The discussion on ‘Sustainable Development’ was
Assertion (A) : Sustainable development is important started after submitting a report on environment to

Environment and Ecology General Studies F–15

 Ecology
*Ecology is the branch of biology that explains the relationship *Forbes called ecosystem as Microcosm.
between organism and their environments. *Ecosystem is known as the functional unit of nature. *An
*The term 'Ecology' was coined by the German zoologist, Ernst ecosystem can be as small as water droplets. These kinds
Hackle in 1866 to describe the 'economics' of living forms. of ecosystem are known as Micro ecosystem. On the other
*Ernst Haeckel used the term Oekologie instead of Ecology hand, it can be as large as an ocean. Our earth is itself an huge
and explained it briefly. The word Oekologie is formed by ecosystem.
combining two Greek words Oikos (House or living space) *Biosphere is a thin layer of soil, rock, water and air. It is a
and logos (Science or Study). basic global system having biotic and abiotic components.
*According to Haeckel ‘Ecology is the study of the relation *Ecosystem is a functional unit of nature in which biotic factors
of the animal both to its organic as well as its inorganic interact with abiotic factors and forms a living unit.
environment’. Characteristics of Ecosystem - *It covers/occupies a definite
*According to Eugene Odum, ‘Ecology is the study of area in the Biosphere. *The ecosystem is a functional unit of
structure and function of nature’. nature.
*Ecosystem has its own productivity. Ecosystem is an open
system where there are continuous input and output of energy
and substances.

Components of Ecosystem
*An ecosystem is a community of living organisms in
conjunction with the non-living components of their
environment (things like air, water and mineral soil), interacting
as a system.
Important features of the ecosystem are:
*It is normally an open system with a continuous, but variable
influx and loss of materials and energy.
*An ecosystem is an overall integration of the whole mosaic
of the interacting organisms and their environment.
*It is a basic functional unit.
*It consists of biotic and abiotic components interacting with
*Now, ecology has been presented with a broad dimension. each other.
Now it also includes the study of humans, society and the *It’s functional unit is capable of energy transformation,
activities of its physical environment. It is a fundamental natural circulation and accumulation.
system having biotic and abiotic components. *Different types of ecosystem are present in different areas.
*In 1935, A.G Tansley proposed the concept of Ecosystem. *All components that take part in mutual interaction in the
According to him, Ecosystem is type of a physical system biosphere form an ecosystem. Living organisms form biosphere
formed by biotic and abiotic components. According to him, by different biological associations.
ecosystem is an open system. These systems may differ in *All the organisms and the abiotic components of the
their size. environment form the ecosystem of the place. Thus, ecology
*Karl Mobius called the idea of the ecosystem as Biocoenosis. deals with the organism and its environment.

Environment and Ecology General Studies F–31

 some of the examples of artificial ecosystems.
*Ecosystems can broadly be categorized as Aquatic and
Terrestrial ecosystems. Grasslands, forests and deserts are the
examples of terrestrial ecosystems while lakes, rivers and
oceans fall under aquatic ecosystem.
*Ecosystems can be classified as:

*The correct order of biological organization ranging from

organism to biosphere is –
*Under man- made ecosystem Agriculture has been instrumental
to the existence of society and development.
*Aquatic ecosystem refers to the living and non-living parts of
a water body and the interactions that take place among them.
*Aquatic ecosystems can be categorized in the marine
ecosystem and freshwater ecosystem.
*Marine ecosystem covers approximately 70% of the earth's
surface and contain approximately 97% of the planet's water.
*Approximately 85 % of the dissolved materials in seawater
are sodium and chlorine.
* Another feature stratification is observed in the marine
*The number of living beings of the same species is known as ecosystem.
their population. The population of two or more than two ethnic
groups creates a community. Several communities together
form an ecosystem. In a fixed terrain one or more ecosystems
(Aphotic Zone)
are found. These ecosystems together form a Landscape of a
particular region.
(Benthic Zone)
Components of Ecology
(Abyssal Zone)

*Biotic components are the living beings things that shape

an ecosystem.
*Biotic components usually include:
Producers: e.g. plants.
Consumers: e.g. animals, humans
Decomposers: e.g. fungi and bacteria *The oceans are the cradle of life on Earth which harbor the
*An artificial ecosystem generally fulfill all the criteria of highest level of biodiversity. No terrestrial ecosystem can match
a natural eco-system but is made and controlled by humans. the biological richness of a coral reef, not only in some species
Orchards, farmlands, gardens and human-made reservoirs are but also in variety and originality of survival strategies.

F–32 General Studies Environment and Ecology

 Ecological Imbalance The biotic potential is the maximum reproductive capacity
of an organism under optimum environmental conditions. It
*The disruption of the natural balance of an ecosystem by
is denoted with the letter 'r'. However, there is a limit beyond
natural or human-caused disturbances is known as ecological
which the environment can not sustain organismal growth, this
imbalance. However Wildlife conservation and prevention of
limit is called carrying capacity.
environmental pollution is helpful in maintaining ecological
balance. Food Web or Food Chain
Deforestation is one of the main causes of ecological imbalance *The most obvious aspect of nature is that energy must pass
in India. While desertification, floods and famines and rainfall from one living organism to another.
variations are secondary causes of deforestation. *When herbivorous animals feed on plants, energy is transferred
from plants to animals. In an ecosystem, some of the animals
feed on other living organisms while some feed on dead organic
matter. It creates the food chain. Each chain usually has only
four to five such links.
*Any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for
an organism is called food.
*Food chain depicts the flow of energy through different
organisms in an ecosystem. Notably, this flow is unidirectional.
The correct order of different components in one of the food
chain of grassland is as follows:
Carrying Capacity
*The carrying capacity of a biological species in an Grass Grasshopper Frog Snake
environment is the maximum population size of the species
that the environment can sustain indefinitely, given the (Producer) (Primary Consumer) (Secondary Consumer) (Tertiary Consumer)

food, habitat, water and other necessities available in the *Grass, goat and human also form a food chain –
environment.
Grass Goat Humans
*Carrying capacity is the number of individuals an environment
can support without significant negative impacts on the given
(Autotroph) (Herbivorous consumer) (Omnivorous consumer)
organism and its environment. Whenever the population
increases more than the carrying capacity, it puts pressure on *In food chain there are trophic levels i.e., Autotroph, Primary
the ecosystem. consumer, Secondary consumer and Tertiary consumer.
*Excessive population growth can lead to the failure of the *The primary consumer is the herbivores (that feed on the
ecosystem. plant), the secondary consumer is small carnivores (feeding
on the primary consumer) and the tertiary consumer is the
large carnivores.
*Man is the primary as well as a secondary consumer who feeds
on both plant products and meat.

*Phytoplankton, also known as microalgae, are similar to

terrestrial plants in that they contain chlorophyll and require
sunlight to live and grow. Most phytoplanktons are buoyant and
float in the upper part of the ocean, where sunlight penetrates
the water. Phytoplankton also requires inorganic nutrients such
as nitrates, phosphates, and sulfur which they convert into
proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.

Environment and Ecology General Studies F–33

*In a food chain mainly herbivores, are considered as primary
consumers.
*Deer is herbivorous hence it is a primary consumer.
*Ants fall under both decomposer, primary consumers and
scavengers. It eats plants and receives energy from cellulose.
*Tiger is carnivorous and fox is omnivorous.
*Decomposers are nature’s recyclers as they break down the
organic matter found in the dead bodies of plants and animals.
Biosphere is the sum total of all ecosystems present on
*The term ‘organic matter’ refers to the matter that comes
the Earth.
from living organisms.
According to the 1st law of thermodynamics ‘Energy
*Decomposers are mainly the micro-organisms such as bacteria
can neither be created nor be destroyed. Energy can
and fungi in the form of yeasts and moulds that break down be changed from one form into another form’.
bodies of dead organisms and release compounds that can be According to the 2nd law of thermodynamics, during the
used by producers. process of energy conversion, a part of the energy is al-
*A common marine food chain is as follows – ways lost in the form of heat so the product will always
have lesser energy than their constituent matters from
Diatom which product is formed.
Magnitude of energy always decreases when it passes
from one trophic level to another.
Crustaceans
It is notable that Herbivores can only assimilate 10% of
the gross productivity of products.
Herring *The Ten percent law of transfer of energy from one trophic
level to the next was introduced by Raymond Lindeman
Flow of Energy in 1942.
*The flow of energy in the ecosystem is unidirectional (or *According to this law, during the transfer of energy from

one-directional). The energy enters the plants (from the sun) organic food from one trophic level to the next, only about
ten percent of the energy from organic matter is stored as
through photosynthesis during the making of food. This
flesh. The remaining is lost during transfer, broken down
energy is then passed on from one organism to another in a
in respiration or lost to incomplete digestion by higher trophic
food chain. The energy given out by the organisms as heat is
level.
lost to the environment. It does not return to be used by the
*Thus, at every level of the food chain (first, second, third and
plants again. This makes the flow of energy in the ecosystem top level), the consumer converts only 10% of the accumulated
‘unidirectional’. energy into his body weight.

F–34 General Studies Environment and Ecology

 Trophic Levels DDT is a chemical substance which cannot be degraded
biologically. Its concentration increases in the organism
*There are four types of trophic levels in the food chain of the
from lower trophic level to higher trophic level.
ecosystem. They are-
Snake is a Tertiary consumer. So, the concentration of
First trophic level- Producer (autotrophs)
DDT will be more in snake. It is deposited in fatty tissues
Second trophic level- Primary consumers (herbivorous)
of an organism.
Third trophic level- Secondary consumers (carnivorous) DDT is an insecticide.
Fourth trophic level- Tertiary consumers ( omnivorous)
Decomposers feed on all the above trophic levels. Bionomics & Biomagnification
*In ecology, bionomics (Greek: bio = life; nomos = law) is
Pyramids the comprehensive study of an organism and its relation to its
*The Pyramid of Biomass is a graphical representation that environment. It is synonymous to Ecology. It stresses the value
depicts the extent of biomass per unit area within different of natural systems which influence human systems and is not
trophic levels in an ecological system. related to the management of life.
*In grasslands and forests, there is a gradual decrease in biomass
of organisms at successive levels from the producers to the top Biogeochemical Cycle
*In Earth science, a biogeochemical cycle is a pathway by
carnivores. Thus pyramids are upright.
which a chemical substance moves through both biotic and
*However, in a pond as the producers are small organisms,
abiotic components of Earth. Biogeochemical cycles of
their biomass is very less and this value gradually shows an
nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon etc. are found in nature. These
increase towards the apex of the pyramid, thus making the
are mainly of two kinds:
pyramid inverted in shape.

*Ecological succession is the gradual process by which

ecosystems change and develop over time. In grassland, trees
have already been cleared away due to fires in the past, which
also changes the ground composition. Without the trees to hold
them, water washes away most of the soil and the underlying
Biological Magnification ground becomes the pioneer population, which is then replaced
by grass. The grass, however, absorbs most of the water before
(Biomagnification) it reaches the roots of the shrubs.
Biomagnification refers to an increase in the concentration *F. Clements studied different species of plants and gave a
of the toxic materials at successive trophic levels. This generally agreed upon definition in 1916. According to him,
happens because a toxic substance is accumulated by an biotic succession is a natural process of displacement of one
organism which cannot be metabolized or excreted, and is particular community by another in a particular area. A scientist
thus passed on to the next trophic level. This phenomenon named E. Odum described it as a sequenced process. The
is well known for Mercury (Hg) and DDT. correct order of biotic succession is as follows:

Environment and Ecology General Studies F–35

 Agency) and other federal agencies use estimates of the social
Nudation
cost of carbon to evaluate the climate impacts of rulemaking.

Migration

Ecesis

Reaction

Stabilization
Figure: Stages of Ecological Succession

Environmental Movements
*The Chipko movement was a forest conservation movement
in India started in 1973. On 26 March, 1974 Gaura Devi
gathered other women around her village in the Garhwal *According to the World Development Report 2010
Himalayas and prevented loggers from felling trees by sticking ‘Millennium Ecosystem Assessment’ describes five
to the trees. This act by illiterate tribal and village women to groups of Ecosystem Services.
reclaim their traditional forest rights was a dramatic moment *Nutrient recycling and crop pollination are examples of
Ecosystem services.
known as ‘Chipko Andolan’, a non-violent struggle that gave
birth to the modern Indian environmental movement.
*“Ecology is permanent economy” was the slogan of Chipko
Movement.
*'Narmada Bachao Andolan' was against the construction of
a multi-modal dam on the Narmada river.
*'Appiko Movement' was started in Karnataka for
environmental protection.

Ecological Footprint and

Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
*The ecological footprint is a measure of human demand on
the Earth’s ecosystems. It’s a standardized measure of demand
for natural resource that may be contrasted with the planet’s
ecological capacity to regenerate.
*It can be defined as the biologically productive area required to
provide everything people need to sustain their life. It includes
fruits, vegetables, wood, fibres, fossil fuel use and also the
release of carbon dioxide. Its unit is Global Hectares.
*It is notable that our Ecosystem provides different services
to human and nature.
*Social Cost of Carbon or SC-CO2 is a measure, in monetary
value, of the long-term damage done by a tonne of carbon dioxide
(CO2) emission in a given year. EPA (Environmental Protection

F–36 General Studies Environment and Ecology

 Ecosystem: Some facts for Exam *Oceanic outflow is that process in which warm & nutrient less
water at the surface is replaced by cold & nutrients rich water
*Eucalyptus is known as Environmental evil.
by air flow (wind).
*It absorbs too much inland water and decreases water level at
*Eco-sensitive zones are mentioned under the Environment
the place of its plantation.
(Protection) Act, 1986. The vehicles used for commercial
*It is mostly found in Australia.
activities in eco-sensitive zones have been regulated but
*Lentic Ecosystem refers to the static water habitats like
are not prohibited hence except agriculture, rest of the human
ponds, lakes, swamps and marshes. Lotic Ecosystem refers
activities are not prohibited but some of these are restricted and
to the moving water habitats like rivers.
some of them have been regulated.
*Ecotone is a region of transition between two biological
communities.
Basic Questions
1. ‘Ecology’ is the study of the relationship between–
(a) Organism and environment
(b) Man and forest
(c) Soil and water
(d) Husband and wife
U.P.R.O./A.R.O. (Pre) 2014
Ans. (a)
The word 'ecology' originated from Greek 'Oikos' meaning
house or environment. Ecology is the study of interactions
among organisms and their environment. It also includes
*Oceanic ecosystem is the most stable ecosystem.
the study of organismal interaction with abiotic components
Term 'Ecosystem' was coined by A.G. Tansley.
of their environment. The word 'ecology' ('Oekologie') was
Order of Ecosystem productivity in decreasing order-
coined by German scientist, Ernst Haeckel (1834-1919).
Mangrove, Grasslands, Lake, Ocean. An ecosystem with more
Haeckel defined Ecology as the study of the relationship of
diversity has more productivity.
an organism with their environment. Ecology in current age
*The entire sequence of communities that successively change
refers to a broader spectrum encompassing not only plants,
in a particular area are called ‘Sere’. animal species and climate but also to human beings and it's
*Pycnocline - It shows density gradient in an aquatic system. physical surroundings.
*Halocline - It shows a salt gradient in an aquatic system. 2. The term Ecosystem was proposed by –
*Thermocline- Represents the change in temperature with a (a) G. Tailor (b) E. Hartigan
depth of an aquatic system. (c) D.R. Stoddart (d) Tansley
*Arne Naess in 1973 used the term 'Deep ecology' for the Uttarakhand P.C.S. (Pre) 2005
first time. Ans. (d)
*Ecological Niche term was coined by Joseph Grinnell in The term ecosystem was first used by A. G. Tansley in 1935
1917, who called it Micro-Habitats. who defined an ecosystem as ‘a particular category of physical
*The concept of ‘Ecological Transition’ was first used by systems, consisting of organisms and inorganic components in
John W. Bennett. He proposed the concept in his book ‘‘The a relatively stable equilibrium, open and of various sizes and
Ecological Transition : Cultural Anthropology and Human kinds’. An Ecosystem is a community of living organism (plants,
Adaptation’’. animals and microbes) along with the nonliving components of
*Indian Wild Life Protection Act was passed in 1972. their environment (like air, water, mineral, soil, etc.) interacting
*Environment (Protection) Act was passed in 1986. as a system. These biotic and abiotic components are considered
*Forest Conservation Act was passed in 1980. as linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. As

Environment and Ecology General Studies F–37