SUBJECT :- GEOGRAPHY

CLASS:- SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL 1

TOPIC: -

CONCEPTS AND COMPONENTS OF ENVIRONMENT.

TEACHER’S NAME: ADENUGA OKEOWO

MOTUNRAYO
INTRODUCTION: -

Everything that surrounds or affects an organism during its life time is collectively known as
its environment or simply put everything surrounding a living organism like people; place
and things constitute its environment which can be either natural or man-made. The word
environment has been derived from a French word ‘environner’ meaning to encircle or to
surround. In the beginning, environment of early man consisted of only physical aspects of
the planet earth such as land (lithosphere), air (atmosphere) and water (hydrosphere) along
with biotic communities but, with the passage of time and advancement of society man
extended his environment to include his social, economic and political functions too. At the
organismic level it is essentially physiological interaction which tries to understand that how
different organisms are adapted to their environment in terms of not only survival but also
reproduction and propagation of their population. All organisms (from virus to man) are
obligatorily dependent on the environment for various essential needs such as food, shelter,
water, oxygen etc. The surrounding that affects an organism during its lifetime is collectively
known as its environment. In another words “Environment is sum total of water, air and land
inter-relationships among themselves and also with the human being, other living organisms
and material goods”. It comprises all the physical and biological surrounding and their
connections. Environmental studies give an approach towards understanding the environment
of our globe and the impact of human life upon the environment and vice-versa. Thus
environment is actually universal in nature and it is a multidisciplinary subject counting
physics, chemistry, geology, geography, history, economics, physiology, biotechnology,
remote sensing, geophysics, soil science and hydrology etc.

Environment belongs to all the biotic and abiotic components and therefore is, vital for all.
Consequently, everyone is affected by environmental issues like global warming, depletion of
ozone layer, dwindling forest, depleting energy resources, loss of biodiversity etc.
Environment also deals with the analysis of the processes in hydrosphere, atmosphere,
lithosphere, and organisms which leads to pollute biosphere. Environment helps us for setting
benchmark for safe and healthy natural ecosystem.
 Definition of Environment: -

‘The term environment is used to describe, in the aggregate, all the external forces, influences
and conditions, which affect the life, nature behaviour and the growth, development and
maturity of living organisms’ (Douglas and Holland).

‘Environment refers to the sum total of all conditions which surround man at a given point in
space and time’ ([Link])

The entire range of external influence acting on an organism, both the physical and
biological, and other organisms, i.e. forces of nature surrounding an individual.
(Encyclopedia Britannica)

Total environmental system including not only the biosphere, but also his interactions with
his natural and man-made surroundings (US Council on Environmental quality).

Environment is argued as an inseparable whole and is constituted by the interacting systems

of physical, biological and cultural elements, which are interlinked individually as well as
collectively in myriad ways. Physical elements (space, landforms, waterbodies, climate, soils,
rocks and minerals) determine variable character of the human habitat, its opportunities as
well as limitations. Biological elements (plants, animals, micro-organisms and man)
constitute the biosphere. Cultural elements (economic, social, political) are essentially man-
made features which go into the making of cultural milieu.
Thus, environment is defined as ‘(1) the circumstances and conditions (physical conditions)
that surround an organism or group of organisms, or (2) the social and cultural conditions that
affect an individual or community. Since human inhabit the natural world as well as the
‘built’ or technological, social, and cultural world, all constitute part of our environment.
Environmental knowledge is a multidisciplinary knowledge whose fundamental aspects have
a direct significance to every segment of the planet. Its main characteristics include:

 Conservation and natural resources.

 Maintenance and management of biological diversity.

 Controlling and managing environmental pollution to permissible limit

 Stabilisation of human population and environment.

 Development of alternate sources of renewable energy systems

 Providing new dimension to nation’s security through conservation, protection,

management and maintenance of environment

It also deals with vital issues like safe and clean drinking water, hygienic living conditions
and pollution free fresh air, fertility of land, healthy food and development of sustainable
environmental laws, administration, environmental protection, management and
environmental business are coming up as new opportunities for environment protection and
managements. The relationship and interaction between organism and environment are highly
complex and multidimensional. No organism can live alone without interacting with other
organisms or other biotic/abiotic forms. So each organism has other organisms as a part of its
environment. Each and everything with which we interact or which we need for our
sustenance forms our environment. In fact, environment is visualised in different ways with
different angles by different groups of people but it may be safely argued that ‘environment is
an inseparable whole and is constituted by the interacting system of physical, biological and
cultural elements which are interlinked individually as well as collectively in myriad ways.
The environment is not static; rather it’s a very dynamic entity. Various factors (biotic &
abiotic) are in a flux and keep changing the environment continuously.

TYPES OF ENVIRONMENT: -

On the basis of basic structure, the environment may be divided into

 Physical/abiotic environment
 Biotic environment
 Cultural environment
PHYSICAL/ABIOTIC ENVIRONMENT: - on the basis of physical characteristics and state,
abiotic or physical environment is subdivided into:
i. Solid i.e. lithosphere (solid earth)
ii. Liquid i.e. hydrosphere (water component)
iii. Gas i.e. atmosphere (gaseous component)
These environments can be termed as lithospheric, hydrosspheic, atmospheric
environment which can be further broken into smaller units based on different spatial
scales like mountain environment, plateau, plain, lake, river maritime, glacier, desert
environment etc. The physical environment may also be viewed in terms of climatic
conditions providing certain suits of habitat for biological communities like tropical,
temperate and polar environment etc.
BIOTIC ENVIRONMENT-: biotic environment consists of flora and fauna including man as
an important factor. Thus the biotic environment may be divided into:
iv. Floral environment
v. Faunal environment

Further all the organisms work to form their social groups and organizations at several levels
and thus is formed social environment, where in, the organisms work to derive matter from the
physical environment for their sustenance and development. This process generates economic
environment. It may be pointed out that of all the organisms man is the most skilled and
civilize4d and hence his social organization is most systematic. It is significant to note that
three aspects of man, physical, social and economic have different characteristics and functions
in the biotic environment. As ‘physical man’ is one of the organismic populations or
biological community and thus requires basic elements of physical environment (habitat, air,
water, food etc.) like other biological populations and releases wastes into the ecosystem;
‘social man’ establishes social institutions forms social organisations, formulates laws and
policies to safeguard his existence, interest and social welfare and ‘economic man’ derives
and utilises resource from the physical and biotic environments with his skills and technologies.
These may be termed as physical, social and economic functions of man. It is the third function
which makes the man and environmental process because he transports matter and energy from
one component of the ecosystem to the other.
COMPONENTS OF ENVIRONMENT: -

The basic components of the environment are atmosphere or the air, lithosphere or the rocks
and soil, hydrosphere or the water, and the living component of the environment or the
biosphere.

ATMOSPHERE: -

• the thick gaseous layer surrounding the earth.

• It spreads up to 300 km. above the earth’s surface.

• Apart from gases there are water vapor, industrial gases, dust and smoke particles in
suspended state, microorganism etc.

LITHOSPHERE: -

The word lithosphere originated from a Greek word mean "rocky" + "sphere” i.e. the
solid outmost shield of the rocky planet. The Earth is an oblate spheroid. It is
composed of a number of different layers. These layers are:

• The Core which is around 7000 kilometers in diameter (3500 kilometers in radius)
and is situated at the Earth's center.

• The Mantle which environs the core and has a thickness of 2900 kilometers.

• The Crust floats on top of the mantle and is composed of basalt rich oceanic crust and
granitic rich continental crust.

HYDROSPHERE: -

• The hydrosphere includes all water on or near earth surface and includes oceans,
lakes, rivers, wetlands, icecaps, clouds, soils, rock layers beneath surface etc.

• water exist in all three states: solid (ice), liquid (water), and gas (water vapor)

• 71%of planet surface is covered with water

• Freshwater- 2.53%
 • Freshwater in glaciers-1.74%

• Water as water vapour in atmosphere-12,900 km3

• living organism contain- 1100 km3

Since the environment includes both physical and biological concept, it embraces both the
abiotic (non-living) and biotic (living) components of planet earth. Thus, on account of basic
structure the components of environment may be classified into two basic types:

Fig. 1 Components of Environment.

ABIOTIC COMPONENTS (NON-LIVING): - these are the most important determining
factor of where and how well an organism exists in the environment. Although these factors
interact with each other, one single factor can limit the range of an organism thus acting as the
limiting factor. These factors can be categorised into following groups:

PHYSICAL FACTORS: - the major components are temperature, Water (Rainfall), Light
(Energy), Soil, Atmospheric pressure.

TEMPERATURE: - Temperature is the most ecologically germane environmental factor. It’s

a very well-known and an established fact that the average temperature on land varies
seasonally, decreasing progressively from the equator towards the poles and from plains to the
top of mountains ranging from sub-zero levels to >50˚C in polar areas/high altitudes and
tropical deserts in summer respectively. There are, however, unique habitats like thermal
springs and deep-sea hydrothermal vents where average temperatures exceed 100˚C. It is
commonly known fact that mango trees do not and cannot grow in temperate countries like
Canada and Germany, snow leopards are not found in Kerala forests and tuna fish are rarely
caught beyond tropical latitudes in the ocean. A few organisms can tolerate and thrive in a wide
range of temperatures without having effect on their internal environment (they are called
eurythermal), but, a vast majority of them operate within a narrow range of temperatures (such
organisms are called stenothermal).

WATER (RAINFALL): - Subsequent to temperature, water is another most important factor

influencing the life of organisms. In fact, genesis of life on earth is attributed to water without
which life is unsustainable. Its availability is too scarce in deserts. Due to this scarcity only
special adaptations by plants and animals of this region make it possible to survive there in such
an unusual living conditions. The productivity and distribution of plants is also profoundly
dependent on water. One might believe that organisms living in oceans, lakes, rivers and other
water bodies should not face any water-related problems, but it doesn’t hold true. For aquatic
organisms the quality (chemical composition, pH) of water becomes crucial and one of the most
determining factor for their survival. The saline concentration (measured as salinity in parts per
thousand), is less than 5 % in inland waters, 30-35 % in the sea and >100 % in some
hypersaline lagoons. Some organisms are tolerant to a wide range of salinity
 (referred as euryhaline) while others are restricted to a much narrow range of salinity
(referred as stenohaline). Many freshwater animals cannot survive for long in sea
water and vice versa because of the osmotic problems which would subsequently lead
to their death.

LIGHT (ENERGY): - One can quickly and easily understand the importance of
light/energy for living organisms, particularly autotrophs since they
produce/manufacture food through photosynthesis, a specialised process which is only
possible with the availability of sunlight as a source of energy. Many plants are also
dependent on sunlight to meet their photoperiodic requirement for flowering. For
many animals too, light is essential as they use the diurnal and seasonal variations in
light intensity and duration (photoperiod) as cues for timing their searching food,
reproductive and migratory activities. The availability of light on land is in close
association with that of temperature since the sun is the source for both. But, deep
(>500m) in the oceans, the environment is perpetually dark and its inhabitants are
unaware of the existence of a celestial source of energy called Sun.

SOIL: - The nature and properties of soil in various places vary to a great extent
depending upon the climate which includes temperature and humidity, the weathering
process, whether soil is transported or sedimentary and how soil development
occurred. Various physical characteristics of the soil such as soil composition, grain
size and aggregation determine the percolation and water holding capacity of the soil.
These features along with chemical parameters such as pH, mineral composition and
also topography determine to a large extent the vegetation in any area. This in turn
indicates or rather determines the type of animals that can be supported on a particular
soil area. Similarly, in an aquatic environment, the sediment-characteristics often
determine the type of benthic animals that can thrive there optimally.

RESPONSES TO CHANGE IN ABIOTIC FACTORS: -

Abiotic conditions of many habitats may vary drastically in time, which raises an
essential question –how do the organisms living in such changing habitats adapt
themselves with stressful conditions? But, prior to delving into answering this
inevitable question, one should perhaps ask first why a highly variable and ever
changing external environment should create an inconvenience to an organism after
all. One would expect that during the course of millions of years of their existence,
many species would have evolved a relatively constant internal (within the body)
environment that enables all biochemical reactions and physiological functions to
progress with maximal efficiency and thus, enhance the overall ‘fitness’ of the
species.

REGULATE: - Some organisms are able to achieve and stabilize homeostasis by

physiological (sometimes behavioural also) means which ensures constant body
temperature, constant osmotic concentration, etc. All birds and mammals, and a very
few lower vertebrate and invertebrate species are indeed capable of such regulation
(thermoregulation and osmoregulation). Evolutionary biologists are of the opinion
that the mammalian success is largely owing to their ability to adhere to a constant
body temperature and thrive successfully whether they live in frigid Antarctica or in
the blazing Sahara Desert. The mechanisms used by most mammals to regulate or
stabilise their body temperature are similar to those of human beings. We, the
humans, maintain a constant body temperature of 37˚C. In summer, when external
temperature is more than our body temperature, we sweat profusely resulting in
evaporation which leads to external body cooling thus lowering the overall body
temperature. Likewise, in winter when the temperature is much lower than 37˚C, we
start to shiver, leading to heat generation and thus raising the body temperature and
thereby maintaining homeostasis around 37˚C. Plants, on the other hand, do not
possess such mechanisms to maintain internal temperatures and are thus unable to
regulate homeostasis.

CONFORM: - In literal English term it means to obey or agree to something. An

overwhelming majority (99%) of animals and nearly all plants are unable to maintain
a constant internal environment, thus inefficient in maintaining homeostasis. Their
body temperature varies with the ambient temperature, rise with increasing
temperature and fall with decreasing temperature most of the times. In aquatic
animals, the osmotic concentrations of the body fluids change with that of the ambient
water osmolality which itself depends upon the salinity of the surrounding water.
Such animals and plants are simply conformers, meaning thereby that they just agree
to the surrounding conditions rather than adopting any mechanism to stabilise their
internal environment.
MIGRATE: - The organisms can shift away temporarily from the stressful habitat to
a more hospitable area and return when stressful period is over. In human analogy,
this strategy is like a person moving from Delhi to Shimla for the duration of summer
to avoid the stressful conditions of severe heat and return back to Delhi when
temperature is more comfortable. Likewise, many animals, particularly birds, during
winter undertake long-distance migrations to more hospitable areas and avoid the
frigid conditions of their true environment. Every winter the famed Keoladeo National
Park (Bharatpur) in Rajasthan host thousands of migratory birds coming from Siberia
and other extremely cold northern regions which become temporarily inhospitable for
them. Thus migration is a form of temporary shift of organism from its true habitat to
an ecologically friendlier habitat due to more stressful conditions of true habitat.

SUSPEND: - In bacteria, fungi and lower plants, various types of thick walled spores
are formed which help them to survive unfavourable/extreme conditions – which
subsequently germinate on availability of suitable environment. In higher plants,
seeds and some other vegetative reproductive structures serve as means to resist the
periods of stress besides helping in its dispersal – they germinate to form new plants
under favorable moisture and temperature conditions. They do so by reducing their
metabolic activity and going into a stage of ‘dormancy’.

In animals, the organism, if unable to migrate, might avoid the stress by escaping in
time through the two phenomenon. The familiar case of bears going into hibernation
during winter is an example of escape in time to avoid extreme of cold.

Some snails and fish go into aestivation (a state of animal dormancy

characterized by inactivity and a lowered metabolic rate) to avoid extreme summer
heat and desiccation.

Similarly, under unfavorable conditions many zooplankton species in lakes and

ponds are known to enter diapause, (a stage of suspended/deferred development).
Diapause, when referencing animal dormancy, is the delay in development in
response to regularly and recurring periods of adverse environmental conditions

INORGANIC AND ORGANIC SUBSTANCES: - Water, Oxygen,

Carbon,
Nitrogen, Sulphur, Nitrates, Phosphates and ions of various metals etc. are
inorganic substances essential
 for organisms to survive while proteins, Carbohydrates, Lipids etc. are essential
Organic substances:

BIOTIC COMPONENTS (LIVING): - It consists of the living parts of the

environment, including the association of a lot of interrelated populations that belong to
different species inhabiting a common environment. The populations are those of the
animal community, the plant community and the microbial community.

Fig. 2 Components of biotic community.

The biotic community is divided into:

a. Autotrophs,

b. Saprotrophs, and

c. Heterotrophs

AUTOTROPHS (derive from Greek word: auto - self, trophos - feeder) are called
producers, transducers or convertors, as well. Those are photosynthetic plants, normally
chlorophyll bearing, which synthesize a high-energy complex organic compound (food) from
the inorganic raw materials utilizing the aid of the sun, and this process is called
photosynthesis. Autotrophs form the core of all biotic systems. In terrestrial ecosystems,
autotrophs are usually rooted plants. In
the aquatic ecosystems, the floating plants referred to as phytoplankton and the shallow water
rooted plants – macrophytes - are the main producers.

HETEROTROPHS (from Greek: heteros - other; trophs - feeder) are the consumers,
normally animals that feed on the other organisms. Consumers are also referred to as
phagotrophs (phago - to swallow or ingest) while macroconsumers are normally herbivores
and carnivores. Herbivores are called First order or primary consumers, for they feed directly
on green plants. For example, Terrestrial ecosystem consumers are cattle, deer, grass hopper,
rabbit, etc. Aquatic ecosystem consumers are protozoans, crustaceans, etc.

Carnivores are animals that prey or feed on other animals. Second order consumers or
Primary carnivores include those animals that feed on herbivorous animals. For example, fox,
frog, smaller fishes, predatory birds, snakes, etc.

Third order consumers or Secondary carnivores are the animals that feed on primary
carnivores. For example, wolf, owl, peacock, etc. Some larger carnivores prey on Secondary
carnivores. Quaternary consumers or Tertiary carnivores include those animals which feed
upon secondary carnivores. For example, the lion, the tiger, etc. Those are not eated by any
other animal. The larger carnivores which cannot be preyed on further are also called the top
carnivores.

SAPROTROPHS (from Greek again: sapros - rotten; trophos - feeder) are called the
reducers or decomposers or osmotrophs. They break the complex organic compounds in dead
matter down (dead plants and animals). Decomposers don’t ingest the food. Instead they
secrete a digestive enzyme into the dead, decaying plant or animal remains and digest this
organic material. The enzymes act on the complex organic compounds in the dead matter.
Decomposers absorb a bit of the decomposition products to provide themselves with
nourishment. The remaining substance is added as minerals in the process of mineralisation
to the substratum. Released minerals are utilised or reused as nutrients by plants - the
producers.