ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
Subject Code: BESE0-101 L T P C Duration: 48 Hrs. 2002
Course Objectives:
1. To identify global environmental problems arising due to various engineering/industrial/ and technological activities and the science behind these problems.
2. To realize the importance of ecosystem and biodiversity for maintaining ecological balance.
3. To identify the major pollutants and abatement devices for environmental management and sustainable development. 4. To estimate the current world population scenario and thus calculating the economic growth, energy requirement and demand. 5. To understand the conceptual process related with the various climatologically associated problems and their plausible solutions.
UNIT-1
1.The Multidisciplinary Nature of Environmental Studies (2 Hrs.) Definition, scope and importance. Need for public awareness.
2. Natural Resources (Hrs.)
Renewable and Non-renewable Resources:
Natural resources and associated problems:
(a) Forest resources: Use and over-exploitation, deforestation, case studies. Timber extraction, mining, dams and their effects on forests and tribal people.
(b) Water resources: Use and over-utilization of surface and ground water, floods,
drought, conflicts over water, dams-benefits and problems.
(c) Mineral resources: Use and exploitation, environmental effects of extracting and
using mineral resources, case studies.
(d) Food resources: World food problems, changes caused by agriculture and
overgrazing, effects of modern agriculture, fertilizer-pesticide problems, water
logging, salinity, case studies.
(e) Energy resources: Growing energy needs, renewable and non-renewable energy
sources, use of alternate energy sources, case studies.
(f) Land resources: Land as a resource, land degradation, man induced landslides,
soil erosion and desertification.
(g) Role of an individual in conservation of natural resources.
(h) Equitable use of resources for sustainable lifestyles.
UNIT-II
3. Ecosystems (8 Hrs.)
(a) Concept of an ecosystem.
(b) Structure and function of an ecosystem.
(c) Producers, consumers and decomposers.
(d) Energy flow in the ecosystem.
(e) Ecological succession.
(f) Food chains, food webs and ecological pyramids.
(g) Introduction, types, characteristic features, structure and function of the following
ecosystem:
(i) Forest ecosystem.
(ii) Grassland ecosystem.
(iii) Desert ecosystem.
(iv) Aquatic ecosystems (ponds, streams, lakes, rivers, ocean estuaries).
4. Biodiversity and its Conservation (6 Hrs.)
(a) Introduction – Definition: genetic, species and ecosystem diversity.(b) Biogeographical classification of India.
(c) Value of biodiversity: consumptive use, productive use, social, ethical aesthetic and
(d) option values.
(e) Biodiversity at global, national and local levels.
(f) India as a mega-diversity nation.
(g) Hot-spots of biodiversity.
(h) Threats to biodiversity: habitat loss, poaching of wildlife, man wildlife conflicts.
(i) Endangered and endemic species of India.
(j) Conservation of biodiversity: In-situ and Ex-situ conservation of biodiversity.
UNIT-III
5. Environmental Pollution (8Hrs.)
Definition
(a) Causes, effects and control measures of:
i) Air pollution
ii) Water pollution
iii) Soil pollution
iv) Marine pollution
v) Noise pollution
vi) Thermal pollution
vii) Nuclear pollution
(b) Solid Waste Management: Causes, effects and control measures of urban and
industrial wastes.
(c) Role of an individual in prevention of pollution.
(d) Pollution Case Studies.
(e) Disaster management: floods, earthquake, cyclone and landslides
6. Social Issues and the Environment (8 Hrs.)
(a) From unsustainable to sustainable development
(b) Urban problems and related to energy
(c) Water conservation, rain water harvesting, Watershed Management
(d) Resettlement and rehabilitation of people; its problems and concerns. Case studies.
(e) Environmental ethics: Issues and possible solutions
(f) Climate change, global warming, acid rain, ozone layer depletion, nuclear accidents
and holocaust. Case studies.
(g) Wasteland reclamation
(h) Consumerism and waste products
(i) Environmental Protection Act
(j) Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act
(k) Water (Prevention and control of Pollution) Act
(l) Wildlife Protection Act
(m) Forest Conservation Act
(n) Issues involved in enforcement of environmental legislation
(o) Public awareness
UNIT-IV
7. Human Population and the Environment (7 Hrs.)
(a) Population growth, variation among nations
(b) Population explosion – Family Welfare Programmes
(c) Environment and human health
(d) Human Rights
(e) Value Education
(f) HIV/AIDS
(g) Women and Child Welfare
(h) Role of Information Technology in Environment and Human Health
(i) Case Studies
8. Field Work (6 Hrs.)
(a) Visit to a local area to document environmental assets river/
(b) forest/grassland/hill/mountain
(c) Visit to a local polluted site – Urban / Rural / Industrial / Agricultural
(d) Study of common plants, insects, birds
(e) Study of simple ecosystems-pond, river, hill slopes, etc (Field work equal to 5
lecture hours)
UNIT - I
OBJECTIVE TYPE QUESTIONS
Fill in the Blanks
1. ....................teach us how to treat nature.
2. The inter-government conference on environment education in 1977 was held in ................
3. The ecological factors related to soil and substratum is called .................... factors.
4. A zone with constant temperature in the atmosphere is called an ........................
5. Temperature in ...................... layer can be high as 1200° C.
6. Separating the................. from the stratosphere is transition zone called the stratopause.
7. With increasing height, air in temperature drops uniformly with altitude, this phenomenon is commonly called the......................
8. The term 'Environment' has been derived from the French word ....................... which means to encircle or surrounded.
9. The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development ( Earth Summit ) was held at .................... in ................
10. The World Summit on Sustainable Development was held at ................ in ...............
11. Sunderlal Bahuguna is associated with popular environmental movements , ............... and ...................
12. Mr. ................ field PIL ( Public Interest Litigation ) for creating environmental awareness among all citizens of India.
13. ................ was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 for her contribution towards environmental conversation.
14. ................ is popularly known as green judge in India.
15. World Environment Day is celebrated on ................
16. Environment friendly products are given ISO certification called ISO.
17. Ecomark of our country is ...................
ANSWERS
1. Environmental Studies 2. Tbilisi, Georgia
3. Edaphic 4. Isothermal layer 5. Thermosphere 6. Mesosphere
7. Inversion. 8. Environner
9. Rio de Janeiro, in 1992
10. Johnnesberg , 2002
11. Chipko movement, Bachao Andolam
12. M.C Mehta 13. Wangari maathai
14. Justice Kuldeep Singh
15. June 5 16.
17. earthen pitcher
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
1. The objective of environmental education is:
(a) Raise consciousness about environmental condition
(b) to teach environmental appropriate behaviour
(c) Create an environmental ethic that fosters awareness about the ecological inter-dependence of economic, social and political factors in a human community and the environment
(d) All of the above
2. Which of the following is not influenced by human activities ?
(a) Depletion of groundwater
(b) Destruction of mangroves and wetlands
(c) Increased extinction rates of species
(d) None of the above
3. Environmental education should be imparted only at:
(a) Primary school stage
(b) Secondary school stage
(c) College stage
(d) All stage
4. Increasing industrialisation is causing much danger to men's Life by
(a) The environment
(b) Producing more good
(c) Providing more jobs
(d) Utilising wasteland
5. Which of the following one is not related to the loss of productivity of crop lands
(a) Desertification
(b) Water logging
(c) Salt buildup in topsoil
(d) None of the above
6. The environment which has been modified by human activities is called
(a) Natural environment
(b) Anthropogenic environment
(c) Urban environment
(d) Modern environment
7. Which of the following conceptual components of the environment are effective Transporters of matter
(a) Atmosphere and Hydrosphere
(b) Atmosphere and lithosphere
(c) Hydrosphere and lithosphere
(d) Lithosphere and biosphere
8. Short term properties of the atmosphere at a given place and time is referred as
(a) Climate
(b) Microclimate
(c) Season
(d) Weather
9. Biosphere is
(a) The solid shell of inorganic materials on the surface of the earth
(b) The thin shell of the organic matter on the surface of the earth comprising of all the living things
(c) The sphere which occupies the maximum volume of all the Sphere
(d) All of the above
10. Which of the following statements about Environmental education is false
(a) Environmental education is evolving to be education for sustainable and ethical development both at a local and global level
(b) Environmental education will prepare the next generation to plan appropriate strategies for addressing development environmental issues
(c) Environmental education does not advocate a particular view point or course of actions
(d) Environmental education is essential for the young generation only
11. Which of the following conceptual sphere of the environmental is having the least storage capacity for matter ?
(a) atmosphere
(b) lithosphere
(c) Hydrosphere
(d) biosphere
12. which of the following is an example of impact of the development activities on the Hydrosphere
(a) air pollution
(b) soil pollution
(c) soil erosion
(d) water pollution
13. Global atmospheric temperature are likely to be increased due to
(a) burning of fossil fuel
(b) water pollution
(c) soil erosion
(d) none of the above
14. Which of the following is a management option for air pollution
(a) regulations and standards
(b) emission changes
(c) transport planning
(d) all of the above
ANSWERS
1. (d) 2. (b) 3. (d) 4. (a) 5. (d) 6. (b) 7. (a)
8. (d) 9. (b) 10. (d) 11. (a) 12. (d) 13. (a)
14. (d)
SHORT QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS
Q. 1. Define the term 'environment'.
Ans. Environment is sum of total water, air and land and their inter-relationship among themselves and also with the human beings, living organism and property. Environment means surroundings and in circle around us
Q. 2. What do you understand by environmental science ?
Ans. Environmental science is the branch of science which deals with the study of our environment and our interaction with it. Environment science has the characteristic various disciplines of life sciences botany, zoology, microbiology, biochemistry biotechnology and genetics.
Q. 3. What are the major objectives of environmental education ?
Ans. Providing awareness, knowledge, a positive attitude about the environment, skills and the human participation toward resolution of environmental problems are the major objective of environmental education.
Q. 4. What is the role of Science and Engineering in the protection of the environment ?
Ans. Science and engineering plays a measure role in the protection of environment by helping in increasing economic growth and welfare of human society, maintains ecological balance, provides proper knowledge of environment, solve different issues like population measure and food problem and inculcates attitude and values.
Q. 5. list the four conceptual spheres in the earth's environment.
Ans. Four conceptual spheres in the earth are:
(i) Lithosphere
(ii) Hydrosphere
(iii) Atmosphere
(iv) Biosphere
Q. 6. Differentiate between biosphere and lithosphere.
Ans. The biosphere is composed of all living organisms includes plants, animals and one called organisms while lithosphere is composed of soil particles which includes all of the cold, hard solid land of the planet'S crust, the semi - solid land underneath the crust and the liquid land near the centre of the planet.
Q. 7. What do you understand by ozone layer ?
Ans. Ozone is primarily found in the atmosphere at varying concentration between the altitudes of 10 to 50 km. This layer of ozone is called the Ozone Layer. The Ozone Layer is important to organism at the Earth's surface as it protects them from the harmful effects of the sun's ultraviolet radiation.
Q. 8. 'Ozone is a pollutant in troposphere while life saver in stratosphere'. Justify this statement.
Ans. As ozone is present in troposphere it is a pollutant because in presence of Sunlight it bricks into o2 and O and reacts with oxides of Nitrogen and hydrocarbon which results smog but in the stratosphere it absorbs the UV radiation of Sun and protects the living organisms as known as life saver in stratosphere.
Q. 9. Define the term 'biomes'.
Ans. Within the biosphere, living organisms from ecological communities based on the physical surrounding of that area, these communities are referred as biomes. Deserts, grasslands and tropical rainforest are the few examples of biomes that exist within the biosphere.
Q. 10. How an individual can improve the environment ?
Ans. An individual can improve the environment by the following ways:
(i) By minimising the unnecessarily and exhaustive extraction the natural resources (ii) By saving the non-renewable energy sources such as fossil fuel
(iii) By increasing the forest cover area
By obeying the moral codes meant for achieving a better environment.
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