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OUR ENVIRONMENT
🧾 15.1: What Happens When We Add Our Waste to the Environment?
🔍 Key Concepts
"Waste alters the natural balance of ecosystems"
Two types of waste:
● Biodegradable: Substances that are broken down by biological processes
(microorganisms) are said to be Biodegradable. (e.g., vegetable peels, paper)
● Non-biodegradable: Substances that cannot be broken down naturally are said to
be Non-biodegradable. (e.g., plastics, metals)
📌 Effects on Environment:
Biodegradable Substances
Positive Effects:
● Enrich soil when composted
● Support natural recycling and nutrient cycles
Negative Effects (if unmanaged):
● Can release methane during decomposition
● May cause foul smell and attract pests
❌ Non-Biodegradable Substances
Harmful Effects:
● Cause land and water pollution
● Harm wildlife through ingestion or entanglement
● Persist in the environment for decades or centuries
● Release toxic chemicals when burned or degraded
15.2: Ecosystem – What Are Its Components?
🔍 Key Concepts
Environment: All biological (plants, animals, micro-organisms etc:) and physical (Soil, water,
air, sunlight ete.) surroundings around us create our environment.
Ecosystem: All interacting organisms in an area together with non-living constituents of
the environment form an ecosystem.
Types of Ecosystem
● Natural Ecosystem- It exists in nature without any human interference. Eg: Pond,
River, Forest
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● Artificial Ecosystem- Made by humans for their own interest. Eg: Aquarium, Garden
Components:
● Biotic (All Living Organisms):
Producers - Organisms which can prepare their own food from simple inorganic
substances like carbon dioxide and water by using sunlight energy in the presence
of chlorophyll are the producers. Eg. Green plants and certain blue-green algae.
Consumers - Τhose organisms which consume food prepared by Producers αre called
consumers.
a) Herbivores - Animals that eat only plants. Eg. Goat, Sheep, Deer, Came,l etc
b) Carnivores -Animals which eat only other animals. Eg. Lion, Tiger etc
c) Omnivores -Animals which eat both plants and animals. Eg. Man, Dog, Crow
etc
Decomposers - Micro-organism that break down the complex organic compounds
present in dead organisms into simpler substances. Eg. Certain bacteria and fungi
● Abiotic (Physical factors): Sunlight, water, soil, temperature and minerals.
⚡Energy Flow in Ecosystems
🔍 Key Concepts
● Energy originates from the Sun
● Passed from producers → herbivores → carnivores → top carnivores
● At each level, energy decreases due to metabolic loss.
● Only 10% of energy is transferred to the next level
Food Webs vs Food Chains
🔍 Food Chain - The flow of nutrients and energy from one organism to another at
different trophic levels forms a food chain.
● food chain represents a single unidirectional transfer of energy
● Food chain starts with producer
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Plant (Producer) > Grasshopper (Herbivore) > Frog (Carnivore) > Eagle (Top carnivore)
🔍 Food Web - A food web is a complex network of interconnected food chains that
shows how energy and nutrients flow through an ecosystem.
Trophic levels - Trophic levels are the various steps in a food chain or food web that
represent how energy and nutrients are transferred from one organism to another in an
ecosystem.
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The energy transfer is never 100%. Thus, each successive trophic level receives lesser
energy than previous resulting in a pyramid shape.
Ten Per Cent Law
The Ten Per Cent Law, proposed by Raymond Lindeman, states that only about 10% of the
energy from one trophic level in an ecosystem is transferred to the next trophic level.
Bioaccumulation - Bioaccumulation is the process by which toxic substances like pesticides,
heavy metals, or pollutants gradually build up in the tissues of an organism over time.
● It occurs in a single organism over a lifetime.
Biomagnification - Biomagnification refers to the increase in concentration of harmful
chemical substances in the body of living organism at each trophic levels of a food chain
● It expands over different trophic levels.
● Organism at the higher trophic levels have higher concentration of such chemicals
● Eg: In the below case, man will have the highest amount of pesticides
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15. 3 : How do our activities affect the environment?
🔬 15.3.1 Ozone Layer and How It Is Getting Depleted
Ozone (O₃) is a molecule formed by three atoms of oxygen.
Ozone (O₃) is formed when UV rays split oxygen molecules (O₂) into atoms,
which then combine with other O₂ molecules:
O₂ → O + O
O + O₂ → O₃
● Ozone absorbs harmful ultraviolet radiation, protecting life on Earth.
● CFCs (Chlorofluorocarbons) from refrigerators, ACs, and aerosols release
chlorine atoms that destroy ozone:
Cl + O₃ → ClO + O₂
● Ozone hole over Antarctica was first observed in the 1980s.
● Global action: International agreements like the Montreal Protocol aim to
reduce CFC production.
15.3.2 Managing the Garbage We Produce
Key Concepts:
● Rapid urbanization and consumerism have increased waste generation.
● Waste includes biodegradable (food, paper) and non-biodegradable (plastic,
metal)
● Proper segregation and disposal are essential to prevent pollution.
● Disposal Methods
These are landfills, incineration (burning waste at high temperatures),
composting, sewage treatment, recycling, etc.
● Efforts on individual level
a) Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
b) Proper waste disposal methods should be followed Use of clay made
cups or paper cups over plastic cups
c) Cloth, jute or paper cups should be used
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