Environmental studies

Definition
Environmental studies is an interdisciplinary subject
examining the interplay between the social, legal,
management and scientific aspects of environmental
issues.

OR

Environmental studies deals with every issue that affects an

organism. It is essentially a multidisciplinary approach that
brings about an appreciation of our natural world and
human impacts on its integrity.

UNIT 1: SCOPE, IMPORTANCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS

SCOPE

Environmental science has a vast scope since it covers a

wide range of subject matters or issues related to our
complex life-supporting system. Scope of the subject can
be described in three major areas:
(i) Management of natural resources
(ii) Conservation of ecosystem and biodiversity
(iii) Prevention and control of pollution.

In addition, environmental science plays a key role in

solving complex environmental issues of varying scale,
including climate change, ozone layer depletion, energy
crisis, desertification, urbanization, population explosion

UNIT 1: SCOPE, IMPORTANCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS

IMPORTANCE
Importance of this subject can be described in terms of the various
objectives that it fulfils for saving the environment.
• It guides us to know how our developmental and day-to-day activities
affect environment and how we are affected by changes in the
environmental conditions.

• It guides us to create a pollution-free environment (that is, clean air,

water, land, and food) by adopting different methods of preventing and
controlling pollution.

• It guides us to utilize our natural resources such as water, forest,

minerals, and fossil fuels in an efficient manner, that is, with maximum
utility and minimum wastage, by adopting conservation and recycling
strategies.

• It guides common public to live an eco-friendly lifestyle by adopting the

above three features, that is, knowing environmental implications of
one’s activities, preventing and controlling pollution, and utilizing the
resources efficiently in day-to-day activities. It guides industries to
operate in an eco-friendly mode by adopting clean and efficient
technologies and installing pollution control systems.

UNIT 1: SCOPE, IMPORTANCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS

ENVIRONMENTAL
INDICATORS
The goal of environmental indicators is
to communicate information about the
environment—and about human
activities that affect it —in ways that
highlight emerging problems and draw
attention to the effectiveness of current
policies.

An indicator must reflect changes over a

period of time keyed to the problem, it
must be reliable and reproducible.

Indicators are:
Climate change, ozone layer, air quality,
waste generation, fresh water quality,
fresh water resources, forest resources,
energy resources and biodiversity.
UNIT 1: SCOPE, IMPORTANCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS
Natural resources
Natural resources refer to the things that exist freely in
nature for human use and don’t necessarily need the
action of mankind for their generation or production.

The key aspect of natural resources is that they dictate

the survival of humans and other life forms on earth.

These resources include land, rocks, forests (vegetation),

water (ocean, lakes, streams, seas, and rivers), fossil fuel,
animals (fish, wild life, and domesticated animals),
minerals, sunlight and air.

Natural resources are categorized in various categories:

• Renewable and non-renewable resources
• Biotic and abiotic resources

UNIT 2: ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Renewable resources

Renewable resources may be defined as

resources that have the potential to be
replaced over time by natural processes.
The renewal process may be relatively quick
or the renewal process may be very slow.

Natural resources such as land, water, soil,

plants and animals must be carefully
managed, with a particular focus on how
management affects the quality of life for
both present and future generations.

Urban sprawl, cultivation, irrigation, grazing,

deforestation, fishing, hunting, and habitat
destruction can all be causes of the
destruction.

UNIT 2: ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Non renewable resources

A non-renewable resource is a resource of

economic value that cannot be readily replaced
by natural means on a level equal to its
consumption.

Most fossil fuels, such as oil, natural gas and coal

are considered non renewable resources but their
use is not sustainable because their formation
takes billions of years.

Fossil fuels—coal, oil, and natural gas—

do substantially more harm than renewable
energy sources by most measures, including air
and water pollution, damage to public health,
wildlife and habitat loss, water use, land use, and
global warming emissions.

UNIT 2: ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Natural resources and associated problems

a) Forest resources: Use and over-exploitation, deforestation,

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: Usage and exploitation, environmental effects
of extracting and using mineral resources.
d) Food resources: World food problem, changes caused by
agriculture effects of modern agriculture, fertilizer-pesticide
problems.
e) Energy resources: Growing energy needs, renewable and non-
renewable energy sources, use of alternate energy sources.
f) Land resources: Land as a resource, land degradation, man
induced landslides, soil erosion and desertification.
g) Role of an individuals in conservation of natural resources.
h) Equitable use of resources for sustainable lifestyle

UNIT 2: ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Uses and over exploitation of forest resources
Uses of forest resources
The functions of forest may broadly classified into following categories
• Local consumptive use: food, fodder for animals, construction
materials, fuel wood and medicinal plants etc.
• Productive or market use
• Ecosystem services: flood and drought control, atmospheric and
climate regulation and erosion control etc.
• Other uses

Over exploitation
Forests contribute substantially to the national economy. With
increasing population increased demand of fuel wood, expansion of
area under urban development and industries has lead to over
exploitation of forest.

At present international level we are losing forest at the rate of 1.7

crore hectares annually. Overexploitation also occurs due to
overgrazing and conversion of forest to pastures for domestic use.

UNIT 2: ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES

deforestation
Forest are burned or cut for clearing of land for agriculture
,harvesting for wood and timber , development and
expansion of cities .These economic gains are short term
where as long term effects of deforestation are irreversible
Causes
a) Shifting cultivation or Jhum cultivation
b) Commercial logging
c) Need for fuel wood
d) Expansion for agribusiness
e) Development projects and growing need for food
f) Raw materials for industrial use Major effects of deforestation
• Soil erosion and loss of soil fertility
• Decrease of rain fall due to affect of hydrological
cycle
• Expansion of deserts
• Climate change and depletion of water table
• Loss of biodiversity ,flora and fauna
• Environmental changes and disturbance in forest
ecosystems
UNIT 2: ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES
Timber extraction

There has been unlimited exploitation of timber for

commercial use. Due to increased industrial demand;
timber extraction has significant effect on forest and
tribal people.

Logging
• Poor logging results in degraded forest and may
lead to soil erosion especially on slopes.
• New logging roads permit shifting cultivators and
fuel wood gatherers to gain access to the logging
area.
• Loss of long term forest productivity
• Species of plants and animals may be eliminated
• Exploitation of tribal people by contractor

UNIT 2: ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES

mining

Major effects of mining operations on forest and tribal

people are:
• Mining from shallow deposits is done by surface mining
while that from deep deposits is done by sub-surface
mining. It leads to degradation of lands and loss of top
soil. It is estimated that about eighty thousands hectare
land is under stress of mining activities in India.

• Mining leads to drying up perennial sources of water

sources like spring and streams in mountainous area.

• Mining and other associated activities remove vegetation

along with underlying soil mantle, which results in
destruction of topography and landscape in the area.

UNIT 2: ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Effect of dams on environment
Creation of dams and reservoirs has many
economic benefits, recent studies have shown that
these human-made barriers can have several
negative impacts on the environment.

Some of the impacts are:

• Dams affect the natural water flow
• Impact on fish breeding grounds and prevent
migration
• Effects on geology
• Flooding and the destruction of surrounding
habitat
• Sediment builds up behind the dam
• Impacts livelihood of people
• Impact on terrestrial fauna and flora
• Submergence of forests
• Impacts on cultivated biodiversity
• Impacts on human health

UNIT 2: ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Forest conservation and management

Forest is one of the most valuable resources and thus needs

to be conserved. To conserve forest, following steps should
be taken.
• Conservation of forest is a national problem, thus it
should be tackled with perfect coordination between
concerned government departments.
• People should be made aware of importance of forest
and involved in forest conservation activities.
• The cutting of trees in the forests for timber should be
stopped.
• A forestation programmes should be launched
• Grasslands should be regenerated.
• Forest conservation Act should be strictly implemented to
check deforestation.
• Awards should be instituted for the deserving.

UNIT 2: ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Water resources
Water resources are sources of water that are useful or
potentially useful to humans. It is important because it
is needed for life to exist.

Many uses of water include agricultural, industrial,

household, recreational and environmental activities.

Sources of water:
• Oceans and seas
• Rain water
• Glaciers
• Surface water
• Ground water and others

UNIT 2: ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Water resources

Most of the life processes take place in water contained

in the body. Uptake of nutrients, their distribution in the
body, regulation of temperature, and removal of wastes
are all mediated through water.

Water use by humans is of two types:

1. Water withdrawal: taking water from groundwater
or surface water resource
2. Water consumption: the water which is taken up but
not returned for reuse.

UNIT 2: ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Water resources

Over use and pollution of surface and ground water

Rapid increase in human population

Wastage of water resources
Polluting surface and ground water stores by letting
chemical residuals from agriculture lands and industries
in the water bodies.

Impacts
• Adversely affects biodiversity and aquatic ecosystem.

UNIT 2: ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Biogeochemical cycles
The flow of energy in an ecosystem is
unidirectional while that of materials
or nutrients is cyclic.

water cycle
Carbon cycle
nitrogen cycle

UNIT 2: ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES