Our Environment

What is Environment

The physical and biological world where we live is called our

environment.

The physical surroundings includes air (or atmosphere), water

bodies, soil (land).

Biological includes all the organisms such as plants, animals, human

beings and micro-organisms like bacteria and fungi (called

decomposers). All these constituents of the environment are depend

on one another.

So all the constituent of environment interact with one another

and maintain a balance in the environment in a natural way.

Human beings are the only organisms who change the natural environment

to fulfill their needs.

In fact, the uncontrolled activities of human beings are damaging the

balanced and healthy environment more am more.

Biodegradable And Non-biodegrableWaste

Those waste materials which can be broken down to non-poisonous

substances in nature by the action of microorganism like bacteria. Cattle

dung and compost are common e.g. of biodegradable waste.

Waste materials which cannot be broken down into non-poisonous

or harmless substances in nature are called non-biodegradable

wastes. e.g. are plastic bags, metal articles, synthetic fibers etc.

Ecosystem

Natural Ecosystem

forestsponds, lakes

Artificial Ecosystem

garden, crop field

Ecosystem

Ecosystem

Biotic Abiotic

• Biotic: Living components of an ecosystem such as animals & plants are called biotic.

• Abiotic: Non-living components of an ecosystem such as land, water & air are called abiotic.

Producers, Consumers, Decomposers.

Producers

chlorophyll

Consumers

herbivores

carnivores

Decomposers

food chain

omnivores, parasites

FOOD CHAIN

• The above energy pyramid shows many trees & shrubs providing food and energy to giraffes. Note that as we go up, there are fewer giraffes than trees & shrubs and even fewer lions than giraffes ... as we go further along a food chain, there are fewer and fewer consumers. In other words, a large mass of living things at the base is required to support a few at the top ... many herbivores are needed to support a few carnivores.

• Most food chains no more thanhave four or five links.

Food Web

The inter-connected food chains operating in an ecosystem which establish a

network of relationship between various species is called a food web.

The food web has many intercrosses and linkages among the various species

(producers and consumers) present in it. They operate in the form of a

network of food chain.

The Three R’s To Save the Environment

ReduceReduce means that we use less of the natural resource by cutting down on

those practices which lead to their wastage. For e.g. we can reduce the

wastage of electricity by switching of unnecessary light & fans. Saving

electricity means we are saving the use of coal because coal is used to

produce electricity.

Recycle Recycling means that we should collect the used and discarded items of

paper, plastic, glass etc. in order to recycle materials we should first

segregate our domestic waste properly so that materials which can be

recycled do not get dumped along with other household wastes which are

to be thrown away.

Reuse

Reuse means we should use the same things again. For e.g. the plastic jars in

which we buy various food items like jams and pickles etc. can be used later

on for storing things like salt, spices, sugar, tea leaves etc. The process of

reuse is better than that of recycling because energy is used to recycle old

objects.

Plastic recycling

• Plastic recycling is the process of recovering scrap or waste plastics and reprocessing the material into useful products, sometimes completely different in form from their original state.

• For instance, this could mean melting down soft drink bottles and then casting them as plastic chairs and tables.

Ways to reduce plastic use

Bring your own cloth bags to the grocery store (or any

store!).

Don't buy convenience foods packages in plastic.

Segregate waste into dry & wet garbage.

Use rechargeable batteries to reduce buying batteries

packaged in plastic.

Preserve environment !!!

• Proper collection of garbage & converting into manure.

• Use CNG gas in vehicles.

• Reduce pollution.

• Awareness through Documentaries/newspapers

Afforestation

Proper disposal of

factory waste & non biodegrable

waste.

Less usage of

pesticides, fertilizers.

Ban plastic

bags & use paper bags.

Thank you

Made By:

Dhaval AND SAMEEP