Environmental Science: Fundamentals and Ecology

Fundamentals of Environmental Science

• 'Environment' comes from the French word 'Environner', meaning to encircle or surround.
• Biologist Jacob Van Uerkal introduced 'environment' in Ecology (1864-1944).
• The Environment Protection Act 1986 defines environment as the sum total of land, water, air, and interrelationships among all living organisms.
• Ernst Haeckel coined "Ecology" in 1869 from Greek words oikos (household) and logos (study of).

Ecology

• Ecology studies organisms in their natural home, interacting with their surroundings.
• Includes other living organisms and physical components.

Abiotic Factors

• Nonliving substances are factors like light, temperature, pressure, soil, water, carbon dioxide, pH, and chemical compounds.
• Physical and chemical components make up the abiotic structure of an ecosystem.

Producers (Autotrophs)

• Mainly green plants, algae, etc that are further sub-divided into micro and macro vegetation.
• They make their own food through photosynthesis using carbon dioxide, water, sunlight, and chlorophyll.

Consumers (Heterotrophs)

• Mainly animals that feed on other organisms. Further divided into micro and macro consumers.
• Herbivores (primary): feed directly on producers.
• Carnivores (secondary): eat herbivores, also tertiary carnivores feed on other carnivores.
• Omnivores: eat both plants and animals.
• Detritivores: feed on dead organisms and wastes.
• Decomposers: mainly bacteria and fungi that break down complex organic molecules into inorganic nutrients to derive nutrition.

Environmental Science

• Interdisciplinary field studying interactions among physical, chemical, and biological components with a focus on pollution and degradation.
• Environment studies is a multidisciplinary subject which is dealt with in a holistic manner.

Resource Usage Example

• Using coal for electricity involves multiple disciplines:
• Economics: Coal is the cheapest source.
• Geology: Coal must be mined.
• Engineering: Coal is transported by road or rail.
• Chemistry: Burning releases pollution, some converts to acid.
• Meteorology: Acid falls as rain.
• Ecology: Acid affects plant nutrient absorption.
• Politics: Laws require pollution scrubbers.

Environmental Science Scope

• Deals with the phenomena in the environment which includes source, reactions, transport, effect, and fate of biological species influenced by human activity.
• Studies processes in soil, water, air, and organisms leading to pollution and sets standards for cleanliness, safety, and health.
• Encompasses land(lithosphere), water(hydrosphere), life(biosphere) and air(atmosphere).

Environmental Studies Scope

• Conservation of natural resources and ecological aspects.
• Pollution around natural resources including controlling it.
• Addresses social issues and the impact of human population.

Elements of Environment

• Physical: space, landforms, water bodies, climate, soils, rocks, minerals which define human habitats and their limitations.
• Biological: plants, animals, microorganisms make up the biosphere.
• Cultural: economical, social, political elements are man-made features form the cultural background.

Environmental Science: Principles and Importance

• Raises awareness of environmental protection, conservation, and the destruction caused by pollution.
• Addresses challenges from growing populations and industries which makes survival difficult.
• Understanding ecosystems is vital to solving environmental problems.

Key Ecological Principles

• Nature Knows Best: Follow natural rules for continuous resource supply.
• All Forms of Life Are Important: Each organism is essential for maintaining homeostasis in the ecosystem.
• Everything Is Connected: Biotic and amniotic components must interact to perpetuate the system.
• Everything Changes: Change is constant and can either be linear, cyclical, or random.

Waste and Resources

• Everything Must Go Somewhere: Waste doesn't disappear; it ends up elsewhere, possibly as a pollutant or resource.
• Ours Is a Finite Earth: Addresses how long the planet can sustain resource demands, calling for control of population growth, lifestyles, and polluting technologies.

Earth’s Spheres

• Lithosphere: The solid, rocky crust of Earth, made of minerals and rocks.
• Hydrosphere: All forms of water on Earth.
• Biosphere: All living organisms.
• Atmosphere: The layer of gas surrounding Earth.

Lithosphere

• The outer mantle of the solid Earth composed of minerals that evolved 4.6 billion years ago.
• Composed of minerals found in Earth's crust and soil, as well as organic matter, air, and water.

Three Rock Groups

• Igneous Rocks: Formed by cooling magma.
• Sedimentary Rocks: Formed by sediment accumulation.
• Metamorphic Rocks: Modified by heat, pressure, and chemical processes.

Igneous Rocks

• Formed when hot magma cools and hardens, either below (intrusive) or above (extrusive) Earth's surface.
• Intrusive rocks: diabase, diorite, gabbro, granite, pegmatite, and peridotite
• Extrusive rocks: andesite, basalt, dacite, obsidian, pumice, rhyolite, scoria, and tuff.

Sedimentary Rocks

• Form through sediment accumulation such as when rocks erode and mix with dirt to form stone.
• Clastic sedimentary rocks: breccia, conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone, and shale
• Chemical sedimentary rocks: chert, dolomites, flint, iron ore, limestones, and rock salt
• Organic sedimentary rocks: chalk, coal, diatomite, and some limestones

Metamorphic Rocks

• Modified by heat, pressure, and chemical processes usually deep below the surface.
• Example: Limestone turns into marble.

Hydrosphere Details

• Comprises all water resources: oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, groundwater, icecaps, and glaciers.
• Only ~1% of Earth's water is fresh and available for use with 97% being oceans and 2% in icecaps.
• It plays a vital role in movement and supports life.
• Covers about covers 70% of the earth's surface.

Biosphere Details

• Realm of living organisms and their interactions with atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere.
• Extends about 20 km, although life concentrates between 500 meters below the ocean surface up to 6 km above sea level.
• Biosphere depends on other spheres for resources and energy.

Atmosphere Details

• Distinctive layer about 100 km thick that protects Earth, sustains life, and regulates temperature.
• Composed of nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide, and trace gases.
• 14 different gasses make up the atmosphere
• Is responsible for weather and affects energy balance also absorbing most cosmic rays and electromagnetic radiation.

Atmospheric Layers

• Troposphere: Bottom layer where weather occurs, warmest near Earth, separated from stratosphere by the tropopause.
• Stratosphere: Contains high concentrations of ozone gas, which absorbs harmful UV rays.
• Mesosphere: Coldest layer where water vapor freezes, creating ice clouds separated from the thermosphere by the mesopause.
• Thermosphere: Topmost layer where satellites orbit, with rapidly changing temperatures.
• Exosphere: Outermost layer that starts at 500 km and extends to 10,000 km in many ways it is part of outer space.

Meteorology

• Meteorology comes from the Greek word meteoros (high up) and logia (the study of). Therefore, the word means "the study of things high up / in the sky." Meteorology looks at physics and chemistry.
• It analyzes and predicts weather, including localized temperatures, water vapor, air pressure, wind direction, and responses to Coriolis Effect.
• Weather patterns such as cyclones development are impacted by the Coriolis Effect.

Coriolis Effect

• Due is due to Earth's rotation.
• The Earth rotates faster at the Equator with equatorial regions moving at almost 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) per hour with trade winds affected.
• Storms in the Northern Hemisphere rotate counter clockwise, while in the Southern Hemisphere, storms rotate clockwise.
• Hurricanes compared to typhoons have different location.

Meteorology Applications

• Predicting local weather as well as commodity trading.
• Agricultural Meteorology: Determines best times and methods for farming.
• Aviation: Dictates if it is safe for air transport.
• Maritime/Marine: For marine and maritime operations.