Environmental Science Fundamentals

Study Notes

Environment is defined as the social, cultural, and physical conditions that surround, affect, and influence the survival, growth, and development of people, animals, and plants.
The term "environment" originated from the French word "environ," meaning "encircle" or "surrounding."
Environmental science is an interdisciplinary study of how humans interact with the living and non-living parts of the environment.
Environmental science is the study of the environment, its biotic and abiotic components, and the relationships between them.
Environmental engineering is the application of environmental engineering principles to protect and enhance the quality of the environment and public health and welfare.
Environmental studies, also known as environmental education, is the process of educating people to preserve the quality of the environment.
The scope of environmental science includes creating awareness and sensitivity towards the environment, motivating active participation in environmental protection, understanding environmental problems, developing skills to identify and solve environmental issues, conserving natural resources, and promoting international cooperation.
The four components of the Earth's life support system are the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere.
The biosphere contains all living organisms, their interactions with their environment, and all that is capable of supporting life.
An ecosystem is a natural unit consisting of biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) components that interact with each other, forming a stable system.
The term "ecosystem" was first coined by A.J. Tansley in 1935.
Ecosystems possess basic properties, including the flow of energy, which is continuous and maintains a dynamic equilibrium.
The structure of an ecosystem consists of abiotic components (physical and chemical factors) and biotic components (producers, consumers, and decomposers).
Producers prepare food using sunlight (photoautotrophs) or chemical reactions (chemoautotrophs).
Consumers are classified as primary (herbivores), secondary (feed on primary consumers), and tertiary (feed on primary and secondary consumers).
Decomposers break down complex organic molecules into simple organic molecules, feeding on dead plants and animals.
The functions of an ecosystem include energy flow, primary and secondary production, food chains, food webs, biogeochemical cycles, and ecological successions.