Introduction to Environmental Science PDF

Introduction to Environmental Science Environmental science is a multidisciplinary field that studies how living organisms interact with their environment. It encompasses the natural world, human impact on the environment, and the search for solutions to environmental problems. Psyche Karren...

Introduction to Environmental Science Environmental science is a multidisciplinary field that studies how living organisms interact with their environment. It encompasses the natural world, human impact on the environment, and the search for solutions to environmental problems. Psyche Karren Ann O. Jondonero Definition and Scope of Environmental Science Environmental science encompasses the study of the Earth's atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere. It investigates the investigates the interrelationships between living organisms and their physical surroundings. Biotic Factors Abiotic Factors Human Impact Includes living organisms, such as plants, Includes non-living components like air, Examines how human activities affect the plants, animals, bacteria, and fungi. air, water, soil, sunlight, and temperature. environment, including pollution, temperature. deforestation, and climate change. Importance of Environmental Science in Daily Life Environmental science is crucial for understanding and addressing the environmental challenges. It helps in making informed decisions about people’s day to day life, from choosing sustainable products to conserving resources. 1 Clean Water 2 Healthy Air Ensures access to safe and clean water for Protects air quality, reducing respiratory water for drinking, agriculture, and problems and improving overall health. industry. 3 Climate Change Mitigation 4 Resource Management Develops strategies to reduce greenhouse Promotes sustainable use of natural greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the resources, ensuring their availability for mitigate the effects of climate change. for future generations. change. Interdisciplinary Nature of Environmental Science Environmental science integrates knowledge from various disciplines, including biology, chemistry, physics, geology, and social sciences. This interdisciplinary approach is essential for understanding complex environmental issues. Biology Ecology, biodiversity, population dynamics Chemistry Pollution, water quality, chemical cycles Physics Energy flow, climate change, atmospheric science Geology Soil science, land use, natural resource management Social Sciences Environmental policy, economics, ethics, and human behavior Ecosystem Structure An ecosystem is a complex web of living organisms and their physical environment. It is a self-sustaining unit that encompasses all interactions between living and non-living components. Levels of Ecological Organization Ecology is organized into a hierarchical structure, with each level building upon the previous one. This organization helps scientists understand the complexity of ecological systems and how they function as a whole. 1 Species (Individual) A single organism, the basic unit of ecology. 2 Population A group of individuals of the same species living in the same area. 3 Community All the populations of different species living and interacting in a particular area. 4 Ecosystem A community of organisms interacting with their physical environment. 5 Biosphere The sum of all ecosystems on Earth. Abiotic Factors and Their Influence Abiotic factors, such as temperature, light, water, and nutrients, play a crucial role in shaping the distribution and abundance of organisms within ecosystems. Each species has specific tolerances and requirements for these factors, determining its habitat and range. 1 Temperature 2 Light Affects metabolic rates, enzyme activity, and Provides energy for photosynthesis and survival. influences plant growth. 3 Water 4 Nutrients Essential for all living organisms and Support plant growth and influence the influences plant distribution. productivity of ecosystems. Limiting Factors Too much or too little of any abiotic factor can limit or prevent growth of a population, even if all other factors are at or near the optimal range of tolerance. 1 Sunlight 2 Water Insufficient sunlight can Lack of water can lead to limit plant growth and dehydration and death, photosynthesis. particularly in arid environments. 3 Nutrients 4 Temperature Deficiencies in essential Extreme temperatures, nutrients, such as whether too hot or too nitrogen and phosphorus, cold, can negatively can inhibit plant growth impact organism survival. and development. Range of Tolerance Optimal Range Zone of Stress Zone of Intolerance Conditions where organisms thrive and Conditions where organisms can Conditions that are too extreme for reproduce successfully. survive but experience physiological organisms to survive. stress and reduced growth or reproduction. Biotic Components Producers Consumers Decomposers Autotrophic organisms that create their Heterotrophic organisms that obtain Organisms that break down dead organic own food through photosynthesis, such obtain energy by consuming other organic matter and recycle nutrients as plants and algae. organisms, including herbivores, nutrients back into the ecosystem, such carnivores, and omnivores. such as fungi and bacteria. Producers Photosynthesis Energy Foundation Producers use sunlight, water, and Producers form the base of the food carbon dioxide to create their own food food chain, providing energy for all other food (glucose) and oxygen as a other organisms in the ecosystem. byproduct. Habitat Provision Oxygen Production Producers create habitats for other Producers release oxygen into the organisms, providing shelter and nesting atmosphere, which is essential for the nesting sites. the survival of most organisms. Consumers Herbivores Carnivores Omnivores Primary consumers that feed on Secondary consumers that feed Consumers that feed on both producers, such as deer, rabbits, on other animals, such as lions, plants and animals, such as bears, and insects. wolves, and sharks. pigs, and humans. Decomposers Role Description Nutrient Recycling Break down dead organic matter, releasing nutrients back into the soil for producers to use. Waste Removal Decompose waste products, preventing the accumulation of harmful substances in the environment. Soil Formation Contribute to the formation of fertile soil by breaking down organic matter into smaller particles. Detritus feeders, or detritivores : feed on the wastes or dead bodies of other organisms Ecosystem Function Ecosystem function describes the interactions between living organisms and their environment. It's a complex web of processes that keep ecosystems healthy and resilient. Energy Flow and Nutrient Cycles in Cycles in Ecosystems Ecosystems function through the interconnected processes of energy flow and nutrient cycling. cycling. Energy flows through an ecosystem in a linear fashion, while nutrients are recycled recycled continuously. 1 Producers Plants capture sunlight and convert it into chemical energy through photosynthesis. 2 Consumers Animals obtain energy by consuming producers or other consumers. 3 Decomposers Break down dead organisms and waste products, releasing nutrients back into the back into the ecosystem. Food Chain and Food Web Food Chain Food Web A food chain is a linear sequence of organisms where each organism A food web is a complex interconnected network of food chains, consumes the one below it, representing a single pathway of energy chains, depicting the intricate relationships and energy flow among transfer. among multiple organisms. Ecological Efficiency Energy Transfer Trophic Levels Only about 10% of the energy from The number of trophic levels in a from one trophic level is in a food chain is limited by the transferred to the next, with the the amount of energy available at the rest lost as heat or used for available at the base, hence the metabolism. the pyramid shape. Ecological Implications The low efficiency of energy transfer explains why ecosystems have fewer top fewer top predators compared to lower trophic levels. Biogeochemical Cycle 1 Essential Nutrients 2 Reservoirs Nutrients like carbon, nitrogen, Nutrients are stored in different phosphorus, and sulfur are different reservoirs like the essential for life and cycle through atmosphere, soil, water, and living the ecosystem. living organisms. 3 Processes 4 Human Impact Nutrient cycling involves biological, Human activities like deforestation, biological, chemical, and physical deforestation, agriculture, and physical processes that move pollution can disrupt nutrient nutrients between different cycling, leading to imbalances in reservoirs. in the ecosystem. Water Cycle Evaporation Water evaporates from bodies of water and soil, turning into water vapor. Condensation As water vapor rises, it cools and condenses into clouds. Precipitation Water falls back to Earth as rain, snow, sleet, or hail. Alteration of Water Cycle by Humans withdrawal of large quantities of freshwater from streams, lakes, and underground sources clearing vegetation from land increasing flooding  Carbon Cycles through the Biosphere - the process that moves carbon between plants, animals, and microbes; minerals in the earth; and the atmosphere Carbon Cycle Carbon moves from the atmosphere to plants. Carbon moves from plants to animals. Carbon moves from plants and animals to soils. Carbon moves from living things to the atmosphere. Carbon moves from fossil fuels to the atmosphere when fuels are burned. Carbon moves from the atmosphere to the oceans.  Nitrogen Cycles through the Biosphere - Biogeochemical process which transforms the inert nitrogen in the atmosphere to a more usable form for living organisms. Nitrogen Cycle a. Nitrogen fixation, b. Nitrification, c. Assimilation, d. Ammonification and e. Denitrification Nitrogen Cycle 1 Nitrogen Fixation Nitrogen gas is converted into ammonia by nitrogen-fixing bacteria. 2 Nitrification Ammonia is oxidized to nitrite and then nitrate by nitrifying bacteria. 3 Assimilation Plants and other organisms absorb nitrate for growth. 4 Ammonification Decomposers break down organic matter, releasing ammonia back into the soil. 5 Denitrification Denitrifying bacteria convert nitrate back into nitrogen gas, returning it to the atmosphere. Phosphorus Cycle Rock Cycle Plant Uptake Phosphorus is released from rocks Plants absorb phosphorus from the soil through weathering and erosion. and water. Food Web Decomposition Phosphorus moves through the food Decomposers release phosphorus back food web as organisms consume other back into the soil and water. other organisms. Phosphorus Cycles through the Biosphere 1. Reservoir – erosion transfers phosphorus to water and soil; sediments and rocks that accumulate on ocean floors return to the surface as a result of uplifting by geological processes 2. Assimilation – plants absorb inorganic PO43- (phosphate) from soils; animals obtain organic phosphorus when they consume plants and other animals 3. Release – plants and animals release phosphorus when they decompose; animals excrete phosphorus in their waste products The phosphorus cycle, with major harmful human impacts shown by red arrows. Sulfur Cycle Atmospheric Sulfur Soil Sulfur Sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere Sulfur is present in soil as sulfates, can react with water to form which are taken up by plants. sulfuric acid, contributing to acid rain. Human Impact Burning fossil fuels releases sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere, leading to acid rain and other environmental problems.  Sulfur Cycles through the Biosphere 1. Reservoir – underground in rocks and minerals, volcanoes, in ocean sediments, and atmosphere 2. Assimilation – plants absorb sulfate (SO4) from soils; animals obtain organic sulfur when they eat plants and other animals 3. Release – plants and animals release sulfur when they decompose; Overview of Environmental Issues and Challenges Environmental science addresses a wide range of issues that threaten our planet's health, from pollution and climate change t o climate change to biodiversity loss and resource depletion. Climate Change Global warming, rising sea levels, extreme weather events. Pollution Air, water, soil pollution, impacting human health and ecosystems. Deforestation Loss of forests, habitat destruction, and biodiversity decline. Biodiversity Loss Extinction of species, disruption of ecological balance, and ecosystem services decline. Biodiversity: Definition, Importance, and Threats Biodiversity refers to the variety of life on Earth, encompassing all living organisms and their ecosystems. Biodiversity is essential for maintaining ecosystem services, providing resources, and promoting resilience. Ecosystem Services Food and Medicine Pollination, pest control, water Source of food, medicine, and other purification, and climate regulation. valuable products. Resilience Threats to Biodiversity Ability of ecosystems to withstand Habitat loss, pollution, climate disturbances and adapt to change. change, invasive species, and overexploitation. Conservation of Biodiversity Conservation of biodiversity aims to protect and manage species, habitats, and ecosystems. It involves various approaches, from establishing protected areas to promoting sustainable practices. Habitat Protection Species Conservation International Cooperation Sustainable Practices Establishing protected areas and Focusing on threatened or Promoting environmentally managing existing ecosystems to endangered species through captive Global collaboration among responsible practices in agriculture, conserve biodiversity. breeding, habitat restoration, and governments, organizations, and forestry, and other industries. anti-poaching efforts. individuals to address transboundary environmental issues. Types of Natural Resources: Renewable vs. Non-renewable Natural resources are materials and energy sources that exist in nature and are used by humans. Renewable resources can be replenished naturally over time, while non- renewable resources are finite. 1 Renewable Resources 2 Non-renewable Resources Resources Solar energy, wind energy, Fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural hydropower, biomass, and gas), minerals, and metals. timber. Sustainable Use of Resources Sustainable use of resources aims to meet present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It emphasizes resource conservation, efficiency, and waste reduction. Renewable Energy Sustainable Urban Planning Sustainable Agriculture Shifting from fossil fuels to renewable Designing cities that are compact, walkable, Adopting practices like crop rotation, organic energy sources like solar, wind, and hydro walkable, and promote public farming, and reduced pesticide use to hydro power. transportation, reducing resource protect soil health and biodiversity. consumption and emissions.