Wisdom World School

Session-2022-23
Grade X Biology
Chapter-15
Our Environment

Environment: The combination of all the physical and biological conditions affecting the
responses of living organisms is called environment.

Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a self-contained unit of living things (plants, animals, and
decomposers), and their non-living environment (soil, air, and water). For example, a
forest, a pond, a lake, a green land etc.
 In an ecosystem, energy and matter are continuously exchanged between living
and non¬living components.
 An ecosystem can be both natural or man-made. Some examples of natural
ecosystems are grass land, forest, sea, river, desert, mountain, pond, lake etc.
 The desert, grass land and mountains represent the terrestrial ecosystem (land-
based ecosystem).
 The ponds, rivers, lakes, and sea represent the aquatic ecosystem (water-based
ecosystem). Man-made artificial ecosystems are garden, crop fields, park,
aquarium, etc.

Components of Ecosystem: There are two components of an ecosystem:

(i) biotic component and (ii) abiotic component.

1. Biotic component: It includes three types of organisms:

(a) Producers: All green plants, blue green algae can produce their food (Sugar and
starch) from inorganic substance using light energy (Photosynthesis). Therefore, all
green plants are called producers. They are also called autotrophs.
Planktons are very minute or microscopic organisms freely floating on the surface of
water in a pond, lake, river, or ocean. Planktons are of two types: Phytoplanktons and
Zooplanktons.

 The microscopic aquatic plants freely floating on the surface of water are called
phytoplanktons.

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  The microscopic aquatic animals freely floating on water are called zooplanktons.
The freely floating protozoa are an example of zooplankton.

(b) Consumers: They are organisms which consume other organisms or their products
as their food. All animals belong to this category. The consumers depend upon
producers for their food directly or indirectly. They get their food by eating other
organisms or their products. For example, man, goat, deer, fish, lion, cow, buffalo, etc.,
are common consumers.
The consumers can be classified into the following types:
 Herbivores.
 Carnivores.
 Parasite.
 Omnivores.

(i) Herbivores: These are organisms (animals) which get their food by eating the
producers (or plant) directly. Herbivores are also called first order consumers. Some
common examples of herbivores are: deer, rabbit, rat, squirrel, goat, cattle, etc.

(ii) Carnivores: These are organisms (animals) which consume other animals. Therefore,
carnivores feed on the flesh of herbivores. These are also called primary carnivores or
second order consumers. Some common examples are snake, wild cat, jackal, frog, some
birds, fishes, etc.
There are animals which prey upon primary carnivores. They are called second order
consumers or third order consumers. For example, owl, peacock, tiger, lion, etc., are
some second order carnivores and may be eaten by third order carnivores. The
carnivores which are not preyed upon further are called top carnivores. For example,
lion is a top carnivore.

(iii) Omnivores: The organisms which feed on both plants and animals are called
omnivores. Human beings are common example of omnivores because they eat both
plants (For example, pulses, grams, oilseeds, fruit, etc.) and animal products (milk,
meat, egg, etc.).

(c) Decomposers: Fungi and bacteria which break down (decompose) the dead plants,
animals’ complex compounds into the simpler one. The decomposers help in the
replenishment of natural resources. These are also known as microorganism or
saprotrophs. These are also called reducers.

Importance of Decomposers
 Decomposers help in disposing of the wastes and dead bodies of plants and animals.
Therefore, they clean the environment and create space for a living of newer
generations of organisms.
 The decomposers release minerals and other raw materials trapped in organic
matter. These are picked up by plants. This also helps to maintain the fertility of soil.
 The decomposers produce some acids which are useful in solubilization of some
minerals.

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  Decomposers help in recycling the materials in the biosphere so that, the process of
life may go on and on like an unending chain.

2. Abiotic Components: These are non-living components of an ecosystem. These

include the physical environment.
 Edaphic factors like soil texture, topography, water, and air.
 Inorganic substances like carbon dioxide, nitrogen, oxygen, water, phosphorus,
sodium, potassium, and calcium. These are involved in the cyclic of materials in the
ecosystem.
 Organic compounds like proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids. These largely form the
living body and link the abiotic and biotic components.

Climatic factors: These are sunlight temperature, pressure humidity, moisture, rainfall,
etc. these factors affect the distribution of the organisms.
Functions of an Ecosystem
 Ecosystem indicates available solar energy and the efficiency of an ecosystem to trap
the same.
 It gives information about the available essential minerals and their recycling
periods.
 It provides knowledge about the web of interactions and inter-relationship among the
various population as well as between the population and the abiotic environment.
 It helps human beings to know about conservation of resources, protection from
pollution and inputs required for maximizing productivity.
 In the ecosystem, two processes of energy flow and biogeochemical cycles (nutrients
movement) proceed side by side. The energy flow is unidirectional while the
movement of nutrients is cyclic.

Food Chain: The sequence of living organisms in a community in which one organism
consumes another organism to transfer food energy, is called a food chain.

Examples of Food Chains:

Simple food chain operating in a grass land or forest

Grass (Producer) → Deer (Herbivore) → Lion (Carnivore)

In this food chain, grass represent the producers (first tropic level). Grass synthesizes
their own food by the process of photosynthesis. Grass is eaten up by deer, which
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represents the herbivores or the primary consumers. Deer in turn is consumed by lion,
the carnivores, or the secondary consumers.

A food chain in grassland which has four steps is:

Grass → Insect → Frog → Snake

(Producers) (Herbivores) (Carnivores) (Secondary Carnivore)

Trophic Levels: The various steps in the food chain at which the transfer of food (or
energy) takes place is called trophic levels.

The various trophic levels are given below:

 The plant or the producers constitute the first trophic level.
 The herbivores or primary consumers form the second trophic level.
 Carnivores or secondary consumers make up the third trophic level.
 Large carnivores or the tertiary consumers which feed upon the small carnivores
constitute the fourth trophic level.

Significance of Food Chains

 The study of food chains helps in understanding food relationships and interactions
among the various organisms in an ecosystem. The food chains, transfer energy and
materials between various living components of an ecosystem.
 The food chains transfer energy and materials between various living components in
an ecosystem or biosphere.
 The food chains give dynamicity to an ecosystem or biosphere.
 The movement of toxic substances like pesticides, weedicides, etc., through food
chains, can prove very harmful.

Food Web: The inter-connected food chains

operating in an ecosystem which establish
a network of relationship between various
species, are called a food web.

In a food web, one organism may occupy a

position in more than one food chain. An
organism can obtain its food from different
sources and in turn, may be eaten up by
different types of organisms.

Flow Of Energy
Energy is used and conveyed from one trophic level to another in a food chain. This is
called flow of energy.

The flow of energy between various components of the environment has been extensively
studied and it has been found that-
 Green plants capture about 1% of the solar energy incident on the Earth through
the biochemical process of photosynthesis.
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  A part of this trapped energy is used by plants in performing their metabolic
activities and some energy is released as heat into the atmosphere.
 The remaining energy is chemical energy stored in the plants as carbohydrates.
When plants are eaten up by herbivores, the chemical energy stored in the plants
is transferred to these animals.
 These animals (herbivores) utilize some of this energy for metabolic activities,
some energy is “released as heat and the remaining energy is stored.
 The process of energy transferred is similarly repeated with carnivores and so on.
 There is a gradual decrease in the amount of energy transfer from one trophic level
to the next trophic level in a food chain.

 So only 10% of energy is transferred to next trophic level while 90% of energy is
used by present trophic level in its life processes.

Following conclusions can be drawn through extensive studies on flow of energy:

 Firstly, the flow of energy is unidirectional. The energy that is captured by the
autotrophs does not revert back to the solar input and the energy which passes to
the herbivores does not come back to autotrophs. As it moves progressively
through the various trophic levels it is no longer available to the previous level.
 Secondly, the energy available at each trophic level gets diminished progressively
due to loss of energy at each level.

Ten percent law: Ten percent law states that only 10 percent of the energy entering a
particular trophic level of organisms is available for transfer to the next higher trophic
level.

For example, suppose 1000 J of solar energy is received by green plants, then only 1% of
solar energy available on earth is utilized by plants. So only 10 J (1% of 1000 J) is
trapped by plants and the rest 990 J of energy is lost to the environment. So, plants
utilize only 10 J of energy.

Next, only 10% of the 10 J energy of plant, that is, 1 J, is available to the herbivore
animal while 9 J is lost to the environment. Again, just 10% of the 1 J of energy of
herbivore animals is utilized by carnivore animals. Thus, carnivore animals have only
0.1 J of energy while 0.9 J is lost to the environment.

Biomagnification
Biological magnification can be defined as the progressive increase in the concentration
of non-biodegradable wastes in the food chain. As there is an increase in the

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magnification at the primary level of the ecosystems, all the other levels do get affected
and the concentration may vary when compared to first level.

Example:

The contaminants might be heavy metals such as mercury, arsenic, and pesticides such
as polychlorinated biphenyls and DDT.

These substances are taken up by the organisms through the food they consume. When
the organisms in the higher food chain feed on the organisms in the lower food chain
containing these toxins, these toxins get accumulated in the higher organisms.
Let’s us have a look at the causes and consequences of biomagnification.

Causes of Biomagnification
Following are the major causes of biomagnification:

1. Agriculture
The agricultural pesticides, insecticides, fertilizers and fungicides are very toxic and are
released into the soil, rivers, lakes, and seas. These substances contain small amounts
of heavy metals such as mercury, arsenic, copper, lead and cadmium. These cause
health issues in aquatic organisms and humans.

2. Organic Contaminants
Manures and biosolids are processed industrially and contain contaminants like
pharmaceuticals and personal care products. These substances have an adverse impact
on the health of humans, animals, and wildlife.

3. Industrial Activities
The industries and factories release toxic substances that are released into the soil,
lakes, oceans, and rivers. The gaseous emissions pollute the environment which enters
into the food chain leading to biomagnification.

4. Mining Activities in the Ocean

Mining activities are carried out in the deep sea to extract metal like zinc, aluminium,
cobalt, silver and gold. The mining process generates a large amount of selenium and
sulphide, which deposits in water and destroys the oceans and coastal regions.
The level of toxicity is increased. These toxic substances are absorbed by the aquatic
organisms higher in the food chain.

Effects of Biomagnification
Following are the effects of biomagnification on living organisms and the environment:

1. Impact on Human Health

Biomagnification makes humans more prone to cancer, kidney problems, liver failure,
birth defects, respiratory disorders, and heart diseases.

*Human beings are most affected by Biomagnification because Human beings occupy
the top place of most trophic level, and we know that concentration of harmful
chemicals increase as we go above the trophic level. Therefore, human beings are most
adversely affected by biological magnification.

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2. Effects on Reproduction and Development of Marine Creatures
The toxic chemicals accumulate in the important organs of aquatic organisms that affect
their reproduction and development processes.
For eg., the shells of the eggs of the sea-birds are very thin that might get crushed by the
birds themselves during incubation. The toxic chemicals, mercury and selenium destroy
the reproductive organs of aquatic creatures.

3. Destruction of Coral Reefs

Cyanide that is used in leaching gold and fishing is the main cause of the destruction of
coral reefs. Coral reefs are the dwelling and feeding grounds for many sea creatures.
Their destruction affects the lives of many aquatic animals.

4. Disruption of Food Chain

The chemicals and toxins which are released into the water bodies disrupt the food
chain. The small organisms absorb the toxins which are eaten up by larger animals.
These toxins, thus, get accumulated in the higher level of organisms.

Environmental Problems

Depletion of Ozone Layer:

 Ozone (O3) is a gas found in upper atmosphere.

 Ozone layer is largely found in the stratosphere which is a part of our atmosphere
from 12 km -50 km above sea level.
 Ozone is deadly poisonous at the ground level.
 Ozone layer is a protective blanket around earth which absorbs most of the
harmful U.V. (Ultraviolet) radiation of the Sun, thus, protecting the living beings of
the Earth
 Ozone is formed as a result of the following photochemical reaction.

 Effects of UV radiations on earth’s ecosystem:

Exposure to UV radiations can cause many hazards like
o Exposure to UV rays may result in skin cancer.
o UV rays can cause cataract disease in eyes.
o UV rays affect plants by reducing rate of photosynthesis.
o UV rays can also cause death of many marine animals.
 If ozone layer is not there to block UV rays in earth’s atmosphere, UV rays can
cause health problems and death of many organisms leading to an imbalance in
ecosystem.
 The decline of Ozone layer thickness in Antarctica was first discovered in 1985
and was termed as OZONE HOLE.
 Cause of depletion of ozone layer:
o Excessive use of CFCs (Chloro Flouro Carbon) a synthetic, inert chemical.
o For example, Freon which are used as refrigerants and also in fire
extinguishers caused Ozone depletion in the upper atmosphere.
o A single chlorine atom can destroy 1,00,000 Ozone molecules.
 Steps taken deal with ozone hole:

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 o U.N.E.P. (United Nation Environment Programme) did an excellent job in
forging an agreement to freeze CFC production at 1986 levels (KYOTO
Protocol) by all countries.

Types of wastes

1. Biodegradable Wastes:
o Substances that are broken down by the biological processes are said to be
biodegradable.
o These substances are decomposed through the actions of fungi, bacteria, and
other living organisms.
o Temperature and sunlight also play an important role in the decomposition of
biodegradable substances.
o For Examples: Food waste, trees leaves, urine and fecal matter, sewage
agricultural residue, paper, wood, cloth, cow-dung etc.

2. Non-Biodegradable Wastes:
o Substances that are not broken down by biological
processes.
o These substances may be in solid, liquid or gaseous form.
o These substances are inert and simply persist in the environment for a long time
or may harm the various members of the ecosystem.
o For Examples: These includes DDT (Di-chloro-di phenyl trichloro ethane-in-
pheneyle the cheoro ethane), insecticides, pesticides, mercury, lead, arsenic
aluminum, plastics, polythene bags, glass, radioactive wastes.
o These non-biodegradable wastes are major pollutants of the environment.

Harmful effects of Non-Biodegradable Substance

1. The waste destroys the natural beauty and our surroundings become dirty.
2. Destruction/burning of these wastes results in the production of harmful gases
which can cause respiratory disorders.
3. These wastes may also block the drains creating pools of waste, which becomes
the breeding sites of mosquitoes. The latter is carriers of diseases like malaria and
dengue.
4. Stray animals eat these wastes due to which they can become seriously ill or even
die.
5. It become cause of death of many aquatic animals as they get struck in fishing
nets and garbage disposed in oceans.

Effect of Bio-degradable Waste on Environment

1. It generates foul odour when they decompose because of the anaerobic
fermentation.
2. These wastes may also block the drains creating pools of waste, which becomes
the breeding sites of mosquitoes. The latter is carriers of diseases like malaria and
dengue A large amount of microbial flora creates an environmental health hazard.
3. The waste destroys the natural beauty and our surroundings become dirty.

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Differences between Biodegradable and Non-Biodegradable wastes

Biodegradable wastes Non-Biodegradable wastes

1. The wastes that are broken down
1. The wastes that are not broken
naturally by microbial action.
down by the microbes.
2. Biodegradation forms harmless
2. No such action is possible.
and non- poisonous products.

3. They release raw materials back to

3. They do not release raw
nature.
materials.
4. They pollute the environment only
4. Non-biodegradable wastes pollute
when they are produced in quantity
the environment even in small
beyond the capacity of the
quantity.
environment to degrade them.
5. Bioconcentration or
5. Bioconcentration does not occur.
biomagnifications occurs when
wastes enter food chains.

6. Recycling is possible only

6. Recycling is possible both naturally
through human efforts.
or through human efforts.

Garbage Disposal: Industrialization and rise in demand of consumer goods have created
a major problem in the form of wastes/garbage accumulation and its disposal especially
in urban areas.
The disposal of waste should be done in a scientific way. There are different methods of
waste disposal. The method to be used depends on the nature of the waste. Some of the
important modes of waste disposal are:

 Incineration: Burning of waste on high temperature to form ash is called

incineration. This process is carried out in an incinerator. Incineration is used to
destroy household, chemical and biological wastes.
 Open dumping: A conventional method in which solid waste are dumped in
selected areas of a town. It actually causes pollution
 Land fillings: Wastes are dumped in low living areas and are compacted by rolling
with bulldozers
 Composting: Organic wastes are filled into a compost pit (2m × 1m × 1m). It is then
covered with a thin layer of soil. After about three months the same garbage filled
inside the pit changes into organic manure.
 Recycling: The solid wastes is broken down into its constituent simpler materials.
These materials are then used to make new items. Even non-biodegradable solid
wastes like plastic, metal can be recycled.
 Reuse: A very simple conventional technique of using an item again and again. For
example, paper can be reused for making envelops, etc…