MOST IMPORTANT TOPICS AND STUDY MATERIAL FOR

ENVIRONMENTALSTUDIES
PartA:ImportantQuestions(2marks;oneortwosentences)
1. Renewableresources
2. Nonrenewableresources
3. Ecosystem
4. Foodchain
5. Foodweb
6. Energypyramid
7. Estuary
8. Biodiversity
9. Climatechange
10. Globalwarming
11. Acidrain
12. Populationexplosion
13. AIDS
14. Infectiousdiseases
15. Environmentalhealth

PartBImportant Questions(5marks; onepagewriteup)

1. Differencebetweenrenewableandnonrenewableenergyresources
2. Structureandfunctionsof anecosystemEgAquaticEcosystem; Marineecosystemetc
3. Foodchains (elaboratewithdiagramandrelationship)
4. Grasslandecosystem(elaboratewithdiagramandrelationship)
5. Genetic,Species,EcosystemDiversity
6. HotspotsOf Biodiversity
7. ThreatsToBiodiversity
8. ConservationOfBiodiversity
9. SolidWasteManagement
10. RoleOf IndividualsInPollutionPrevention
11. DisasterManagement
12. FromUnsustainableToSustainableDevelopment
13. UrbanProblemsRelatedToEnergy
14. Climatechangeandglobalwarming
 15. EnvironmentalAndHumanHealth
16. RoleOfInformationTechnologyInEnvironmentAndHumanHealth
17. Solidwastemanagement
18. Vermicomposting
PartC: Majorquestions14marks 4pageswriteup
1. Differenttypesofnaturalresources
2. Explainaboutforestresources
3. Structureandfunctionsof anyoneof
theecosystemindetails;Mostimportantecosystemsare
(a) aquaticecosystem
(b) marineecosystem
(c) andforestecosystem.
4. Producers,ConsumersandDecomposers-Detailswithexamples
5. ValuesofBiodiversity–veryimportant
6. Threatsandconservationofbiodiversity
7. Causeeffectandcontrolmeasuresof anyoneof thepollutionindetailimportantare
(a) Waterpollution
(b) Airpollution
(c) MarinePollution
(d) Landpollution
8. Solidwastemanagement
9. DisasterManagement
IMPORTANTTOPICSANDSTUDYMATERIALFORENVIRONMENTALSTUDIES
These questions are indicative only. Not a complete list; For complete coverage,
referTextbook for Environmental Studies For Undergraduate Courses of all Branches of
HigherEducationbyErach Bharucha
PartA:ImportantQuestions(2marks;oneortwosentences)
16. Renewableresources
17. Nonrenewableresources
18. Deforestation
19. Afforestation
20. Ecosystem
21. Producer
22. Consumer
23. Decomposer
24. Foodchain
25. Foodweb
26. Energypyramid
27. Keystonespecies
28. Flagshipspecies
29. Ecologicalsuccession
30. Climax
31. Estuary
32. Biodiversity
33. Geneticdiversity
34. Biogeography
35. Endangeredspecies
36. Pollution
37. Pollutant
38. Pointsourceof pollution
39. Nonpointsourceof pollution
40. Municipalsolidwaste
41. Composting
42. Vermicomposting
43. Landslide
44. Energycrisis
45. Climatechange
46. Globalwarming
47. Acidrain
48. Ozonedepletion
 49. Consumerism
50. EnvironmentProtectionAct.
51. WildlifeProtectionAct
52. Populationexplosion
53. AIDS
54. Infectiousdiseases
55. Environmentalhealth
56. HIV

PartBImportant Questions(5marks; onepagewriteup)

19. Differencebetweenrenewableandnonrenewableenergyresources
20. ForestResources
21. EnergyResources
22. Structureandfunctionsof anecosystemEgAquaticEcosystem; Marineecosystemetc
23. Energyflow in theecosystem-Linkallthenaturalcyclessuchaswater cycle
24. Foodchains(elaboratewithdiagramandrelationship)
25. Foodwebs(elaboratewith diagramand relationship)
26. Ecologicalpyramids(elaboratewithdiagramandrelationship)
27. Grasslandecosystem(elaboratewithdiagramandrelationship)
28. Genetic,Species,EcosystemDiversity
29. Genetic,Species,EcosystemDiversity
30. BiodiversityAtGlobal,NationalAndLocalLevels
31. HotspotsOf Biodiversity
32. ThreatsToBiodiversity
33. ConservationOfBiodiversity
34. SolidWasteManagement
35. RoleOfIndividualsInPollutionPrevention
36. DisasterManagement
37. FromUnsustainableToSustainableDevelopment
38. UrbanProblemsRelatedToEnergy
39. WaterConservationExplainaboutrainwaterharvestingandwatershedman
agement
40. EnvironmentalEthics:IssuesAnd PossibleSolutions
41. Climatechangeandglobalwarming
42. Nucleardisaster
43. Anyoneof the pollutionLikeNoisepollution,marinepollutionetc
44. Roleofinformationtechnologyinenvironmentandhumanhealth
45. WastelandReclamation
46. Air(PreventionAnd ControlOf Pollution)Act
 47. Water(PreventionAndControlOf Pollution)Act
48. EnvironmentProtectionAct
49. WildlifeProtectionAct
50. ForestConservationAct
51. PopulationExplosion
52. EnvironmentalAndHumanHealth
53. Infectiousdiseases
54. Waterrelateddiseases
55. RoleOfInformationTechnologyInEnvironmentAndHumanHealth
56. Solidwastemanagement
57. Vermicomposting
58. Environmentalvalueeducation
PartC: Majorquestions14marks 4pageswriteup
10. Differenttypesofnaturalresources
11. Sustainableuseofnaturalresources
12. Conservationofnaturalresources
13. Explainaboutforestresources
14. Structure and functions of any one of the ecosystem in details; Most
importantecosystemsare
(a) aquaticecosystem
(b) marineecosystem
(c) andforestecosystem.
15. Producers,ConsumersandDecomposers-Detailswithexamples
16. Megabiodiversitycountriesand theirimportance
17. ValuesofBiodiversity–veryimportant
18. BiogeographicalclassificationofIndia
19. Threatsandconservationofbiodiversity
20. Causeeffectandcontrolmeasuresof anyoneof thepollutionindetailimportantare
(a) Waterpollution
(b) Airpollution
(c) MarinePollution
(d) Landpollution
21. Solidwastemanagement
22. DisasterManagement
23. Unsustainabletosustainabledevelopment
24. Waterconservation
25. Climateandchangeandeffectonenvironment
26. Populationgrowthandeffectonenvironment
27. AlltheActsrelatedtoenvironment.Questionmayhavesubdivisions
28. A case study may be given; For example you may have to provide a solution for
arealtime environmentalproblem
29. Roleof ITindisastermanagement
30. Roleofindividualinpreventionandcontrolofenvironmentalpollution
 ANSWERS
1. Renewableresources
Arenewableresourceisanorganicnaturalresourcewhichcanreplenishtoovercome
usage and consumption, either through biological reproduction or
othernaturallyrecurringprocesses. Egfoodgrains
2. Nonrenewableresources
A non-renewable resource (also called a finite resource) is a resource that
doesnot renew itself at a sufficient rate for sustainable economic extraction
inmeaningfulhuman time-frames. Eg-Petrol
3. Deforestation
Deforestation is the permanent destruction of forests in order to make the
landavailablefor other uses
4. Afforestation
Afforestationistheestablishment ofaforestor standoftrees inan
areawheretherewas noforest
5. Ecosystem
Anecosystem is acommunityof livingorganisms (plants, animals andmicrobes)in
conjunction with the nonliving components of their environment (things
likeair,water and mineralsoil), interactingasasystem. EgMarineecosystem
6. Producer
Producers are organisms that can make their own energy through
biochemicalprocesses (aprocessinlivingthings thatinvolves
7. Consumer chemicalreactions).EgPlants

Consumersareorganismsofanecologicalfoodchainthatreceiveenergybyconsumingot
herorganisms. EgAnimals
8. Decomposer
Decomposers are organisms that break down dead or decaying organisms, and
indoingso,carryout thenaturalprocessof decompositionEg.Earthworms,
bacteriamushrooms
9. Foodchain
A food chain is a linear sequence of links in a food web starting from
"producer"species (such as grass or trees) and ending at apex predator species
(like grizzlybearsorkillerwhales)ordecomposerspecies (suchas fungior bacteria).
10. Foodweb
A food web (or food cycle) is the natural interconnection of food chains
andgenerally a graphical representation (usually an image) of what-eats-what in
anecologicalcommunity.
11. Energypyramid
 An energy pyramid is a graphical model of energy flow in a community.
Thedifferent levels represent different groups of organisms that might compose a
foodchain
12. Keystonespecies
A keystone species is a species that has a disproportionately large effect on
itsenvironment relative to its abundance. Such species are described as playing
acritical role in maintaining the structure of an ecological community,
affectingmany other organisms in an ecosystem and helping to determine the
types andnumbersof various otherspeciesin thecommunity.Egtiger
13. Flagshipspecies
Theflagshipspeciesconceptholdsthatby raising theprofileofaparticularspecies, it
can successfully leverage more support for biodiversity conservation atlargein a
particular context.
14. Ecologicalsuccession
Ecologicalsuccessionistheobservedprocessof
changeinthespeciesstructureofanecological communityover time.
15. Climax
In ecology, climax community, or climatic climax community, is a historic
termthat expressed a biological community of plants and animals and fungi
which,through the process of ecological succession the development of vegetation
in anareaover time, hadreached asteadystate.
16. Estuary
Anestuaryisa bodyof waterformedwherefreshwaterfrom
riversandstreamsflowsinto the ocean, mixingwith theseawater.
17. Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the variety of different types of life found on earth. It is a
measureofthevarietyof organisms present in different ecosystems.
18. Geneticdiversity
Geneticdiversity referstothetotalnumberof genetic
characteristicsinthegeneticmakeup of aspecies.
19. Biogeography
Biogeography isthestudyofthedistributionof species and ecosystems
ingeographicspaceand throughgeological time.
20. Endangeredspecies
An Endangeredspecies is a species which has been categorized bythe
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List as likely
tobecome extinct.
21. Pollution
Pollution istheintroductionof contaminants
intothenaturalenvironmentthatcausesadverse change.
22. Pollutant

A'pollutantisasubstanceorenergyintroducedintotheenvironmentthathasundesiredeff
ects, or adverselyaffects theusefulness of aresource.
23. Pointsourceof pollution
A point source of pollution is a single identifiable
sourceofair, water,thermal, noiseorlight pollution.
24. Nonpointsourceof pollution
Non-pointsource(NPS)pollution referstobothwaterand airpollution fromdiffuse
sources.Althoughthese pollutantshave originated from a point source,the long-
range transport ability and multiple sources of the pollutant make it anon-
pointsourceof pollution.
25. Municipalsolidwaste
Municipal solid waste includes commercial and residential wastes generated in
amunicipal or notified area in either solid or semi-solid form excluding
industrialhazardouswastes but includingtreated bio-medical wastes
26. Composting
Composting
involvescollectingorganicwaste,suchasfoodscrapsandyardtrimmings,andstoringitu
nderconditionsdesignedtohelpitbreakdownnaturally.This resultingcompost
canthen beusedas anaturalfertilizer.
27. Vermicomposting
Vermicompost istheproductorprocessof composting usingvarious worms,usually
red wigglers, white worms,and other earthworms to createa
heterogeneous
mixtureofdecomposingvegetableorfoodwaste,beddingmaterials,andvermicast.
The process of producing vermicompost iscalledvermicomposting.
28. Landslide
Landslide, also known as a landslip, is a geological phenomenon that includes
awide range of ground movements, such as rock falls, deep failure of slopes
andshallowdebris flows.
29. Energycrisis
Anenergycrisisisanygreat bottleneck (or price rise) in the
supplyofenergyresources to aneconomy.
30. Climatechange
Climate change is a change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns
whenthat changelastsforanextended period oftime (i.e., decades
tomillionsofyears).
31. Globalwarming
 Global warming is the term used to describe a gradual increase in the
averagetemperature of the Earth's atmosphere and its oceans, a change that is
believed tobepermanentlychanging the Earth'sclimate.
32. Acidrain
Acidrain is caused byachemicalreactionthatbeginswhencompoundslikesulfur
dioxide and nitrogen oxides are released into the air. These substances canrise
very high into the atmosphere, where they mix and react with water,
oxygen,andotherchemicals to formmore acidicpollutants, known as acid rain.
33. Ozonedepletion
Ozone depletion is the steady decline of ozone in Earth's stratosphere (the
ozonelayer),dueto pollutants
34. Consumerism
Consumerism refers to protection or promotion of the interests of consumers.
Thegrowth of consumerism has led to many organizations improving their service
tothecustomer.
35. EnvironmentProtectionAct.
TheEnvironment(Protection)Act wasenactedin1986withtheobjectiveofproviding
for the protection and improvement of the environment.The Act waslast amended
in 1991.It empowers the Central Government to establish authoritiesto tackle
specific environmental problems that are peculiar to different parts of thecountry.
36. WildlifeProtectionAct
The Government enacted Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 with the objective
ofeffectivelyprotectingthewildlifeofthiscountryandtocontrolpoaching,smuggling
and illegal trade in wildlife and its derivatives. The Act was amendedin
January2003.

37. Populationexplosion
A rapid increase in the size of a population orthe
geometric expansion of a biological
populationcausedbysuchfactorsasasuddendeclinein infantmortalityoranincreasein
lifeexpectancy.
38. AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of
conditionscaused by Human immunodeficiency virus infection. It is a sexually
transmitteddisease
39. Infectiousdiseases
Infectiousdiseases,alsoknownas transmissiblediseases
orcommunicablediseases,arecausedbypathogenicmicroorganisms,suchasbacteria,
viruses,
 parasitesorfungi;thediseasescanbespread,directlyorindirectly,fromonepersonto
another.
40. Environmentalhealth
Environmentalhealth isthebranchofpublichealththatisconcernedwithallaspectsof
thenatural and builtenvironment thatmayaffecthumanhealth.
PartBImportantQuestions (4marks;half a pagetoonepage writeup)
1. Differencebetweenrenewableandnonrenewableenergyresources
Define-Renewable Energy and non renewable energy, Advantages of
RenewableSources,DisadvantagesofRenewableSources,AdvantagesofNonRenewableSo
urces,Disadvantagesof Non RenewableSources.

RenewableEnergy nonrenewable energy

Renewable energy is energy which Renewableenergyisenergywhichistakenfro

isgenerated from natural sources i.e. m the sources that are available on theearth
sun,wind,rain,tidesandcanbegeneratedagain in limited quantity and will vanishfifty-
andagain as and whenrequired. sixty years from now. Non-
renewablesources are not environmental
friendly andcanhaveseriousaffect on
ourhealth.

They are available in plenty and by They are called non-renewable

farmostthe cleanestsourcesof becausethey can be re-generated within a
energyavailable on this planet. For e.g., shortspan of time Non-renewable sources
Energythatwereceivefromthesuncanbeused existin the form of fossil fuels, natural
togenerate electricity. Similarly, energy gas oilandcoal.
fromwind, geothermal, biomass from
plants,tides can be used this form of
energy toanotherform.

AdvantagesofRenewableSources: DisadvantagesofNonRenewableSources:
1. The sun, wind, geothermal, ocean 1. Non-
energyare available in the abundant renewablesourceswillexpiresomeday and
quantity andfreeto use. we have to us our endangeredresources to
create more non-
2. The non-renewable sources of
renewablesourcesofenergy.
energythatweareusingarelimitedandarebou
ndtoexpireoneday. 2. Thespeedatwhichsuchresourcesarebei
ng utilized can have
3. Renewable sources have low
carbonemissions,thereforetheyareconsider seriousenvironmentalchanges.
edas 3. Non-renewablesourcesreleasetoxic
greenand environmentfriendly. gasesintheairwhenburntwhicharethemajorca
4. Renewable helps in stimulating useforglobal warming.
theeconomy and creating job 4.Sincethesesources
opportunities.The money that is used to aregoingtoexpiresoon, prices of these
build theseplants can provide jobs to sources are soaringdaybyday.
thousands tolakhsofpeople.
5. You don’t have to rely on any
thirdcountryforthesupplyofrenewablesourc
esasin caseofnon-renewable sources.
6. Renewable sources can cost less
thanconsuming
thelocalelectricalsupply.Inthe long run, the
prices of electricity
areexpectedtosoarsincetheyarebasedonthep
rices of crude oil, so renewable
sourcescancutyourelectricitybills.
7. Various tax incentives in the form of
taxwaivers, credit deductions are available
forindividuals and businesses who want to
gogreen.

DisadvantagesofRenewableSources: AdvantagesofNonRenewableSources:
1. Itisnoteasytosetup 1. Non-renewable sources are cheap
aplantastheinitialcosts arequitesteep. andeasytouse.Youcaneasilyfillup
2. Solar energy can be used during the yourcartankandpoweryourmotorvehicle.
daytimeand not duringnightorrainyseason. 2. You can use small amount of
3. Geothermalenergywhichcanbeusedtogen nuclearenergytoproducelargeamountofpo
erate electricity has side effects too. wer.
Itcanbringtoxicchemicalsbeneaththeearthsu 3. They are considered as cheap
rface onto the top and can whenconvertingfromonetypeofenergy
createenvironmentalchanges. toanother.
4. Hydroelectric provide pure form
ofenergy but building dams across the
riverwhichisquiteexpensivecanaffectnatur
alflowand affect wildlife.
5. Tousewindenergy,youhavetorelyonstro
ngwindsthereforeyou havetochoose
 suitablesitetooperatethem.Also,theycanaffe
ct birdpopulationastheyarequitehigh.

2. ForestResources
Forestresources:
 Useand over-exploitation,
 Deforestation-casestudies,
 Timberextraction,
 Mininganddams,
 Theireffectson forestandtribalpeople,
 ForestConservationAct.
3. EnergyResources
Energyresources:
 Growingenergyneeds,
 renewableandnonrenewable energysources,
 useof alternateenergysources,
 Casestudies.
4. Structure and functions of an ecosystem Eg Aquatic Ecosystem; Marine
ecosystemetc
Structural aspects- Inorganic aspects – C, N, CO2, H2O, Organic compounds –
Protein,Carbohydrates,Lipids ,link abiotic to biotic aspects, Climatic regimes–
Temperature,Moisture,Light & Topography, Producers – Plants, Macro consumers –
Phagotrophs –LargeAnimals, Microconsumers–Saprotrophs, absorbers– fungi.
FunctionalaspectsEnergycycles-Foodchains,Diversity-
interlinkagesbetweenorganisms,Nutrientcycles-biogeochemical cycles,Evolution.
E,g-AquaticEcosystem;Marineecosystem,etc.
5. Energyflow in theecosystem-Linkallthenaturalcyclessuchaswater cycle
 Thewatercycle,
 TheCarboncycle,
 TheOxygencycle,
 TheNitrogencycle,
 Theenergycycle,
 Integrationofcyclesinnature.
6. Foodchains (elaboratewithdiagramandrelationship)
 Foodchainisaseriesofgroupsoforganismscalledtrophiclevels,inwhich,thereisrepeated
eatingandeatenbyso as to transfer foodenergy
Componentsof aFood Chain:
Plants-'base' of thefoodchain,
Herbivores-feedon plants;manyareadaptedto liveon adiet
highincelluloseOmnivores-feed on both plants and animals
Carnivores-feedonherbivores,omnivores,&othercarnivores
o lstlevelcarnivore-feeds onherbivores
o 2ndlevelcarnivore- feedson1stlevel carnivores

 Decomposers
o the'final'consumer group
o useenergyavailable indeadplants andanimals
o transformorganicmaterialintoinorganicmaterial
 elaboratewithdiagramandrelationship
 Eg;-grazingfoodchain-grasslandecosystemGrass→Rabbit→Fox→Wolf→Tiger,etc.

7. Foodwebs (elaboratewith diagramand relationship)

A food web (or food cycle) is the natural interconnection of food chains and generally
agraphicalrepresentation(usuallyanimage)ofwhat-eats-whatinan ecologicalcommunity.
 Taxonomyofafoodweb-Trophiclevels,Trophicdynamics,
Energyflowandbiomass,Foodchain,Ecological pyramids
 Materialfluxandrecycling
 Kindsoffoodwebs
elaboratewithdiagramandrelationship

8. Ecologicalpyramids(elaboratewithdiagramandrelationship)
An ecological pyramid (also trophic pyramid, energy pyramid, or sometimes
foodpyramid) is a graphical representation designed to show the biomass or
biomassproductivityat each trophic level in agiven ecosystem.
 Primary producers, Primary consumers, Secondary consumers,
tertiaryconsumers.
9. Grasslandecosystem(elaboratewithdiagramandrelationship)
 Define-grasslandecosystem,
 GrasslandTypesinIndia,
 Threatstograsslandecosystems,
 Conservationofgrasslandecosystems.

10. Genetic,Species,EcosystemDiversity
 Genetic -gene pool diversity,Importance of genetic diversity,Survival
andadaptation,Agricultural relevance, Farm animal biodiversity, Coping with
poorgeneticdiversity,Measures ofgeneticdiversity
 Species-Alphadiversity, Betadiversity,Gammadiversity.
 EcosystemDiversity-
TypesofBiodiversity,Importanceofecosystembiodiversity.

11. BiodiversityAtGlobal,NationalAndLocalLevels
 Conservativeestimates, speciesoccuronland,freshandmarinewaters,
 Greater efficiency in use of land, energy and fresh water to meet
growingdemand,
 Useofmarket incentivesand avoidanceof perversesubsidies,
 Strategicplanning,
 Restorationofecosystems,
 Equitablesharingofbenefitsfromuseofandaccesstogeneticresourcesandassocia
tedtraditional knowledge ,
 Supportandfacilitatelocalaction,
 Communication,educationandawareness-raising.
12. HotspotsOf Biodiversity
 Definehotspotsofbiodiversity,
 Initiativesforconservationofbiodiversity,
 Distributionbyregions,
 Criticsofhotspotsof biodiversity..

13. ThreatsToBiodiversity
 HabitatLoss/Destruction/Fragmentation
 InvasiveNon-NativeSpecies
  Pollution/Litter
 LandUseChange/IncreasedInfrastructureDevelopment
 IntensiveFarmingPractices
 ClimateChange
14. ConservationOfBiodiversity
 BiologicalResources,
 EcosystemServices,
 Species-BasedConservation
 Threatenedspecies
 Ecologicallyimportantspecies
 Speciesusefultohumans
 Specieswithnon-usevalue.
15. SolidWasteManagement
 Generationofwaste
 Wasteminimization
 Wasteremoval
 Wastetransportation
 Wastetreatment
 Recyclingandreuse
 Storage, collection,transport,andtransfer
 Treatment
 Landfilldisposal
 Environmentalconsiderations
 Financialandmarketingaspects
 Policyand regulation
 Educationandtraining
 Planningand implementation.

16. RoleOfIndividualsInPollutionPrevention
 Recycling,
 Preventinghazardousmaterialsfromreachingwaterways,
 Makinginformedchoices topreventwasteandpollution,
 Controlofenvironmentalpollution,
 Conservationofnaturalresources,
  Landmanagement,
 Developmentof nonpollutingsourcesof energy,
 Environmentaleducation,
 Environmentallaws.
17. DisasterManagement
 Prevention,
 Mitigation,
 Preparedness,
 LocalEmergencyPlanningCommittees,
 Preparednessmeasures,
 Response,
 Recovery.
18. FromUnsustainableToSustainableDevelopment
 SustainableDevelopment,
 CausesforUnsustainable Development.
 Truesustainabledevelopment,
 MeasuresforsustainableDevelopment,
 SocialissuesandEnvironment.
19. UrbanProblemsRelatedToEnergy
 Energy is the basis of all activity. Without energy, nothing moves nor
transforms;and so a sustainable society can only exist based on a sustainable
energy system.Though highly concentrated formsof energy found innature allow
the free timeto make ever more sophisticated tools, their use is not sustainable.
The practice
ofextractingnaturallyconcentratedenergycauses4interrelatedfundamentalproblems:
 Disruptingnatural energyflows,
 Depletion,
 Centralization,
 Resourcewars.
20. WaterConservationExplainaboutrainwaterharvestingandwatershedman
agement
Strategies,Social solutions, Household applications, Commercial applications,
Agriculturalapplications, Minimum water network target and design- rain water harvesting
and watershedmanagement.
21. EnvironmentalEthics: IssuesAnd PossibleSolutions
 Environmentaldestruction is largelycaused bytheconsumption ofthe rich.
 Theworstsufferers ofenvironmental destructionarethepoor.

Evenwherenatureisbeing‘recreated’,asinafforestation,itisbeingtransformedawayfr
om theneeds of thepoorand towards thoseof therich.
 Evenamong thepoor,theworstsufferersarethemarginalizedculturesandoccupations.
 Therecannotbepropereconomicandsocialdevelopmentwithoutaholisticunderstandin
g
of societyand nature.
 If we care for the poor, we cannot allow the Gross Nature Product to be
destroyedanyfurther. Conservingand recreatingnaturehasbecome ourhighest
priority.
 Gross Nature Product will be enhanced only if we can arrest and reverse
thegrowing
alienation between the people and the common property resources. In this we
willhave
tolearnalotfromour traditionalcultures.
 It is totally inadequate to talk only of sustainable rural development, as the
WorldConservation Strategy does. We cannot save the rural environment or rural
peopledependenton it,unless wecan bringaboutsustainable urbandevelopment.

22. Climatechangeandglobalwarming
Themeaningof'climatechange'isfairlystraightforward—
aclear,sustainedchange(overseveraldecadesorlonger)inthecomponentsofclimate,suchaste
mperature, precipitation, atmospheric pressure, or winds. Such changes must constitutea
clear trend, and be clearly distinguished from the small random variation in
theseparameters that takes place all the time. Climate may change in a single region or
acrossthe whole planet. Throughout earth's history, climates have changed. The causes
arevarious. Change can be brought about by a variety of factors. These include
naturalexternal factors, such as changes in solar emission or slow changes in the earth's
orbit; ornatural internal processes of the climate or earth system such as volcanic activity;
or, ashas occurred recently, human-induced (anthropogenic) factors. To help separate out
thedifference between human-induced and natural factors, the United Nations
FrameworkConventiononClimateChange(UNFCCC)usestheterm'climatechange'toreferto
 changes that can be attributed to human activity that has changed the composition of
theatmosphereand,thereby,thefunctioningoftheearth'sclimatesystem.TheUNFCCCuses the
term 'climate variability' to refer to natural alterations in the earth's climate.Global
warming (which is not considered a technical term) refers to an increase in theaverage
temperature at the surface of the earth, or the lower part of the atmosphere.
Mostclimatologists consider that the global warming that we are now experiencing is
mainlythe result of human actions changing the composition of the atmosphere. However,
globalwarming and cooling have occurred naturally throughout the history of the earth, as
aresult of natural climate variability. Such changes in the past were usually much
slowerthan the rate of warming that has occurred in the last few decades. The increase in
globaltemperatures measured over recent decades, if it continues, has the potential to
seriouslydisrupt many of the environmental, economic and urban structures upon which
humansocietydepends.Whilstitispossiblethatsomeofthiswarmingmayhaveanaturalcause,
there is mounting evidence that human activity is responsible for most of themeasured
warming. The principal contributor to the present phase of global warming
isconsideredtobetheenhancementofthenaturalgreenhouseeffect.Globalsurfacewarming is
just one consequence of the changes to the climate being caused by humanactivity. The
various components of the climate and earth system are inextricably
linkedthroughcomplexfeedbackmechanisms,andachangeinonecomponentsuchastemperatu
re willinduce changes andadjustments in other components.Other changesthat have either
already been observed or are projected to occur as a result of humanactivity include sea
level rise; changes in rainfall patterns; increases in extreme weatherevents; decreases in
icemass of glaciers, ice sheetsand sea ice; ocean warming andacidification;changes
inoceancirculation;anddryingof theland.
23. Nucleardisaster
 Nuclearpower plantaccidents,
 Nuclearreactorattacks
 Radiationandother accidentsandincidents
 Worldwidenuclear testingsummaryTraffickingand thefts
 Accidentcategories,
 Nuclearsafety
24. Anyoneof thepollution LikeNoisepollution,marinepollutionetc
Marinepollution
 Pollutionduetoorganic wastes,
 Controlmeasures,
  Primarytreatment,
 Secondarytreatment,
 Pollution dueto oil,
 Controlmeasuresforoilpollution,
 Effectsofmarinepollution.
25. Roleofinformationtechnologyinenvironmentandhumanhealth
 Definitions
 Environmentalhealthprofession
 Disciplines
 Concerns
 Information
 Mapping
26. WastelandReclamation
 Methodsofreclamation
 Habitation
 Agriculture
 Beachrestoration
 Landfill
 Environmentalimpact
 Dangers
 Landamountsadded
27. Air(PreventionAnd ControlOf Pollution)Act
 Toprovide forthePrevention,Control andabatementofair pollution.
 ToprovidefortheestablishmentofcentralandStateBoardswithaviewtoimplementtheAct.
 ToconferontheBoardsthepowerstoimplementtheprovisionsoftheActandassigntotheBoards
functions relatingto pollution.
28. Water(PreventionAndControlOfPollution)Act
 Provide for prevention, control and abatement of water pollution and the maintenance
orrestoration of the wholesomeness of water. It is designed to assess pollution levels
andpunish polluters. The Central Government and State Governments have set up
PollutionControlBoards that monitor waterpollution.
FunctionsofthePollutionControlBoards
 The Government hasgiven the necessary powers to the PCBs to deal with the problemsof
water pollutioninthe country.The Governmenthasalsosuggestedpenaltiesforviolation of
the provisions of the Act. Central and State water testing laboratories
havebeensetuptoenabletheBoardstoassesstheextentofwaterpollutionandstandardshavebeen
laid down to establish guiltand default.
29. EnvironmentProtectionAct
EnvironmentProtection Act,1986 isan Act of the Parliament ofIndia.In the wake ofthe
Bhopal Tragedy, the Government of Indiaenacted the Environment Protection Act of1986
under Article 253 of the Constitution. The purpose of the Act is to implement
thedecisionsofthe UnitedNationsConferenceontheHumanEnvironmentstheyrelatetothe
protection and improvement of the human environment and the prevention of hazardsto
human beings, other living creatures, plants and property. The Act is an
“umbrella”legislation designed to provide a framework for central government
coordination of theactivities of various central and state authorities established under
previous laws, such astheWaterAct and theAir Act.
 Toco-ordinatetheactivitiesofthevariousregulatoryagenciesalreadyinexistence.
 Creation of an authority or authorities with adequate powers for
environmentalprotection.
 Regulation of discharge of environmental pollutants and handling of
hazardoussubstance.
 Speedyresponseintheeventofaccidentsthreateningenvironmentalanddeterrents
punishment to those who endanger human environment, safety andhealth.
30. WildlifeProtectionAct
The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted for
protectionofplantsand animalspecies.Before1972,Indiaonlyhadfivedesignated nationalparks.
Among other reforms, the Act established schedules of protected plant and animal
species;huntingor harvestingthesespecies waslargelyoutlawed. TheAct providesforthe
protectionof wild animals, birds and plants; and for matters connected therewith or ancillary
orincidentalthereto.It extends tothe whole ofIndia,except theState
ofJammuandKashmirwhichhasitsownwildlifeact.Ithassixschedules whichgivevarying
degrees of protection. Schedule I and part II of Schedule II provide
absoluteprotection-offencesunder these areprescribed thehighestpenalties.Species
listed
inSchedule IIIandSchedule IVarealsoprotected,butthepenaltiesaremuch
lower. Schedule V includes the animals which may be hunted. The plants in Schedule VI
areprohibitedfromcultivation andplanting. Thehuntingto theEnforcement
authoritieshavethepowertocompound offencesunderthis Schedule (i.e. theyimposefines
ontheoffenders).
UptoApril2010 therehavebeen 16convictionsunderthis actrelatingtothe deathoftigers.
 animal"includes
amphibians,birds,mammals,andreptiles,andtheiryoung,andalsoincludes,in thecases
ofbirds andreptiles, their eggs.
 "animalarticle"meansan articlemade from anycaptiveor
wildanimal,otherthanvermin, and includes an article or object in which the whole
or any part of suchanimalhas been used andan article madetherefrom.
 "hunting"includes
 capturing,killing,poisoning,snaring,or trappinganywildanimal,
andeveryattempt to do so
 drivinganywildanimal for anyof thepurposesspecified insub clause
 injuring, destroyingor takinganybodypart ofanysuchanimal, or inthe
case of wild birds or reptiles, disturbing or damaging the eggs
ornestsof such birds orreptiles.
 "taxidermy"meansthecuring,preparationorpreservationoftrophies.
 "trophy" means the whole or any part of any captive or wild animal (other
thanvermin)whichhasbeenkeptorpreserved byanymeans,
whetherartificialornatural.This includes:
o rugs,skins,andspecimensofsuchanimals
mountedinwholeorinpartthroughaprocess of taxidermy
o antler,horn,rhinoceroshorn,feather,nail,tooth,musk,eggs,andnests.
 "uncured trophy" means the whole or any part of any captive animal (other
thanvermin) which has not undergone a process of taxidermy. This includes a
freshlykilledwild animal, ambergris, muskand otheranimal products.
 "vermin"meansanywildanimal specifiedin Schedule V.
 "wildlife"includesanyanimal, bees,butterflies,crustacean,fish
andmoths;andaquaticor land vegetation which forms partof anyhabitat
 31. ForestConservationAct
The IndianForestAct,1927 waslargelybasedonpreviousIndianForestActsimplemented
under the British. The most famous one was the Indian Forest Act of 1878.Both the 1878
act and the 1927 one sought to consolidate and reserve the areas havingforest cover, or
significant wildlife, to regulate movement and transit of forest produce,and duty leviable
on timber and other forest produce. It also defines the procedure to befollowed for
declaring an area to be a Reserved Forest, a Protected Forest or a VillageForest. It defines
what is a forest offence, what are the acts prohibited inside a ReservedForest,and
penalties leviable on violation of theprovisions of theAct.
 ReservedForest
 ProtectedForest
 VillageForest
32. Waterrelateddiseases
Waterborne diseases are caused by pathogenic microorganisms that most commonly
aretransmittedincontaminatedfreshwater.Infectioncommonly
resultsduringbathing,washing, drinking, in the preparation of food, or the consumption of
food thus
infected.Variousformsofwaterbornediarrhealdiseaseprobablyarethemostprominentexampl
es, and affect mainly children in developing countries; according to the
WorldHealthOrganization,suchdiseasesaccountforan estimated 4.1% of thetotal DALY
globalburdenofdisease,andcauseabout1.8millionhumandeathsannually.TheWorldHealthO
rganizationestimatesthat88%ofthatburdenisattributableto unsafewater supply, sanitation
andhygiene.
 Socioeconomicimpact
 Protozoalinfections
 Parasiticinfections
 Bacterialinfections
 Viralinfections
 AlgalInfections
PartC: Majorquestions14marks 4pageswriteup
1. Differenttypesofnaturalresources
Renewableandnon-renewableresources:
Naturalresourcesandassociatedproblems.
a) Forestresources:Useandover-
exploitation,deforestation,casestudies.Timberextraction,mining, dams andtheir effects
onforestand tribalpeople.
 b) Waterresources:Useandover-
utilizationofsurfaceandgroundwater,floods,drought,conflicts overwater, dams-benefits
and problems.
c) Mineral resources : Use and exploitation, environmental effects of extracting and
usingmineralresources, casestudies.
d) Foodresources:Worldfoodproblems,changescausedbyagricultureandovergrazing,
effects of modern agriculture, fertilizer-pesticide problems, water
logging,salinity,casestudies.
e) Energyresources:Growingenergy needs,renewableandnonrenewableenergysources,use
of alternateenergysources. Casestudies.
f) Land resources : Land as a resource, land degradation, man induced landslides,
soilerosionand desertification.

2. Conservationofnaturalresources
Conservationofnaturalresources,isthewiseuse
oftheearth'sresourcesbyhumanity.Thevarious approaches appliedto natural resource
management include:
Top-down(commandandcontrol)
Community-
basednaturalresourcemanagementAdaptivemana
gement
Precautionaryapproach
Integrated natural resource
managementBiodiversityConservationP
recautionaryBiodiversityManagementC
oncrete "policytools"
Landmanagement
1. "EcosystembasedManagement"including"morerisk-
averseandprecautionarymanagement",where "given prevailing uncertainty regarding ecosystem
structure, function, and inter-specificinteractions, precaution demands an ecosystem rather than
single-species approach tomanagement".
2. "Adaptivemanagement"is "amanagement approachthat expresslytacklesthe
uncertaintyanddynamismof complexsystems".
3. "Environmental impact assessment" and exposure ratings decrease the "uncertainties"
ofprecaution,even though it has deficiencies, and
4. "Protectionistapproaches",which"mostfrequentlylinksto"biodiversityconservationinnatur
alresources management.
3. Structure and functions of any one of the ecosystem in details; Most
importantecosystemisaquaticecosystem,marineecosystemand forestecosystem.
Componentsthatmakeupthestructuralaspectsofanecosysteminclude:
1) Inorganicaspects –C,N,CO2,H2O.
2) Organic compounds – Protein, Carbohydrates, Lipids – link abiotic
tobioticaspects.
3) Climaticregimes–Temperature,Moisture,Light&Topography.
4) Producers–Plants.
5) Macro consumers–Phagotrophs–Largeanimals.
6) Microconsumers–Saprotrophs,absorbers–fungi.
Functionalaspects
1) Energycycles.
2) Foodchains.
3) Diversity-interlinkagesbetweenorganisms.
4) Nutrientcycles-biogeochemicalcycles.
5) Evolution.
4. Producers,ConsumersandDecomposers-Detailswithexamples
Plants are the ‘producers’ in the ecosystem as they manufacture their food by using energy
fromthe sun.
Primaryproducersareorganismsinanecosystemthatproducebiomassfrominorganiccompounds(auto
trophs).Inalmostallcasesthesearephotosyntheticallyactiveorganisms(plants,cyanobacteriaandanu
mberofotherunicellularorganisms;seearticleonphotosynthesis).
Consumers are organisms of an ecological food chain that receive energy by consuming
otherorganisms. These organisms are formally referred to as heterotrophs, which include
animals,bacteriaandfungus.Suchorganismsmayconsumeby
variousmeans,includingpredation,parasitization,and biodegradation.
Consumers dominate mostof a food chain.Consumers have importantroles
toplaywithinanecosystemsuchasbalancing the foodchainby keeping
animalpopulationsatareasonablenumber.Withoutproperbalance,anecosystemcancollapseandcause
thedeclineof
allaffectedspecies.Thiswillleadtoaseverelydisruptedecosystem,andanonfunctionalconsumerweb.

TypesofConsumers
Herbivores
Carnivores
Omnivores

Decomposersareorganismsthatbreakdowndeadordecayingorganisms,andindoingso,carryoutthenat
ural process ofdecomposition.
Likeherbivoresandpredators,decomposersareheterotrophic,meaningthattheyuseorganicsubstratest
o gettheir energy,carbonand nutrientsfor growthand development.
Decomposerscanbreakdowncellsofotherorganismsusingbiochemicalreactionsthatconvertthepreyt
issue intometabolicallyusefulchemicalproducts, withoutneed forinternaldigestion.
Decomposersusedeadorganismsandnon-livingorganiccompoundsastheirfood source.
Decompositionthusisavitalfunctioninnature,aswithoutthis,allthenutrientswouldbetiedupin dead
matterand nonew lifecould be produced.

5. Megabiodiversitycountriesand theirimportance

CountrieswithdiversitieshigherthanIndiaarelocatedinSouthAmericasuchasBrazil,and
SouthEastAsiancountriessuchasMalaysiaandIndonesia.Thespeciesfoundinthesecountries,
however,aredifferentfromourown.Thismakesitimperativetopreserveourownbiodiversity
asamajoreconomicresource.Whilefewoftheother‘megadiversitynations’havedeveloped
the technologytoexploittheir speciesforbiotechnologyandgeneticengineering,Indiaisapable
ofdoingso.
World Heritage Convention attempt to protect and support such areas. India is a
signatorytotheconventionand hasincludedseveral protectedAreasas WorldHeritagesites.
 INDIAASAMEGADIVERSITY NATION

Among the biologically rich nations, India stands among the top 10 or 15 countries for
itsgreatvarietyof plants and animals, manyof which arenot found elsewhere.
India has 350 different mammals (rated eight highest in the world), 1,200 species of
birds(eighth in the world), 453 species of reptiles (fifth in the world) and 45,000 plant
species,ofwhich most are angiosperms, (fifteenth in the world).
These include especially high species diversity of ferns (1022 species) and orchids
(1082species).
India has 50,000 knownspecies of insects, including 13,000 butterflies and
moths.Itisestimatedthatthenumberofunknownspeciescouldbeseveraltimeshigher.
Itisestimatedthat18%ofIndianplantsareendemictothecountryandfoundnowhereelsein
theworld.

6. ValuesofBiodiversity–veryimportant
Consumptiveusevalue: Thedirect utilisation oftimber, food,fuel wood,fodder
bylocalcommunities.EgFishing
Productiveusevalue:Marketablegoods-Herbaldrugs,Honeyetc
BiologicalprospectingorBioprospecting:identifyingcompoundsof greateconomicvaluefromthe
wide varietyof living organisms
Socialvalues:Traditional Knowledge;Sustainable
utilization;Equitysharing;ParticipatoryConservation;Ecosystem People
EthicalandmoralvaluesA
estheticvalue
Knowledgeandan appreciationofthepresenceofbiodiversityforits own sakeisanother
reasontopreserveit. Symbols-religious;regional;LordGanesh;Gangaroo
Option value
Keeping future possibilities open for their use is called option value. Biodieseal -
Jatropha;Algae
GeneralValues
Production of
oxygenReducing carbon
dioxideMaintaining the
water cycleProtectingsoil
fertility
Primefocus-Rainforests–Tropicalrain forests
6%offorestsarerainforests
Holdsmorethan 70%ofBiodiversity
80%of food resources-Directlyor indirectly
Wehaveidentified somewherearound200fruits edible;Rain
forestsstillhave800ediblefruits
Everydayweareloosing137 organisms-rainforest destruction
7. Biogeographical classification of
IndiaIndia’sBiogeographicZon
es
1. ThecoldmountainoussnowcoveredTrans Himalayanregionof Ladakh.
2. TheHimalayan ranges andvalleysofKashmir,HimachalPradesh,
Uttarakhand,Assam
andotherNorthEasternStates.
3. TheTerai,thelowland wheretheHimalayanriversflowintotheplains.

4. TheGangetic and Bhramaputraplains.

5. TheTharDesert ofRajasthan.
6. Thesemiarid
grasslandregionoftheDeccanplateauGujarat,Maharashtra,AndraPradesh,
Karnatakaand Tamil Nadu.
7. TheNortheastStates of India,
8. TheWesternGhatsinMaharashtra,Karnataka andKerala.
 9. TheAndaman andNicobarIslands.
10. The long western and eastern coastal belt with sandy beaches, forests
andmangroves.

8. Threatsandconservationofbiodiversity
THREATS

Habitat loss-Habitat loss and

fragmentationPoachingof wildlife,
Man-wildlife
conflictsInvasive
alien speciesPollution
Over
exploitationHuman
populations
 Biodiversityrefers tothenumberand varietyof species, of ecosystems, and of
thegeneticvariationcontained within species.
 Roughly1.4 million speciesareknown to science,but
becausemanyspeciesareundescribed,an estimated10-30 million
specieslikelyexists atpresent.
 Biodiversityisthreatened bythe sumofallhuman activities. It isuseful togroupthreatsinto
the categories of over-hunting, habitat destruction, invasion of non-native
species,dominoeffects, pollution, and climatechange.
 Habitatlosspresentsthe singlegreatestthreattoworldbiodiversity,andthemagnitudeofthis
threat can be approximated from species-area curves and rates of habitat loss. Thespread
of non-native species threatens many local species with extinction, and pushes theworld's
biota toward a more homogeneous and widely distributed sub-set of survivors.Climate
change threatens to force species and ecosystems to migrate toward higherlatitudes, with
no guarantee of suitable habitat or access routes. These three factors thusareofspecial
concern.
InSituConservationMethods
In-
situconservation,theconservationofspeciesintheirnaturalhabitats,isconsideredthemostappropriat
e wayofconservingbiodiversity.
Conservingtheareas wherepopulations of speciesexist naturallyisan underlyingconditionforthe
conservation of biodiversity. That's why protected areas form a central element of
anynationalstrategyto conservebiodiversity.
ExSitu ConservationMethods
Ex-situ conservation is the preservation of components of biological diversity outside
theirnaturalhabitats.Thisinvolvesconservationofgeneticresources,aswellaswildand
cultivatedorspecies, and drawsonadiversebodyof techniques andfacilities.Some oftheseinclude:
 Genebanks,e.g.seed banks, spermand ovabanks,field banks;
 Invitroplanttissueandmicrobialculturecollections;
 Captivebreedingof
animalsandartificialpropagationofplants,withpossiblereintroductioninto the
wild; and
 Collectinglivingorganismsforzoos,aquaria,andbotanicgardensforresearchandpublicawaren
ess.
Ex-situconservation measurescan becomplementaryto in-situ methodsas theyprovide
an "insurance policy" against extinction. These measures also have a valuable role to play
inrecoveryprogrammesforendangered species.TheKewSeedBank inEnglandhas1.5 per
centoftheworld's flora-about 4,000 species -on deposit.
In agriculture, ex-
situconservationmeasuresmaintaindomesticatedplantswhichcannotsurviveinnatureunaided.
Ex-situ conservation provides excellent research opportunities on the components of
biologicaldiversity. Some of these institutions also play a central role in public education and
awarenessraising by bringing members of the public into contact with plants and animals they
may notnormally come in contact with. It is estimated that worldwide, over 600 million people
visit zooseveryyear.
Ex situ conservation measures should support in-situ conservation measures (in-situ
conservationshould bethe primaryobjective)
9. Causeeffectandcontrolmeasuresof anyoneof thepollutionindetail
10. Solidwastemanagement
Solid waste is the unwanted or useless solid materials generated from combined
residential,industrial and commercial activities in a given area. It may be categorised according
to its
origin(domestic,industrial,commercial,constructionorinstitutional);accordingtoitscontents(organi
c material, glass, metal, plastic paper etc); or according to hazard potential (toxic, non-
toxin,flammable, radioactive, infectious etc).

Management of solid waste reduces or eliminates adverseimpactson the environment andhuman

health and supports economic development and improved quality of life. A number
ofprocessesareinvolvedineffectivelymanagingwasteforamunicipality.Theseincludemonitoring,col
lection, transport, processing, recyclingand disposal.
Reduce,Reuse,Recycle
Methodsofwastereduction,wastereuseandrecyclingarethepreferredoptionswhenmanagingwaste.
Therearemanyenvironmentalbenefitsthat canbederivedfromtheuseofthesemethods.
They reduce or prevent green house gas emissions, reduce the release of pollutants,
conserveresources, save energy and reduce the demand for waste treatment technology and
landfill space.Therefore it is advisable that these methods be adopted and incorporated as part of
the wastemanagementplan.
11. DisasterManagement
The United Nations defines a disaster as a serious disruption of the functioning of a
communityor a society. Disasters involve widespread human, material, economic or
environmental impacts,whichexceed theabilityof theaffectedcommunityorsocietyto copeusingits
own resources.
The Red Cross and Red Crescent societies define disaster management as the organisation
andmanagementofresourcesandresponsibilitiesfordealingwithallhumanitarianaspectsofemergenci
es, in particular preparedness, response and recovery in order to lessen the impact ofdisasters.

Typesofdisasters
Thereis no countrythat is immune from disaster, though vulnerabilitytodisastervaries.
Therearefour main types of disaster.
 Natural disasters: including floods, hurricanes, earthquakes and volcano eruptions
thathave immediate impacts on human health and secondary impacts causing further
deathandsufferingfrom (for example)floods, landslides, fires, tsunamis.
 Environmental emergencies: including technological or industrial accidents,
usuallyinvolvingtheproduction,useortransportationofhazardousmaterial,andoccurwher
ethesematerials areproduced, usedor transported,andforest firescaused byhumans.
 Complex emergencies:involvingabreak-
downofauthority,lootingandattacksonstrategicinstallations, includingconflict
situationsand war.
 Pandemicemergencies:involvingasuddenonsetofcontagiousdiseasethat
affectshealth,disrupts servicesand businesses,brings economicand socialcosts.
Principles and methods of Disaster
ManagementDisasterprevention
These are activities designed to provide permanent protection from disasters. Not all
disasters,particularly natural disasters, can be prevented, but the risk of loss of life and injury can
bemitigated with good evacuation plans, environmental planning and design standards. In
January2005, 168 Governments adopted a 10-year global plan for natural disaster risk reduction
calledtheHyogoFramework.Itoffersguidingprinciples,prioritiesforaction,andpracticalmeansfora
chieving disasterresilienceforvulnerablecommunities.
Disasterpreparedness
These activities are designed to minimise loss of life and damage – for example by
removingpeople and property from a threatened location and by facilitating timely and effective
rescue,relief andrehabilitation. Preparedness is the main way of reducing the impact of
disasters.Community-based preparedness and management should be a high priority in physical
therapypracticemanagement.
Disasterrelief
This is a coordinated multi-agency response to reduce the impact of a disaster and its long-
termresults. Relief activities include rescue, relocation, providing food and water, preventing
diseaseanddisability,repairingvitalservicessuchastelecommunicationsandtransport,providingtemp
oraryshelter and emergencyhealth care.
Disasterrecovery
Onceemergencyneedshavebeenmet andtheinitial crisisis
over,thepeopleaffectedandthecommunities that support them are still vulnerable. Recovery
activities include rebuildinginfrastructure, health care and rehabilitation. These should blend
with development activities,such as building human resources for health and developing
policies and practices to avoidsimilarsituations in future.
Disaster management is linked with sustainable development, particularly in relation
tovulnerablepeoplesuchas thosewithdisabilities,elderlypeople, children
andothermarginalisedgroups. Health Volunteers Overseas publications address some of the
commonmisunderstandingsaboutdisastermanagement.
12. Unsustainabletosustainabledevelopment
Sustainabledevelopmentisnotanewconcept.
It means living in harmony with the nature in full recognition of the needs of all other species.
Itis no just "the survival of the fittest", we must help even the weakest of the species to
survivebecause each species has a role to play that is ultimately beneficial to the earth and all its
humanpopulation.
Our forefathers preached us the need to coexist with the environment in a balanced manner.
Theneeds of the people in different parts of the world may be different, but our dependence on
theNatureis similar.
The most important thing to remember is that we have only one earth and if we destroy it by
ouractions,our children willnot haveaplaceto live.
13. Waterconservation
Water conservation encompasses the policies, strategies and activities to manage fresh water as
asustainable resource, to protect the water environment, and to meet current and future
humandemand. Population, household size and growth and affluence all affect how much water
is used.Factors such as climate change will increase pressures on natural water resources
especially inmanufacturingand agricultural irrigation
Rainwaterharvesting
Itis the accumulation and deposition of rainwater for reuse on-site, rather than allowing it to
runoff. Its uses include water for garden, water for livestock, water for irrigation, water for
domesticuse with proper treatment, and indoor heating for houses etc. In many places the water
collectedis just redirected to a deep pit with percolation. The harvested water can be used as
drinkingwateraswell as for storageand otherpurposelikeirrigation.
Watershedmanagement
It is the study of the relevant characteristics of a watershed aimed at the sustainable distributionof
its resources and the process of creating and implementing plans, programs, and projects
tosustain and enhance watershed functions that affect the plant, animal, and human
communitieswithinawatershed boundary.

Features of a watershedthat agencies seek tomanage include water supply, water

quality,drainage, stormwater runoff, water rights, and the overall planning and utilization of
watersheds.Landowners,landuseagencies,stormwatermanagementexperts,environmentalspecialist
s,waterusesurveyors andcommunitiesall playan integralpart inwatershedmanagement.
Checkdams
Check dams are relatively small, temporary structures constructed across a swale or
channel.They are used to slow the velocity of concentrated water flows, a practice that helps
reduceerosion. As stormwater runoff flows through the structure, the check dam catches
sediment fromthe channel itself or from the contributing drainage area. However, check dams
should not beused as a substitute for other sediment-trapping and erosion-control measures.
Check dams aretypically constructed out of gravel, rock, sandbags, logs or treated lumber, or
straw bales. Theyaremost effective whenusedwith otherstormwater, erosion,and sediment-
controlmeasures.
14. ClimateandchangeandeffectonenvironmentDe
fineandelaboratefollowingaspects
CLIMATE
CHANGE,GLOBALW
ARMING,ACIDRAIN,
OZONELAYERDEPLETION,
NUCLEARACCIDENTS
Describeabout
ErraticclimateandweatherextremesAl
tered ecosystems and habitatsRisksto
human healthand society
15. Polulationgrowthandeffectonenvironment
 Public health: Unclean water, along with poor sanitation, kills over 12 million
peopleeach year, most in developing countries. Air pollution kills nearly 3 million more.
Heavymetalsand other contaminants alsocausewidespread health problems.
 Food supply: Will there be enough food to go around? In 64 of 105 developing
countriesstudied by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the population has been
growingfaster than food supplies. Population pressures have degraded some 2 billion
hectares ofarableland —an areathesizeof Canadaand theU.S.
 Freshwater: The supply of freshwater is finite, but demand is soaring as
populationgrows and use per capita rises. By 2025, when world population is projected to
be 8billion,48 countries containing3 billion people willfaceshortages.
 Coastlines and oceans: Half of all coastal ecosystems are pressured by high
populationdensities and urban development. A tide of pollution is rising in the world’s
seas. Oceanfisheriesarebeingoverexploited, and fish catches aredown.
 Forests:Nearly half of the world’s original forest cover has been lost, and each
yearanother 16 million hectares are cut, bulldozed, or burned. Forests provide over
US$400billion to the world economy annually and are vital to maintaining healthy
ecosystems.Yet, current demand for forest products may exceed the limit of sustainable
consumptionby25%.
 Biodiversity: Theearth’sbiologicaldiversityiscrucialtothecontinuedvitalityofagriculture
and medicine — and perhaps even to life on earth itself. Yet human activitiesare pushing
many thousands of plant and animal species into extinction. Two of everythreespecies is
estimatedto be in decline.
  Global climate change: The earth’s surface is warming due to greenhouse gas
emissions,largely from burning fossil fuels. If the global temperature rises as projected,
sea levelswould rise by several meters, causing widespread flooding. Global warming
also couldcausedroughtsand disrupt agriculture.
16. All the Acts related to environment. Question may have
subdivisionsKeypolicies relating to theenvironment in India
Therearethreekeypoliciesrelatingtoenvironmental protectioninIndia.
Theyare:TheNational Forest Policy, 1988
Policystatement forAbatementof Pollution, 1992
NationalConservationStrategyandPolicyStatementonEnvironmentand Development,1992
Environment’definedunderIndianLaw?
AccordingtoSection2(a) oftheEnvironmentalProtection Act,1986,‘Environment’includes
a) Water,air andland
b) Theinter-relationshipwhichexistsamongandbetween,
i) water, air,land,and
ii) humanbeings, otherlivingcreatures,plants,microorganismsandproperty
OtherActsforprotectingenvironmentinIndia
TheWater(PreventionandControlofPollution)Act,1974The
Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act,
1981TheEnvironment (Protection) Act,1986
Hazardous Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules,
1989TheForest (Conservation) Act, 1980
TheWildlifeProtectionAct,1972
TheNationalEnvironmentTribunalAct, 1995
TheNationalEnvironment AppellateAuthorityAct,1997
17. A case study may be given; For example you may have to provide a solution for
arealtime environmentalproblem
AdditionalInformationBSection
1. ForestResources
Useand over-exploitation:
 ScientistsestimatethatIndiashouldideallyhave33percentofitslandunderforests.
Todaywehaveonlyabout 12 percent.
 Thusweneednotonlytoprotectexistingforestsbutalsotoincreaseourforestcover.
Deforestation-casestudies:
 One of India’s serious environmental problems is forest degradation due to
timberextractionand ourdependenceon fuelwood.
 A large number of poor rural people are still highly dependent on wood to
cooktheir meals and heat their homes. We have not been able to plant enough
trees tosupportthe need for timber and fuelwood.
Timberextraction,Mininganddams
 Timber extraction, mining and dams are invariably parts of the needs of a
developingcountry.
 If timberisoverharvestedtheecologicalfunctionsoftheforestarelost.
 Unfortunatelyforestsare locatedinareaswheretherearerichmineralresources.Forestsalso
cover the steep embankments of river valleys, which are ideally suited to
develophydeland irrigation projects.

2. EnergyResources
Energy is defined by physicists as the capacity to do work. Energy is found on
ourplanet in a variety of forms, some of which are immediately useful to do work, while
othersrequireaprocess of transformation.
Growingenergyneeds:
 Energyhasalwaysbeencloselylinked toman’s economicgrowth anddevelopment.
 Presentstrategiesfordevelopmentthathavefocusedonrapideconomicgrowthhaveusedenergy
utilization as an indexof economicdevelopment.
 Thisindexhowever,doesnottakeintoaccountthelong-
termilleffectsonsocietyofexcessiveenergyutilisation.
renewableandnonrenewableenergysources:
Non-Renewable Energy Sources:These consistof the mineralbased hydrocarbon fuelscoal,oil
and natural gas, that were formed from ancient prehistoric forests. These are called
‘fossilfuels’becausetheyareformedafterplantlifeisfossilized.Atthepresentrateofextractionthere
is enough coal for a long time to come. Oil and gas resources however are likely to be used
upwithinthe next 50years.
Renewable energysystemsuse resourcesthatareconstantly replacedandare usually lesspolluting.
Examples include hydropower, solar, wind, and geothermal (energy from the heat inside
theearth). We also get renewable energy from burning trees and even garbage as fuel and
processingotherplants into biofuels.
useof alternateenergysources
We use energy for household use, agriculture, production of industrial goods and for
runningtransport. Modern agriculture uses chemical fertilizers, which require large amounts of
energyduring their manufacture. Industry uses energy to power manufacturing units and the
urbancomplexesthat support it.

3. Structure and functions of an ecosystem Eg Aquatic Ecosystem; Marine

ecosystemetc
Structural aspects- Inorganic aspects – C, N, CO2, H2O, Organic compounds –
Protein,Carbohydrates,Lipids ,link abiotic to biotic aspects, Climatic regimes–
Temperature,Moisture,Light & Topography, Producers – Plants, Macro consumers –
Phagotrophs –LargeAnimals, Microconsumers–Saprotrophs, absorbers– fungi.
FunctionalaspectsEnergycycles-Foodchains,Diversity-
interlinkagesbetweenorganisms,Nutrientcycles-biogeochemical cycles,Evolution.
E,g-AquaticEcosystem;Marineecosystem,etc.
4. Energyflow in theecosystem-Linkallthenaturalcyclessuchaswatercycle
Thewatercycle:
When it rains, the water runs along the ground and flows into rivers or falls directly into the
sea.A part of the rainwater that falls on land percolates into the ground. This is stored
undergroundthroughout the rest of the year. Water is drawn up from the ground by plants along
with thenutrientsfrom thesoil.
TheCarboncycle:
The carbon, which occurs in organic compounds, is included in both the abiotic and biotic
partsof the ecosystem. Carbon is a building block of both plant and animal tissues. In the
atmosphere,carbon occurs as carbon dioxide (CO2).In the presence of sunlight,plants take up
carbondioxide from the atmosphere through their leaves. In the presence of sunlight they are able
toformcarbohydrates thatcontain carbon. This process isknown asphotosynthesis.
TheOxygencycle,
Oxygen is taken up by plants and animals from the air during respiration. The plants
returnoxygen to the atmosphere during photosynthesis. This links the Oxygen Cycle to the
CarbonCycle.Deforestation is likely togradually reduce the oxygen levels inour
atmosphere.Thusplant life plays an important role in our lives which we frequently do not
appreciate. This is animportantreason to participatein afforestation programs.
TheNitrogencycle:
Carnivorous animals feed on herbivorous animals that live onplants. When animals defecate,this
waste material is broken down by worms and insects mostly beetles and ants. These small‘soil
animals’ break the waste material into smaller bits on which microscopic bacteria and
fungicanact.Thismaterialisthusbrokendownfurtherintonutrientsthatplantscanabsorbandusefor
their growth. Thus nutrients are recycled back from animals to plants. Similarly the bodies
ofdeadanimals arealso broken down into
nutrients that are used by the plants for their growth. Thus the nitrogen cycle on which life
isdependentis completed.
Theenergycycle
The energy cycle is based on the flow of energy through the ecosystem. Energy from sunlight
isconverted by plants themselves into growing new plant material which includes leaves,
flowers,fruit, branches, trunks and roots of plants. Since plants can grow by converting the sun’s
energydirectlyinto theirtissues,theyareknown as producers in the ecosystem.
46. Foodchains (elaboratewith diagramandrelationship)
The transfer of energy from the source in plantsthrough a series of organisms by eating andbeing
eaten constitutes food chains. At each transfer, a large proportion of energy is lost in theform of
heat. These food chains are not isolated sequences, but are interconnected with eachother. The
most obvious aspect of nature is that energy must pass from one living organism toanother.
When herbivorous animals feed on plants, energy is transferred from plants to animals.In an
ecosystem, some of the animals feed on other living organisms, while some feed on deadorganic
matter. The latter form the ‘detritus’ food chain. At each linkage in the chain, a majorpart of the
energy from the food is lost for daily activities. Each chain usually has only four tofivesuch
links. Howeverasingle speciesmaybelinked to a largenumber of species.
ComponentsofaFoodChain:
 Plants-'base'of thefoodchain,
 Herbivores-feedon plants; manyareadapted toliveonadiet highin cellulose
 Omnivores-feedon bothplants andanimals
 Carnivores-feedonherbivores,omnivores,&other carnivores
o lstlevelcarnivore-feeds onherbivores
 o 2ndlevelcarnivore- feedson1stlevel carnivores
 Decomposers
o the'final'consumer group
o useenergyavailable indeadplants andanimals
o transformorganicmaterialintoinorganicmaterial
 elaboratewithdiagramandrelationship
 Eg;-grazingfoodchain-grasslandecosystemGrass→Rabbit→Fox→Wolf→Tiger,etc.

Thefoodwebs
In an ecosystem there are a very large number of interlinked chains. This forms a food web.
Ifthelinkages inthechainsthat makeup theweb oflifearedisruptedduetohuman activitiesthatleadto
theloss or extinction ofspecies, theweb breaksdown.
Theecologicalpyramids
Inanecosystem,greenplants– theproducers,utilizeenergydirectlyfromsunlightandconvert
it into matter. A large number of these organisms form the most basic, or first ‘trophic level’
ofthe food pyramid. The herbivorous animals that eat plants are at the second trophic level and
arecalled primary consumers. The predators that feed on them form the third trophic level and
areknown as secondary consumers. Only a few animals form the third trophic level consisting
ofcarnivores at the apex of the food pyramid. This is how energy is used by living creatures
andflowsthroughtheecosystemfromitsbasetotheapex.Muchofthe energy
isusedupinactivitiesofeach livingorganism.
5. Foodwebs (elaboratewith diagramand relationship)
A food web (or food cycle) is the natural interconnection of food chains and generally
agraphicalrepresentation(usuallyanimage)ofwhat-eats-whatinan ecologicalcommunity.
 Taxonomyofafoodweb-Trophiclevels,Trophicdynamics,
Energyflowandbiomass,Foodchain,Ecological pyramids
 Materialfluxandrecycling
 Kindsoffoodwebs
elaboratewithdiagramandrelationship
6. Ecologicalpyramids(elaboratewithdiagramandrelationship)
 An ecological pyramid (also trophic pyramid, energy pyramid, or sometimes
foodpyramid) is a graphical representation designed to show the biomass or
biomassproductivityat each trophic level in agiven ecosystem.
 Primary producers, Primary consumers, Secondary consumers,
tertiaryconsumers.

7. Grasslandecosystem(elaboratewithdiagramandrelationship)
Grasslandecosystem:
A widerange oflandscapes inwhich thevegetation is mainly formedby grassesand
smallannualplantsareadaptedtoIndia’svariousclimaticconditions.Theseformavarietyofgrasslandec
osystems with their specificplantsandanimals.
 GrasslandTypesinIndia,
 Threatstograsslandecosystems,
 Conservationofgrasslandecosystems.