Syllabus :
Basic Concepts:
● Ecology, Ecosystem, and Biodiversity.
● Biomes, Food Chain, Food Web, and Ecological Pyramids.
Biodiversity:
● Flora and Fauna (Endangered, Vulnerable, Critically Endangered species).
● National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Biosphere Reserves, Ramsar Sites.
● Biodiversity Hotspots, Conservation Methods (In-situ and Ex-situ).
Environmental Pollution:
● Air, Water, Soil Pollution, and their impacts.
● Eutrophication, Biomagnification, Solid Waste Management.
Climate Change:
● Global Warming, Ozone Depletion, Acid Rain.
● IPCC Reports, Carbon Sequestration.
Environmental Governance:
● Acts (e.g., Environment Protection Act, Wildlife Protection Act, Forest Conservation Act).
● Institutions (e.g., UNEP, WWF, CITES, IUCN).
Current Affairs:
Daily Class Notes ||PW Web/App:https://smart.link/7wwosivoicgd4
● Environmental Summits (e.g., COP, Stockholm+50).
● Initiatives (e.g., National Mission for Green India).
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA):
● Process, Challenges, and Case Studies.
Disaster Management and Mitigation:
● Natural Disasters and Human-Induced Disasters (e.g., Forest Fires, Oil Spills).
● Vulnerability Mapping and Risk Assessment
Government Policies and Programs:
● CAMPA, Green India Mission, National Biodiversity Authority.
● Environment-related NGOs and their Role.
Daily Class Notes ||PW Web/App:https://smart.link/7wwosivoicgd4
Environment
● The environment encompasses the sum total of all living (biotic) and nonliving (abiotic)
components, events, and influences that surround and affect an organism.
● It includes both natural and artificial factors that contribute to an organism’s existence
and survival.
● The relationship and interaction between organisms and their environment are intricate and
dynamic. The environment constantly evolves due to natural processes and human-induced
changes.
Components of the Environment:
● Biotic Components:These include all living organisms such as plants, animals, and
microorganisms. They interact with one another and with abiotic components to sustain
life.
● Abiotic Components:These are non-living elements of the environment, such as water,
gravity, temperature, energy, and radiation. These factors determine the living conditions of
organisms. (Fire is typically the result of environmental processes rather than a consistent
abiotic component.)
Daily Class Notes ||PW Web/App:https://smart.link/7wwosivoicgd4
Ecology
● The termEcologyis derived from two Greek words:Oikos(meaning "place to live") and
Logos(meaning "study"). Together, ecology refers to the study of organisms in relation to
their environment.
● Ecology involves studying the relationships among organisms, as well as their interactions
with the physical environment. For example:
➔ How animals depend on plants for food.
➔ How forests regulate water cycles and carbon storage.
● It is the scientific study of interactions between living organisms and their surroundings,
both biotic and abiotic. This understanding is essential for addressing pressing
environmental issues such as climate change, habitat destruction, and biodiversity loss.
Habitat
● Ahabitatis the physical location where an organism lives and sustains itself. It provides
essential resources for survival, such as food, shelter, and reproductive conditions. Example:
A forest serves as the habitat for tigers, while a pond is the habitat for frogs.
● Habitats collectively form ecosystems, which in turn contribute to the larger environment.
For instance, a forest contains diverse habitats for organisms like birds, insects, and
mammals, all coexisting within the broader ecosystem.
Organic and Inorganic compounds:
Organic compounds,such as carbohydrates, proteins,lipids, and nucleic acids, are carbon-based
and essential for life processes like energy, growth, and reproduction.
Inorganic compounds,including water, minerals, gases(oxygen, carbon dioxide), and salts,
support metabolic functions and ecosystem balance.
Daily Class Notes ||PW Web/App:https://smart.link/7wwosivoicgd4
Both are crucial for sustaining life in a habitat.
Levels of Ecological Organization
● Individual:An individual is a single organism capable of functioning independently within
its environment. Example:A single tree, a bird, or a fish.
● Population:A population consists of a group of organisms of the same species inhabiting
a specific geographic area and capable of interbreeding.Example: A herd of deer in a
forest.
● Community:A community comprises all populations of different species interacting within
a particular area. It represents the biotic component of an ecosystem. Example: In a
grassland, grasses, herbivores (like deer), and predators (like lions) form a community.
● Ecosystem:An ecosystem includes the interaction between living organisms (biotic
components) and their physical environment (abiotic components) within a defined area.
Example: A pond ecosystem includes fish, algae, water, and sunlight as interacting
components.
● Biome:A biome is a large ecological region characterized by distinct climate conditions,
vegetation, and animal life. It consists of multiple ecosystems that share similar
characteristics. Example:Deserts, tropical rainforests, grasslands, and tundras.
● Biosphere:The biosphere is the global ecological system, integrating all living organisms
and their interactions with the Earth's atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere. It
represents the sum of all ecosystems on the planet.
Example: The Earth’s biosphere includes everything from the deepest ocean
trenches to the highest mountain peaks where life exists.
Daily Class Notes ||PW Web/App:https://smart.link/7wwosivoicgd4
●
Ecosystem
● An ecosystem is a community of living beings interacting with each other and with the
physical environment.
● It represents the structural and functional unit of the biosphere, where living (biotic) and
non-living (abiotic) components coexist and depend on each other.
● The ecosystemincludes air, water, trees, birds, animals, plants, and humans.For
example, in a forest ecosystem, trees provide oxygen, animals disperse seeds, and
decomposers recycle nutrients.
● Every organism in an ecosystem is interdependent. A change in one component affects the
entire system.
● For instance, deforestation can lead to soil erosion, loss of biodiversity, and climate
change.
Ecosystems can vary in size:
● Large Ecosystems:Examples include forests, deserts, or oceans, which are complex
systems supporting diverse species.
● Small Ecosystems:Examples include a tree, which supports birds, insects, and fungi, or
the human body, which hosts numerous microorganisms essential for health.
Daily Class Notes ||PW Web/App:https://smart.link/7wwosivoicgd4
