NEET Notes: Environment and Ecology
1. Environment & Its Importance
The environment refers to the sum total of all biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) components that surround
and influence organisms. It includes air, water, land, flora, fauna, and human beings. The importance of
environment lies in the fact that it sustains life by providing air, water, food, and shelter. It also maintains the
ecological balance and supports biodiversity.
2. Components of Environment
The environment has two main components:
- Biotic Components: Living organisms such as plants, animals, microorganisms.
- Abiotic Components: Non-living things like air, water, soil, sunlight, temperature, and minerals.
These components interact to form ecosystems.
3. Ecosystem: Structure and Function
An ecosystem is a self-sustaining unit that includes all the living organisms (biotic factors) and non-living
components (abiotic factors) interacting with each other.
- Structure: Composed of producers, consumers, decomposers, and abiotic substances.
- Function: Involves energy flow and nutrient cycling, ensuring the survival of organisms through food chains
and webs.
4. Food Chain and Food Web
- Food Chain: A linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass as one organism
eats another. Example: Grass -> Grasshopper -> Frog -> Snake -> Hawk.
- Food Web: A complex network of interconnected food chains in an ecosystem showing multiple feeding
relationships.
5. Ecological Pyramids
These are graphical representations of trophic levels in an ecosystem.
Types:
NEET Notes: Environment and Ecology
- Pyramid of Numbers: Shows number of organisms at each level.
- Pyramid of Biomass: Shows total biomass at each level.
- Pyramid of Energy: Shows energy flow and is always upright.
6. Energy Flow in Ecosystem
Energy flows in a one-way direction from the sun to producers to consumers. Only about 10% of energy is
transferred from one trophic level to the next (10% law). The rest is lost as heat.
7. Ecosystem Services
These are benefits that humans derive from ecosystems.
- Provisioning Services: Food, water, timber, fiber.
- Regulating Services: Climate regulation, flood control, disease regulation.
- Cultural Services: Recreational, aesthetic, spiritual, and educational values.
8. Biodiversity: Levels, Values, Threats & Conservation
- Levels of Biodiversity:
1. Genetic diversity: Variety of genes within a species.
2. Species diversity: Variety of species in a region.
3. Ecosystem diversity: Variety of ecosystems in a geographical area.
- Values of Biodiversity:
Ecological, economic, ethical, aesthetic, and recreational values.
- Threats to Biodiversity:
Habitat loss, pollution, climate change, invasive species, overexploitation.
- Conservation:
In-situ (e.g., national parks, sanctuaries) and ex-situ (e.g., zoos, botanical gardens) methods are used for
biodiversity conservation.
