Environment is the integration of all conditions that influence the life of an individual Four components- MATTER, PROCESSES, TIME

and SPACE. Dimensions of the environment are: Biophysical environment, sociological environment, economic environment and political environment. HABITAT DESTRUCTION AND SPECIES EXTINCTION the leading cause of environmental degradation AIR POLLUTION most common causes are fossil fuel burning and emission of smoke from vehicles. Carbon monoxide, sulfur oxide, nitrogen oxide are most of the air pollutants. RUN-OFF WATER carries pollutants and deposit them along waterways [WATER POLLUTION] INTERDEPENDENCE AND INTERCONNECTEDNESS People and nature are intimately integrated (Unifying Environmental Principle) INTERGENERATIONAL EQUITY this implies the fairness to the future generation. THERMODYNAMICS the law that governs energy processes in biological systems. The total amount of energy in all its form remains constant. LAW OF DEGRADATION OF ENERGY QUALITY the second of energy FOOD CHAINS 1. GRAZING FOOD CHAIN a type of food chain in which green plants are eaten by herbivores which in turn may be eating by carnivores. 2. DETRITUS FOOD CHAIN this type starts from dead organic matter to microorganisms and lastly the detritivores. FOOD WEBS the overlapping of food chains; refers to the interconnectedness or interlocking relationships among various food chains in the ecosystem. Primary producers are found at the first trophic level. Ecological pyramid is used to show the relationships between numbers, biomass and energy flow at the biotic community. Population refers to the number of inhabitants in a given place. It refers to a group of individuals belonging to one species. Population density describes the degree of crowdedness of a population in a given area. Dispersion is the distribution of organisms over the space where they are found. NATALITY birth rate. MORTALITY death rate CARRYING CAPACITY the number of living things an area of land or water can support at any one time. It is typically expressed as the number if living organisms of a certain type which can be supported in an ecosystem. BIODIVERSITY refers to the variability of individual species and communities of species present in a given area.

GROUNDWATER refers to the water below the water table where saturated conditions exist 1.33 billion cubic kilometers is the total amount of water on Earth, 99% of which is stored in the ocean and ice caps, and the remaining 1% is freshwater. DOMESTIC USE OF WATER - for drinking, bathing, washing clothes. It is usually obtained from springs and private deep wells. AGRICULTURAL USE water is used for irrigations MARINE RESOURCES [environment] occupies almost 70% of the surface of the earth. Intertidal zone it is located in the land margins along the ocean wherever tides occur. Coastal zone this zone spans from the coast over the continental shelf to a depth of 200 meter. It is an important resource in the tropics. Open ocean this area spans from the ends of the continental shelf outwards. Abyssal zone it is an area of great depths where there is continuous rain of organic matter and most organisms are scavengers. Estuaries this refers to a semi-enclosed body of water such as river mouth or coasted bay where the salinity is intermediate between salt and freshwater. SOIL O horizon upper layer A horizon composed of plants and animals that are being reduced to finely divided organic msterial by humification. E layer also called elevation layer which is light in color found beneath the A horizon. SOIL CONSERVATION CONTOUR PLOWING/FARMING involves tilling the soil at right angles to the slope of the land. STRIP FARMING one of the simplest methods to prevent soil erosion. Characterized by alternating strips of closely sown crops. TERRACING is applicable to very steep slope areas. FORESTS 1. Mangrove forests 2. Dipterocarps 3. Mossy forests 4. Pine forests AIR POLLUTANTS Carbon dioxide, particulates, oxides of S, oxides of N, hydrocarbons and ozone.