Unit 2: Lesson 1- BIOSPHERE and Ecosystem ─ Meaning, Scope and Importance
The environment consists of four segments as follows:
-Atmosphere - The atmosphere refers to the protective blanket of gases, surrounding the earth. It sustains life on the earth. It saves the Earth from the hostile environment of the outer space. The atmosphere composed of nitrogen and oxygen in large quantity along with small percentage of other gases such as argon, carbon dioxide, and trace gases (the gases which makes up less than 1 percent by volume of the atmosphere.
- Hydrosphere - Hydrosphere comprises all water resources such as ocean, seas, lakes, rivers, reservoirs, icecaps, glaciers, and ground water.
- Lithosphere - It is the outer mantle of the solid earth. It contains minerals occurring in the earth’s crust and the soil.
- Biosphere - It constitutes the realm of living organisms and their interactions with the environment (atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere).
BIOSPHERE
Biosphere is that part of lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere where plants and human beings live. Biosphere contains all life forms on earth. The biosphere consists of all the living organisms (the biotic component), energy and physical environment (the abiotic component) and there are continuous interactions between living organisms and physical environment and among the living organisms themselves
The biosphere consists of two major systems viz. (i) terrestrial biomes systems and (ii) aquatic biomes systems.
The terrestrial biomes systems are further comprised of three subsystems viz., (i) plant system, (ii) animal system and (iii) soil system. These subsystems are intimately interrelated among themselves through the cyclic pathways of movements and transfer of energy and materials.
The aquatic biomes systems are also composed of three sub-systems viz. : (i) Plant system, (ii) Animal system, and (iii) Nutrients. These three sub-systems of aquatic biomes system of the biosphere are also
intimately interrelated through cyclic pathways of movements of energy and matter among themselves.
Man depends on biosphere to fulfill many of his needs like food, drugs, clothes, housing, paper and tourism and environment.
BIOSPHERE
Biosphere is that part of lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere where plants and human beings live. Biosphere contains all life forms on earth. The biosphere consists of all the living organisms (the biotic component), energy and physical environment (the abiotic component) and there are continuous interactions between living organisms and physical environment and among the living organisms themselves
The biosphere consists of two major systems viz. (i) terrestrial biomes systems and (ii) aquatic biomes systems.
The terrestrial biomes systems are further comprised of three subsystems viz., (i) plant system, (ii) animal system and (iii) soil system. These subsystems are intimately interrelated among themselves through the cyclic pathways of movements and transfer of energy and materials.
The aquatic biomes systems are also composed of three sub-systems viz. : (i) Plant system, (ii) Animal system, and (iii) Nutrients. These three sub-systems of aquatic biomes system of the biosphere are also
intimately interrelated through cyclic pathways of movements of energy and matter among themselves.
Man depends on biosphere to fulfill many of his needs like food, drugs, clothes, housing, paper and tourism and environment.
What is an Ecosystem?
Living organisms cannot live isolated from their non-living environment because the latter provides materials and energy for the survival of the former i.e. there is interaction between a biotic community and its environment to produce a stable system; a natural self-sufficient unit which is known as an ecosystem. An ecosystem is, therefore, defined as a natural functional ecological unit comprising of living organisms (biotic community) and their non-living (abiotic or physio chemical) environment that interact to form a stable self-supporting system. A pond, lake, desert, grassland, meadow, forest etc. are common examples of ecosystems.
Ecosystem ─ Scope and
Importance
Ecosystem is a part of natural environment consisting of a community of living beings and the physical environment both constantly interchanging materials and energy between them. It is the sum total of the environment or a part of nature.
Ecosystem is a part of natural environment consisting of a community of living beings and the physical environment both constantly interchanging materials and energy between them. It is the sum total of the environment or a part of nature.
The study of ecosystem or
environmental studies has been seen to be multidisciplinary in nature, hence,
it is considered to be a subject with great scope. It is no more confined only
to the issues of sanitation and health; rather, it is now concerned with pollution
control, biodiversity conservation, waste management and conservation of
natural resources.
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Meaning of ECOLOGY
Ecology can be defined as a scientific study of the interactions of organisms with their physical environment and with each other.The term ecology is derived from the Greek word ‘oikos’ meaning ‘house’, combined with the word ‘logy’ meaning the ‘science of’ or ‘the study of ’. Literally, ecology is the study of the earth as a ‘household’, of plants, human beings, animals and micro-organisms. They all live together as interdependent components.A German zoologist Ernst Haeckel, who used the term as ‘oekologie’ in 1869, became the first person to use the term ‘ecology’. The study of interactions between life forms (biotic) and the physical environment (abiotic) is the science of ecology.
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