1.

What is Environment? The Sum of total of all the living and Non-living things around us influencing one another

2.

Define Environmental Science Its the study of the environment, its biological and a biological components and their interrelationship

3.

What are the important components of Environment? Abiotic, Biotic & Energy Component

4.

State Significance & Scope of Environment Science? Significance: Informs peoples about their role in protecting the environment Have a direct relation to the quality of life we live. Scope: To get awareness & Sensitivity to the total environment and related problems. To motivate people in active participation.

5.

Explain Biosphere? Biological environment where the living organisms live and interact with the physical Environment.

6.

What are the functions of Lithosphere? Home for human beings and wildlife. Storehouse of minerals and organic matters.

7.

What are Renewable Resources? Give Examples? Energy thats capable of getting regenerated on continuous use. Ex: Solar Energy, Wind Energy

8.

How are forests classified?

Evergreen Forests Deciduous Forests Coniferous Forests 9. What are the important causes of Over Exploitation?

Increasing agricultural production, increasing industrial activities Increase in wood demand. 10. Explain the preventive measures of deforestation? Steps to be taken to discourage the migration of peoples into island from mainland. Tree plantation programs have to be started. Education and awareness program; Strict implementation of forest laws.

11. What are the consequences of Timber Extraction? 12. Environmental effects of extracting and using mineral resources? De-vegetation and defacing of Landscape. Ground water contamination; Surface water pollution; Air pollution Subsidence of land 13. Define Sustainable Forestry? Optimum use of forest with out compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. 14. What are the effects of dam on tribals? Widespread displacement of tribal peoples; Displacement affects the tribal peoples both mentally and physically and they are ill treated by modern peoples; There wont be proper compensation for them and their body conditions would not suit to live in cities. 15. Explain food management? Construction of dams Banning of flood ways encroachment Forecasting about floods. Channel management. 16. Define Overgrazing? Its the process of eating away the forest vegetarian with out giving it a chance to regenerate. India leads in livestock and more grazing land or pasture area is required for it. 17. What are the types of Agriculture? Traditional Agriculture & Modern Agriculture 18. What do you mean by renewable & non Renewable energy resources? Renewable energy resources can be regenerated on continuous use and non renewable energy could not be regenerated. 19. Problems caused by the construction of Dams? Thousands of Hectares of forest cleaned for executing river valley projects In addition forests also cleared for residential area needed for peoples working in dams Hydroelectric projects also leads to destruction of forest to a major extend. Big river valley projects causes staggering of water and which in turn increases the salinity of water and reduces the fertility of land. 20. What is Desertification? Its the degradation of land due to various factors: including climatic variations and human activities. Results chiefly from man-made activities & is principally caused by overgrazing, over drafting of groundwater and diversion of water from rivers for human consumption and industrial use.

21. Define Environmental impact? Its defined as the analysis of the expected effects of a development on the surrounding environment. 22. Explain Soil Leaching? Process of removal of nutrients and essential salts from the soil by water seeping through the soil. 23. Explain water logging? Saturation of the soil by groundwater sufficient to prevent or hinder agriculture 24. Functions of forest? Supplies wood- Used as fuel.; Provides the raw materials as pulp, paper board, timber etc; Medicinal plants and drugs; Animal products Honey, ivory, hides etc.; For mining, grazing, recreation and for dams 25. Advantages of conjunctive use of water? 26. What is soil Erosion? The process by which vital topsoil is lost (mainly blown away by wind or washed by rain), having been loosened by such activities as deforestation or inappropriate farming 27. Desired Quality of Ideal Pesticides? Must only kill the target species; Must be Bio-degradable; should not produce new pests Excessive synthetic pesticides should not be used; chlorinated pesticides should not be used. control of Water Logging. Use of saline water for cooling purposes Control of salt intrusion in Coastal Aquifers.

28. Adverse Effects of Overgrazing? Land Degradation, Soil Erosion & Loss of useful species. 29. Factors causing Erosion? Water, wind, Biotic Agents, Landslides and Construction. 30. What is Eutrophication? Eutrophication is an increase in the concentration of chemical nutrients in an ecosystem to an extent that increases the primary productivity of the ecosystem 31. Ecology? Scientific study of the distributions, abundance, and relations of organisms and their interactions with each other in a common environment 32. Components of Ecosystem

Biotic (living) component & Abiotic Component (Non-Living) 33. How biotic components are grouped? Producers, consumers * Decomposers 34. What to you mean by nutrient cycles? Its the pathway by which a chemical element or molecule (nutrients) moves through both biotic (biosphere) and Abiotic (lithosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere) compartments of Earth 35. Hydrological Cycle? Describes the continuous movement of water on, above and below the surface of the Earth 36. Ecological Succession? Refers to more or less predictable and orderly changes in the composition or structure of an ecological community. 37. Food Chain? The feeding of one organism upon another in a sequence of food transfers is known as a food chain. Another definition is the chain of transfer of energy (which typically comes from the sun) from one organism to another 38. what are tropical or Feeding Levels The various steps through which food energy passes in an ecosystem is called Tropical Levels. 39. food web In an ecosystem there are many different food chains and many of these are cross-linked to form a food web. Ultimately all plants and animals in an ecosystem are part of this complex food web. 40. Ecological pyramids? An ecological pyramid (or tropic pyramid) is a graphical representation designed to show the biomass or productivity at each tropic level in a given ecosystem 41. Producers? In an ecosystem, producers are those organisms that use photosynthesis to capture energy by using sunlight, water and carbon dioxide to create carbohydrates, and then use that energy to create more complex molecules like proteins, lipids and starches that are crucial to life processes. Producers, which are mostly green plants, are also called autotrophs 42. Types of Ecosystem? Forest Ecosystem; Grassland Ecosystem; Desert Ecosystem; Aquatic Ecosystem 43. Ecosystem?

Total Assemblage of living Organisms in an environment as well as the non living matter on which these organisms depends 44. Consumers?

Consumer is the organisms that obtain nutrients from other organisms. This is also a heterotroph
45. What is keystone species? A keystone species is a species that has a disproportionate effect on its environment relative to its biomass.[1] Such species affect many other organisms in an ecosystem and help to determine the types and numbers of various other species in a community. 46. Characters of Desert ecosystem? Dry & Hot climate; Annual Rainfall less than 25cm; poor vegetation 47. Bio Diversity? The variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems. 48. Classification of Bio Diversity? Species diversity: Refers to the variety of different living things. Genetic diversity: Refers to the variations between individuals of a species characteristics passed down from parents to their offspring. Ecosystem diversity: Refers to the great variety of environments produced by the interplay of the living (animals and plants) and non-living world (earth forms, soil, rocks and water). 49. Point Richness? Number of species that can be found at a single point in a given space. 50. Flaura & Fauna? Flaura refers to the plant life occurring in a particular region, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous plant life, Fauna or faun is all of the animal life of any particular region or time 51. Ecological Succession? "Ecological succession" is the observed process of change in the species structure of an ecological community over time. Within any community some species may become less abundant over some time interval, or they may even vanish from the ecosystem altogether 52. Pollution?

Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into an environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms 53. Sources of water Pollution? Point Sources & Nonpoint Solution 54. Noise Pollution? Sound that is loud, unpleasant or unexpected, which may adversely affect the health and well being of individuals or population 55. Thermal pollution? Increase in temperature of water present in natural streams or lakes due to addition of heated water discharged from certain industries, such as nuclear power plants, thermal power plants steel plants, oil refineries, paper mills, etc. directly into the streams or lakes. 56. Define Hazardous waste? Hazardous waste is waste that poses substantial or potential threats to public health or the environment. There are four factors that determine whether or not a substance is hazardous: 57. Types of Solid waste? Municipal Waste; industrial Waste & Hazardous Waste 58. Photochemical Smog? Photochemical smog is a unique type of air pollution which is caused by reactions between sunlight and pollutants like hydrocarbons and nitrogen dioxide 59. Disaster? A disaster is the tragedy of a natural or human-made hazard (a hazard is a situation which poses a level of threat to life, health, property, or environment) that negatively affects society or environment 60. Floods? The rising of a body of water and its overflowing onto normally dry land; 61. Causes of Soil pollution? Seepage from a landfill; Discharge of industrial waste into the soil Percolation of contaminated water into the soil Rupture of underground storage tanks; Excess application of pesticides, herbicides or fertilizer 62. Sustainable Development? Development with out compromising the needs of the future generation.

63. Green house effect? The greenhouse effect is a process by which radioactive energy leaving a planetary surface is absorbed by some atmospheric gases, called greenhouse gases. They transfer this energy to other components of the atmosphere, and it is re-radiated in all directions, including back down towards the surface 64. Acid Rain? Acid rain is a rain or any other form of precipitation that is unusually acidic, i.e. elevated levels of hydrogen ions (low pH). It can have harmful effects on plants, aquatic animals, and infrastructure through the process of wet deposition. Acid rain is caused by emissions of compounds of ammonium, carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur which react with the water molecules in the atmosphere to produce acids 65. Acid Precipitation? Acid precipitation is more commonly referred to as acid rain, but can also mean sleet, snow, fog, or mist with an unusually high acid component.