CHAPTER 1 : KNOWING THE ENVIRONMENT

     KNOWING THE ENVIRONMENT

The climate will probably change.We could have bigger floods during the monsoon and severe droughts at other times.The term 'environment' is defined as the natural world in which plants ,animals and humans live.

Ecosystem

While discussing environmental issues, the term 'ecosystem' comes up often. An ecosystem is an area in which a particular group of organisms lives and interacts with its environment.A puddle of water, a stream, a clump of bushes, a thick forest, or a large desert-all are ecosystem.

A forests ecosystem consists of trees, animals, birds, butterfly,etc. An ocean ecosystem includes the waves, currents, marine animals, seaweeds, corals, temperature, salinity and so on.The ecosystem of this planet are interconnected and interdependent.Ecosystem provide us with invaluable services.For example, a forest ecosystem retains water and releases it slowly. A wetland ecosystem cleans up water. Many ecosystem together keep the global water cycle going.Such benefits that we get from nature are called ecosystem services.

Basic terms related to environment

Environment: The natural world in which people, animals and plants live. 

Ecology: The science that studies the relationship between living things and their environment. It is often considered to be a part of biology.

Environmental science: The systematic and scientific study of our environment and our role in it.

Environmental education: A subject concerned with all environmental issues. It has a wider coverage than environmental science, or ecology. It includes the social aspects of the environment.

Environmental degradation: It refers to the damage caused to the natural environment. When we cut down forests, or we pollute a river by dumping waste into it , we are causing environment degradation.

Environmental conservation: It includes all the ways in which we protect nature and reverse the damage caused to the  natural environment. When we prevent the killing of wildlife, or we turn a barren land into a forest, we are conserving the environment.

Environmentalists

An environmentalist tries to conserve the environment in many ways. For example, as an environmentalist, you could wok as a volunteer to protect trees, birds, or wildlife.Or you could help save water.