MOST IMPORTANT TOPICS AND STUDY MATERIAL FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
MOST IMPORTANT TOPICS AND STUDY MATERIAL FOR ENVIRONMENTAL
STUDIES
Textbook for Environmental Studies For Undergraduate Courses of all Branches of Higher
Education
Part A: Important Questions (2 marks; one or two sentences)
1. Renewable resources2. Non renewable resources
3. Ecosystem
4. Food chain
5. Food web
6. Energy pyramid
7. Estuary
8. Biodiversity
9. Climate change
10. Global warming
11. Acid rain
12. Population explosion
13. AIDS
14. Infectious diseases
15. Environmental health
Part B Important Questions (5 marks; one page write up)
1. Difference between renewable and non renewable energy resources
2. Structure and functions of an ecosystem Eg Aquatic Ecosystem; Marine ecosystem
etc
3. Food chains (elaborate with diagram and relationship)
4. Grassland ecosystem (elaborate with diagram and relationship)
5. Genetic, Species, Ecosystem Diversity
6. Hotspots Of Biodiversity
7. Threats To Biodiversity
8. Conservation Of Biodiversity
9. Solid Waste Management
10. Role Of Individuals In Pollution Prevention
11. Disaster Management
12. From Unsustainable To Sustainable Development
13. Urban Problems Related To Energy
14. Climate change and global warming
15. Environmental And Human Health
16. Role Of Information Technology In Environment And Human Health
17. Solid waste management
18. Vermicomposting
Part C: Major questions 14 marks 4 pages write up
2. Explain about forest resources
3. Structure and functions of any one of the ecosystem in details; Most important
ecosystems are
(a) aquatic ecosystem
(b) marine ecosystem
(c) and forest ecosystem.
4. Producers, Consumers and Decomposers-Details with examples
5. Values of Biodiversity –very important
6. Threats and conservation of biodiversity
7. Cause effect and control measures of any one of the pollution in detail important are
(a) Water pollution
(b) Air pollution
(c) Marine Pollution
(d) Land pollution
8. Solid waste management
9. Disaster Management
IMPORTANT TOPICS AND STUDY MATERIAL FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
These questions are indicative only. Not a complete list; For complete coverage, refer
Textbook for Environmental Studies For Undergraduate Courses of all Branches of Higher
Education
Part A: Important Questions (2 marks; one or two sentences)
17. Non renewable resources
18. Deforestation
19. Afforestation
20. Ecosystem
21. Producer
22. Consumer
23. Decomposer
24. Food chain
25. Food web
26. Energy pyramid
27. Keystone species
28. Flagship species
29. Ecological succession
30. Climax
31. Estuary
32. Biodiversity
33. Genetic diversity
34. Biogeography
35. Endangered species
36. Pollution
37. Pollutant
38. Point source of pollution
39. Non point source of pollution
40. Municipal solid waste
41. Composting
42. Vermicomposting
43. Landslide
44. Energy crisis
45. Climate change
46. Global warming
47. Acid rain
48. Ozone depletion
49. Consumerism
50. Environment Protection Act.
51. Wildlife Protection Act
52. Population explosion
53. AIDS
54. Infectious diseases
55. Environmental health
56. HIV
Part B Important Questions (5 marks; one page write up)
19. Difference between renewable and non renewable energy resources
20. Forest Resources
21. Energy Resources
22. Structure and functions of an ecosystem Eg Aquatic Ecosystem; Marine ecosystem
etc
23. Energy flow in the ecosystem-Link all the natural cycles such as water cycle
24. Food chains (elaborate with diagram and relationship)
25. Food webs (elaborate with diagram and relationship)
26. Ecological pyramids (elaborate with diagram and relationship)
27. Grassland ecosystem (elaborate with diagram and relationship)
28. Genetic, Species, Ecosystem Diversity
29. Genetic, Species, Ecosystem Diversity
30. Biodiversity At Global, National And Local Levels
31. Hotspots Of Biodiversity
32. Threats To Biodiversity
33. Conservation Of Biodiversity
34. Solid Waste Management
35. Role Of Individuals In Pollution Prevention
36. Disaster Management
37. From Unsustainable To Sustainable Development
38. Urban Problems Related To Energy
39. Water Conservation Explain about rain water harvesting and water shed
management
40. Environmental Ethics: Issues And Possible Solutions
41. Climate change and global warming
42. Nuclear disaster
43. Any one of the pollution Like Noise pollution, marine pollution etc
44. Role of information technology in environment and human health
45. Wasteland Reclamation
46. Air (Prevention And Control Of Pollution) Act
47. Water (Prevention And Control Of Pollution) Act
48. Environment Protection Act
49. Wildlife Protection Act
50. Forest Conservation Act
51. Population Explosion
52. Environmental And Human Health
53. Infectious diseases
54. Water related diseases
55. Role Of Information Technology In Environment And Human Health
56. Solid waste management
57. Vermicomposting
58. Environmental value education
Part C: Major questions 14 marks 4 pages write up
10. Different types of natural resources
11. Sustainable use of natural resources
12. Conservation of natural resources
13. Explain about forest resources
14. Structure and functions of any one of the ecosystem in details; Most important
ecosystems are
(a) aquatic ecosystem
(b) marine ecosystem
(c) and forest ecosystem.
15. Producers, Consumers and Decomposers-Details with examples
16. Megabiodiversity countries and their importance
17. Values of Biodiversity –very important
18. Biogeographical classification of India
19. Threats and conservation of biodiversity
20. Cause effect and control measures of any one of the pollution in detail important are
(a) Water pollution
(b) Air pollution
(c) Marine Pollution
(d) Land pollution
21. Solid waste management
22. Disaster Management
23. Unsustainable to sustainable development
24. Water conservation
25. Climate and change and effect on environment
26. Population growth and effect on environment
27. All the Acts related to environment. Question may have subdivisions
28. A case study may be given; For example you may have to provide a solution for a
realtime environmental problem
29. Role of IT in disaster management
30. Role of individual in prevention and control of environmental pollution
ANSWERS
1. Renewable resources:
A renewable resource is an organic natural resource which can replenish to
overcome usage and consumption, either through biological reproduction or other
naturally recurring processes. Eg food grains
2. Non renewable resources:
A non-renewable resource (also called a finite resource) is a resource that does
not renew itself at a sufficient rate for sustainable economic extraction in
meaningful human time-frames. Eg-Petrol
3. Deforestation:
Deforestation is the permanent destruction of forests in order to make the land
available for other uses
4. Afforestation:
Afforestation is the establishment of a forest or stand of trees in an area where
there was no forest
5. Ecosystem:
An ecosystem is a community of living organisms (plants, animals and microbes)
in conjunction with the nonliving components of their environment (things like
air, water and mineral soil), interacting as a system. Eg Marine ecosystem
6. Producer:
Producers are organisms that can make their own energy through biochemical
processes (a process in living things that involves chemical reactions). Eg Plants
7. Consumer:
Consumers are organisms of an ecological food chain that receive energy by
consuming other organisms. Eg Animals
8. Decomposer:
Decomposers are organisms that break down dead or decaying organisms, and in
doing so, carry out the natural process of decomposition Eg. Earthworms, bacteria
mushrooms
9. Food chain:
A food chain is a linear sequence of links in a food web starting from "producer"
species (such as grass or trees) and ending at apex predator species (like grizzly
bears or killer whales) or decomposer species (such as fungi or bacteria).
10. Food web:
A food web (or food cycle) is the natural interconnection of food chains and
generally a graphical representation (usually an image) of what-eats-what in an
ecological community.
11. Energy pyramid:
An energy pyramid is a graphical model of energy flow in a community. The
different levels represent different groups of organisms that might compose a food
chain
12. Keystone species:
A keystone species is a species that has a disproportionately large effect on its
environment relative to its abundance. Such species are described as playing a
critical role in maintaining the structure of an ecological community, affecting
many other organisms in an ecosystem and helping to determine the types and
numbers of various other species in the community. Eg tiger
13. Flagship species:
The flagship species concept holds that by raising the profile of a particular
species, it can successfully leverage more support for biodiversity conservation at
large in a particular context.
14. Ecological succession:
Ecological succession is the observed process of change in the species structure of
an ecological community over time.
15. Climax:
In ecology, climax community, or climatic climax community, is a historic term
that expressed a biological community of plants and animals and fungi which,
through the process of ecological succession the development of vegetation in an
area over time, had reached a steady state.
16. Estuary:
An estuary is a body of water formed where freshwater from rivers and streams
flows into the ocean, mixing with the seawater.
17. Biodiversity:
Biodiversity is the variety of different types of life found on earth. It is a measure
of the variety of organisms present in different ecosystems.
18. Genetic diversity:
Genetic diversity refers to the total number of genetic characteristics in the
genetic makeup of a species.
19. Biogeography:
Biogeography is the study of the distribution of species and ecosystems in
geographic space and through geological time.
20. Endangered species:
An Endangered species is a species which has been categorized by
the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List as likely to
become extinct.
21. Pollution:
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that
causes adverse change.
22. Pollutant:
A 'pollutant is a substance or energy introduced into the environment that has
undesired effects, or adversely affects the usefulness of a resource.
23. Point source of pollution:
A point source of pollution is a single identifiable source
of air, water, thermal, noise or light pollution.
24. Non point source of pollution:
Non-point source (NPS) pollution refers to both water and air pollution from
diffuse sources. Although these pollutants have originated from a point source,
the long-range transport ability and multiple sources of the pollutant make it a
non-point source of pollution.
25. Municipal solid waste:
Municipal solid waste includes commercial and residential wastes generated in a
municipal or notified area in either solid or semi-solid form excluding industrial
hazardous wastes but including treated bio-medical wastes.
26. Composting:
Composting involves collecting organic waste, such as food scraps and yard
trimmings, and storing it under conditions designed to help it break down
naturally. This resulting compost can then be used as a natural fertilizer.
27. Vermicomposting:
Vermicompost is the product or process of composting using various worms,
usually red wigglers, white worms, and other earthworms to create
a heterogeneous mixture of decomposing vegetable or food waste, bedding
materials, and vermicast. The process of producing vermicompost is
called vermicomposting.
28. Landslide:
Landslide, also known as a landslip, is a geological phenomenon that includes a
wide range of ground movements, such as rock falls, deep failure of slopes and
shallow debris flows.
29. Energy crisis:
An energy crisis is any great bottleneck (or price rise) in the supply
of energy resources to an economy.
30. Climate change:
Climate change is a change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns when
that change lasts for an extended period of time (i.e., decades to millions of
years).
31. Global warming:
Global warming is the term used to describe a gradual increase in the average
temperature of the Earth's atmosphere and its oceans, a change that is believed to
be permanently changing the Earth's climate.
32. Acid rain:
Acid rain is caused by a chemical reaction that begins when compounds like
sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are released into the air. These substances can
rise very high into the atmosphere, where they mix and react with water, oxygen,
and other chemicals to form more acidic pollutants, known as acid rain.
33. Ozone depletion:
Ozone depletion is the steady decline of ozone in Earth's stratosphere (the ozone
layer), due to pollutants.
34. Consumerism:
Consumerism refers to protection or promotion of the interests of consumers. The
growth of consumerism has led to many organizations improving their service to
the customer.
35. Environment Protection Act:
The Environment (Protection) Act was enacted in 1986 with the objective of
providing for the protection and improvement of the environment. The Act was
last amended in 1991.It empowers the Central Government to establish authorities
to tackle specific environmental problems that are peculiar to different parts of the
country.
36. Wildlife Protection Act:
The Government enacted Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 with the objective of
effectively protecting the wildlife of this country and to control poaching,
smuggling and illegal trade in wildlife and its derivatives. The Act was amended
in January 2003.
37. Population explosion:
A rapid increase in the size of a population or
the geometric expansion of a biological population caused by such factors as a
sudden decline in infant mortality or an increase in life expectancy.
38. AIDS:
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions
caused by Human immunodeficiency virus infection. It is a sexually transmitted
disease.
39. Infectious diseases:
Infectious diseases, also known as transmissible diseases or communicable
diseases, are caused by pathogenic microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses,
parasites or fungi; the diseases can be spread, directly or indirectly, from one
person to another.
40. Environmental health:
Environmental health is the branch of public health that is concerned with all
aspects of the natural and built environment that may affect human health.
Part B Important Questions (4 marks; half a page to one page write up)
Define-Renewable Energy and non renewable energy, Advantages of Renewable
Sources, Disadvantages of Renewable Sources, Advantages of Non Renewable Sources,
Disadvantages of Non Renewable Sources.
2. Forest Resources:
Forest resources:
Use and over-exploitation,
Deforestation- case studies,
Timber extraction,
Mining and dams ,
Their effects on forest and tribal people,
Forest Conservation Act.
3. Energy Resources:
Energy resources:
Growing energy needs,
renewable and non renewable energy sources,
use of alternate energy sources,
Case studies.
4. Structure and functions of an ecosystem Eg Aquatic Ecosystem; Marine ecosystem
etc
Structural aspects- Inorganic aspects – C, N, CO2, H2O, Organic compounds – Protein,
Carbohydrates,Lipids ,link abiotic to biotic aspects, Climatic regimes – Temperature,
Moisture,Light & Topography, Producers – Plants, Macro consumers – Phagotrophs –
Large Animals, Micro consumers – Saprotrophs, absorbers– fungi.
Functional aspects Energy cycles- Food chains,Diversity-interlinkages between
organisms,Nutrient cycles-biogeochemical cycles, Evolution.
E,g-Aquatic Ecosystem; Marine ecosystem,etc.
5. Energy flow in the ecosystem-Link all the natural cycles such as water cycle:
The water cycle,
The Carbon cycle,
The Oxygen cycle,
The Nitrogen cycle,
The energy cycle,
Integration of cycles in nature.
6. Food chains (elaborate with diagram and relationship):
Food chain is a series of groups of organisms called trophic levels, in which, there is
repeated eating and eaten by so as to transfer food energy
Components of a Food Chain:
Plants - 'base' of the food chain,
Herbivores - feed on plants; many are adapted to live on a diet high in cellulose
Omnivores - feed on both plants and animals
Carnivores - feed on herbivores, omnivores, & other carnivores
1. lst level carnivore - feeds on herbivores
2. 2nd level carnivore - feeds on 1st level carnivores
Decomposers
1. the 'final' consumer group
2. use energy available in dead plants and animals
3. transform organic material into inorganic material
elaborate with diagram and relationship
Eg;- grazing food chain- grassland ecosystem Grass→Rabbit→Fox→Wolf→Tiger ,etc.
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