Chapter 4 – Environmental management
1. Reorganize the following food chain. Describe the ecosystem to which it belongs.
Grasshopper → Snake → Paddy field → Eagle → Frog.
Ans:
(i) Correct food chain:
Paddy field → Grasshopper → Frog → Snake → Eagle
(ii) This food chain belongs to the Paddy field ecosystem. It is a man-made ecosystem.
(iii) Paddy is cultivated on a large scale in various states of South India.
(iv) Paddy fields are frequently attacked by grasshoppers.
(v) Similarly frogs are also present in large numbers in the mud of paddy fields to feed upon grasshoppers and snakes are also present therein to feed upon their favorite food i.e. frogs.
(vi) Eagles feed on snakes which keeps a check on the number of snakes in the ecosystem.
2. Explain the statement – ‘We have got this Earth planet on lease from our future generations and not as an ancestral property from our ancestors.’
Ans:
(i) Existence of man is entirely dependent on the existence of the ecosystem.
(ii) Man derives his benefits by using various components of the ecosystem.
(iii) We can get these materials easily from nature as our ancestors protected and conserved them for us.
(iv) Today man has proved his superiority as compared to other animals. He is indiscriminately using natural resources for personal greed.
(v) Due to this, future generations may not benefit from nature. They will suffer from pollution, drought, unseasonal rains, greenhouse effect etc.
(vi) Thus, it is our responsibility to preserve, conserve and protect nature so that next generations will get a conducive climate and their life may not be in trouble.
(vii) Thus it is rightly said that, we got the planet earth on lease from our future generations and not ancestral property.
(viii) Nature is not our ancestral property but we have to take care of it so that it can be handed over to next generations without any further damage to it.
3. Write short notes.
a. Environmental Conservation.
Ans:
(i) All the developed, developing and underdeveloped countries have accepted the responsibility of environment protection.
(ii) It will be possible to answer the environmental problems only if environmental protection-conservation becomes an effective public
movement.
(iii) For this purpose, values like positive attitude and affection towards the environment, knowledge about it, etc. should be inculcated among the children since their childhood.
(iv) Human establishments dominate over nature. In an attempt to live a satisfactory life, humans keep on snatching as much from nature as possible and this leads to an increase in problems.
(v) Environmental conservation is our social responsibility.
(vi) Various laws are enacted about environmental conservation. Humans have a crucial role in environmental conservation.
(vii) These laws are to be implemented strictly and whoever is a culprit, should be severely punished.
b. Chipko Movement of Bishnoi.
Ans:
(i) In the 1970s, an opposition to the destruction of forests spread throughout India and came to be known as the Chipko movement.
(ii) The name of the movement comes from the word ‘embrace’ as the villagers hugged the trees and prevented the contractors from felling them.
(iii) Many communities in India have helped save nature. One such is the Bishnoi community of Rajasthan.
(iv) The original Chipko movement was started around 260 years back in Rajasthan by this community. A large group of villagers led by a lady called Amrita Devi laid down their lives in an effort to protect the trees from being felled on the orders of the Maharaja of Jodhpur.
(v) After this incident the Maharaja gave a strong royal decree preventing the cutting of trees in all Bishnoi villages.
(vi) The success achieved by this protest led to similar protests in other parts of the country.
c. Biodiversity.
Ans:
(i) Biodiversity is the richness of living organisms in nature due to the presence of varieties of organisms, ecosystems and genetic variations within a species. Biodiversity occurs at three different levels.
(a) Genetic Diversity:
Occurrence of diversity among the organisms of the same species is genetic diversity. For example, each human being is different from the other.
(b) Species Diversity:
Innumerable species of organisms occur in nature. This is called species diversity. Species diversity includes various types of plants, animals and microbes.
(c) Ecosystem Diversity:
Many ecosystems are present in each region. Ecosystem is formed through the interaction between plants, animals, their habitat and changes in the environment. Each ecosystem has its own characteristic animals, plants, microbes and abiotic factors.
d. Sacred Groves.
Ans:
(i) The forest conserved in the name of God and considered to be sacred is called a sacred grove.
(ii) Sacred groves are in fact ‘Sanctuaries’ conserved by the society and not by the government forest department.
(iii) As they have been conserved in the name of god, they have special protection.
(iv) These clusters of thick forests are present not only in Western Ghats of India but in the entire country.
(v) More than 13000 sacred groves have been reported in India.
(vi) They are called ‘Deorai’ in the local language and because of God, people do not cut the trees. This helps in their conservation.
e. Disaster and its management.
Ans:
(i) Various dangerous events occur many times in the environment. These are called disasters.
(ii) These are ‘all of a sudden’ troubles to mankind. Such events cause sudden changes in the environment and thereby, cause damage to it.
(iii) Disaster is a sudden event that leads to huge loss of life and property.
(iv) Disaster management is either prevention of disasters or making arrangements to face them or at least achieve the abilities to face them.
(v) Disasters are never planned but losses due to them can be prevented in a planned manner.
(vi) Disaster management is achieving or from time to time improving the ability to face the disaster through scientific and careful observations and analysis of data.
(vii) For example, preparing the action plan through study of various aspects like preventive measures, rehabilitation and reconstruction and executing that plan is management of disaster.
(viii) Increasing awareness about disaster management among the general public through training programs, mass media etc. will enable them to be always prepared for disaster rescue.
4. How will you justify that overcoming the pollution is a powerful way of environmental management?
Ans:
(i) Natural environment consists of air, atmosphere, water, land, living, organisms, etc.
(ii) Continuous interactions occur between biotic and abiotic factors. Their interactions are very important.
(iii) Environmental balance is maintained through continuous operation of various natural cycles like biogeochemical cycles.
(iv) When some natural factors of the environment and some artificial polluted factors harm the environment, it creates imbalance between various factors of the environment and ultimately affects the existence of biotic factors.
(v) The main threat to the ecosystem is the pollution of materials present in it. Sometimes it may damage the ecosystem completely in the course of time.
(vi) In environment management, we take the task of protecting, conserving and preserving the natural components of the ecosystem.
(vii) If we control the pollution, then the environmental management activities will succeed and the purpose will be served.
(viii) If there is minimum pollution, then the natural cycles will continue without any disturbance and biodiversity can be enriched.
5. Which projects will you run in relation to environmental conservation? How?
Ans:
(i) Project (1):
Tree plantation and cultivation: This program is necessary as only if people come to know the importance of a tree, plantations will increase and ‘cutting the trees‘ will never take place.
(ii) Project (2):
Save water: In this project, people and students will be made aware of the importance of water. At the same time, various methods of water conservation will be taught.
(iii) Project (3):
Wildlife conservation: Various places like sanctuaries, national parks can be visited to know more about the wild animals and we can make efforts to protect them.
(iv) Project (4):
Minimize or avoid use of plastic: With this activity, we can create awareness about the hazards of plastic and various programs can be conducted to create awareness about minimizing use of plastic and conserving the environment.
6. Answer the following.
a. Write the factors affecting the environment.
Ans:
(i) The biotic and abiotic factors affect the environment. Among abiotic factors, the physical and chemical factors can alter the conditions of the environment.
(ii) Abiotic factors are either natural or man-made
(iii) The various interrelationships between different living organisms can also affect the environment.
(iv) The natural disasters such as earthquakes, cyclones, cloud bursting, drought, etc. change the environment.
(v) The human activities such as deforestation, urbanisation, constructions etc. cause permanent damage to the ecosystems. Due to man-made impact. there can be large scale changes in the environment.
b. Why does the human beings have important place in environment?
Ans:
(i) Since the existence of humans, there has been an inter-relationship between humans and the environment.
(ii) Humans evolved on the Earth long after the formation of the Earth.
(iii) Human beings proved their superiority as compared to other animals with the help of characteristics like intelligence, memory, imagination etc. Humans established domination over nature.
(iv) They utilized all the natural resources as much as possible and this led to an increase in problems.
(v) From this entire scenario, we can understand that the human being has a crucial role in maintaining the environmental balance.
(vi) If he has disturbed the environmental balance, then he himself only can conserve and improve the quality of nature.
c. Write the types and examples of biodiversity.
Ans:
(i) Biodiversity is the richness of living organisms in nature due to the presence of varieties of organisms, ecosystems and genetic variations within species.
(ii) Biodiversity occurs at three different levels:
(a) Genetic Diversity:
Occurrence of diversity among organisms of the same species whose members are involved in sexual reproduction is genetic diversity.
(b) Species Diversity:
Innumerable species of organisms occur in nature. This is called species diversity. Species diversity includes various types of plants, animals and microbes.
(c) Ecosystem Diversity:
Many ecosystems are present in each region. Ecosystem is formed through the interactions between plants, animals, microorganisms and abiotic factors.
d. How the biodiversity can be conserved?
Ans: Biodiversity can be conserved in the following ways:
(i) Protecting rare species of organisms.
(ii) Establishing national parks and sanctuaries.
(iii) Declaring some regions as ‘bioreserves’.
(iv) Projects for conservation of special species.
(v) Conserving all plants and animals.
(vi) Maintaining records of the traditional knowledge.
(vii) Obeying the rules.
e. What do we learn from the story of Jadav Molai Peyang?
Ans: We can learn from the story of Jadav Molai Peyang that a positive attitude towards the environment, hard work with patience and a single person, with determination can establish a new forest.
f. Write the names of biodiversity hot spots.
Ans:
(i) There are 34 highly sensitive biodiversity spots which are reported all over the world. Such areas had once occupied 15.7% of the Earth.
(ii) At present, 86% of the sensitive areas are already destroyed
(iii) Some animals from the Western Ghats spread over the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Tamil Nadu and Kerala have been endangered due to the mining industry and search for natural gas.
(iv) Habitats of Asiatic Lion and Wild Bison of this region have been under threat.
(v) Manas Sanctuary of Assam is under threat due to dams and indiscriminate use of water. Tiger and Rhino of that region are under threat.
(vi) Sunderban Sanctuary of West Bengal is reserved for tigers. However, the tiger population and overall local environment is seriously challenged by dams, deforestation, excessive fishing, trenches dug for the same, etc.
g. Which are the reasons for endangering the many species of plants and animals? How can we save those?
Ans: Numerous species of animals and plants have become endangered due to activities of human beings.
(i) Animals and plants are the sources of income for some people. Hence, poaching takes place which becomes a big threat to the existence of animal and plant life.
(ii) Animal skin, flesh and bones are used for various purposes and thus they are killed.
(iii) Wood, medicinal plants, gums, resins are the plant products which are useful, hence plants are brutally cut.
(iv) Animals and plants have demand abroad for research and for medicines. Due to this, hunting takes place which results in making certain varieties endangered.
(v) Because of all these reasons, certain animals and plants became endangered.
(vi) We can save the remaining animal and plant life through environmental education, awareness programs, strict rules and regulations, implementing various environmental acts, and prohibiting poaching can prevent the loss of varieties of plants and animals.
h. What are the meanings of following symbols? Write your role accordingly?
(a)
Ans: This sign is used for indicating that ‘this object can be reused and recycled’. We can collect and give it to rag pickers.
(b)
Ans: This sign is used to indicate ‘Save Water’. We must close the taps which are left open, so as not to waste water.
(c)
Ans: This sign indicates ‘Solar Panel’. We can save energy by using solar energy.