BBR36803 Introduction to Environmental Science

Chapter 1:
Introduction to
Environment

Chapter Outlines
Upon completion of this chapter, student should be able
to:Define the term environment and identify some
important environmental concern

Describe matter, atoms, molecules

Define species, populations, biological

communities and ecosystem and understand their
systems

Explain the importance of material cycles such as

carbon and nitrogen cycle in ecosystem

Introduction

Environmental Science
Environmental science is the systematic study of our environment and
place in it. It integrates information from various discipline such as biology,
chemistry, geography, agriculture and many more
The relationship between human and nature shall always keep in harmony.
For instance; people affect environment, and the environment also affects
people.
Environment: all the living and non-living things around us
Animals, plants, forests, farms, etc.
Continents, oceans, clouds, ice caps
Structures, urban centers, living spaces
Social relationships and institutions

Introduction

Needs of Living Things

All living things have needs too. All
organisms need:
Energy

Air
Food and Water

Living
Space

Acceptable
Temperature

Introduction

Where we live?

Natural
world

Our
beautiful
Earth
Social
Institution

Image sources: icicp.blogspot.com;

www.universetoday.com

Introduction

The Nature of Environmental Science

Environment
An

impacts Humans

interdisciplinary field
Natural sciences:
examines the natural
world
Environmental
science programs
Social sciences:
examines values and
human behavior
Environmental
studies programs

Introduction

Humans depend on a healthy, functioning planet

The fundamental insight of environmental science:
We are part of the natural world, but we can also
change it
Our interactions with its other parts matter a great
deal
We depend completely on the environment for survival
Increased health, longer lives, wealth, mobility,
leisure
But natural systems have been degraded by
pollution, soil erosion, species extinction, etc.
Environmental changes threaten long-term health
and survival

Environment the total of our surroundings

All the things around us with

which we interact:
Living things (biotic)
animals, plants, forests,
fungi, etc.
Nonliving things (abiotic)
continents, oceans, clouds,
soil, rocks
Our built environment
buildings, human-created
living centers

Introduction

What is Environmental Science about

Environmental science is the study of:

How the natural world works
How the environment affects humans and vice
versa
We need to understand our interactions with the
environment
To creatively solve environmental problems
Global conditions are rapidly changing
We are also rapidly gaining knowledge
The opportunity to solve problems is still
available

The tragedy of commons

Garrett Hardin, 1968:

In a commons open
to all, unregulated use
will deplete limited
resources.

Why we learn Environmental Science

How does the natural world work?

How does our environment affect us?

How do we affect our environment?

Applied goal: Developing solutions to environmental

problems.

1.1 Matter, Energy and Life

Matter, Energy and Life

What is Matter?

Everything that takes up

space and has mass is
matter.
Has three
interchangeable physical
forms or phases: gas,
liquid and solid.
Matter is transformed and
combined in different
ways, but it doesnt
disappear. This condition
known as the physical
principle of conservation
of matter.

Image source: schragerscience5.wikispaces.com

Matter, Energy and Life

What is Energy?

Energy and matter are

essential constituents of
both the universe and
living organism.
Matter is the material of
which things are made,
energy is the capacity to
do work such as moving
matter over a distance.

Image source: www.homes-energy-efficient.com

Matter, Energy and Life

Energy can take many

different form. Heat, light,
electricity, and chemical
energy are common forms.
Kinetic energy is the
energy that contained in
moving objects.
E.g. water flowing over a
dam, wind blowing
through tree, rock rolling
down the hill, or
electrons speeding
around the nucleus of an
atom.

Matter, Energy and Life

Potential energy is stored

energy that is latent but
available to use.
E.g. a rock poised at the top
of the hill contains potential
energy, which is converted
to kinetic energy when the
rock starts rolling down the
hill, gasoline, food and etc
Measured in units of heat
(calories) or work (joules). 1
joule is the work done when
one kg is accelerated 1 m per
second per second (1J= 1
kg.m2/s2)

Matter, Energy and Life

Heat described the energy

that can be transferred
between object of different
temperature.
When the substance absorbs
heat, its internal energy
increases, or it may change
state; a solid may become
liquid, or a liquid become gas.
E.g. heat a water
Liquid change to vapor

Matter, Energy and Life

Most energy used in ecosystems originates as

sunlight.
Green plant capture and convert some of this
energy to chemical energy which can be used or
stored.
Animal consume plants and convert some of the
chemical energy o kinetic energy and heat.
Under thermodynamic law, energy is conserved; it
is neither created or destroyed under normal
conditions. It may be transferred or transformed but
the total amount of energy remains the same.
Eventually, the energy dissipates and becomes no
longer useful. It is degraded from higher quality to
lower quality forms as it moves through living
systems.

Matter, Energy and Life

Natural Resources

Renewable resources like sunlight cannot be depleted.

Nonrenewable resources like oil CAN be depleted.

Resources like timber and clean water are renewable

only if we do not overuse them.

Matter, Energy and Life

Image sources: live-the-solution.com

1.2 Atoms, Molecules and

Compounds

Atoms, Molecules and Compounds

An Atom is the smallest particle that exhibits the

characteristics of the element.
Atom are tiny units of matter composed of positively
charged protons, negative charged electron and
electrically neutral neutrons.
Protons and neutrons approximately have the same
mass. Electrons which are tiny move at high speed
around nucleus. Atom have equal numbers of
electrons and protons are neutral.

Atoms, Molecules and Compounds

Charged atoms are called ions.

Positive anion; has a negative charge
Negative cation; has a positive charge
Identify atom by their atomic number (number of
protons in their nuclei). E.g. hydrogen (H) atom has 1
protons, while carbon (c) has 6.
Atoms have some tendency to lose or gain
electrons, most are not electrically stable as
individuals. Gain stability by joining to from
molecules.
Molecules is a group of atoms, such as O 2, N2, H2
etc
A molecule containing different kinds of atoms is
called a compounds. E.g. water H2O

Atoms, Molecules and Compounds

Atoms, Molecules and Compounds

Chemical Reactions

Occurred when bonds are broken and re-formed

among atoms and compounds.
Some reactions such as breakdown of sugar
molecules can be very complex, but all reactions
follow basic principle of physic. E.g. light a gas
stove
CH4 + 2O2

CO2 + H2O

The reaction shows how atoms are rearranged into

new compounds when methane was burned.

1.3 Biochemical Cycles and Life

Processes

Food Chain, Food Web and Trophic Level

Living systems are maintained by the use and

recycling of energy and matter. Conceptually, we
organize living systems in terms of species,
populations, biological communities, and
ecosystems.
A species is most often defined as all organism
that are genetically similar enough to breed and
produce live.
A population consists of all members of a species
that live in the same area at the same time.

A biological community consists of all the

populations living and interacting in an area
A biological community make up an ecological
system or ecosystem

Organism identified by the kinds of food they eat.

Herbivores- eat plant
Carnivores eat flesh
Omnivores eat both plant and animal matter
Scavengers such as crows, jackals and vultures clean
up the dead carcasses of large animal.
Detritivores such as ant
and
beetles
consume
detritus while decomposer
organism such as fungi
and bacteria complete the
final break down and
return nutrients to the soil

Biochemical Cycles

The elements and compounds that sustain us are

cycled endlessly through living things and the
environment.
This movement referred as biochemical cycles
Human activities alter flow rates in the natural
cycle, overwhelming the environment ability to
process them, can become pollutants.
Water, Sulfur, nitrogen, and phosphorus are some
of the serious example of this.

Hydrologic Cycles

The continuous
movement of water on,
above and below the
surface of the earth.

The water moves from one reservoir to another, such

as from river to ocean, or from the ocean to the
atmosphere, by the physical processes of evaporation,
condensation, precipitation, infiltration, runoff , and
subsurface flow. In so doing, the water goes through
different phases: liquid, solid (ice), and gas (vapor).

Carbon Cycles

Carbon cycle is the biogeochemical cycle by which

carbon is exchanged among the biosphere, and
atmosphere.
Carbon
passes
into
ecosystems
through
photosynthesis and is captured in the bodies and
products of living organism.
Weathering, respiration, and combustion release
carbon to the atmosphere. Carbon may be locked up
for long periods in both organic(coal, oil, gas) and
inorganic (limestone, dolomite) geological formations,
called carbon sinks.

Carbon Cycles

Nitrogen Cycles

The nitrogen cycle is the process by which nitrogen is

converted between its various chemical forms. This
transformation can be carried out through both
biological and physical processes. Important processes
in the nitrogen cycle include fixation, ammonification,
nitrification and denitrification.
The nitrogen cycle is of particular interest to ecologist
because nitrogen availability can affect the rate of key
ecosystem processes, including primary production
and decomposition.

Human activities such as fossil

fuel combustion, use of artificial
nitrogen fertilizers, and release
of nitrogen in wastewater have
dramatically altered the global
nitrogen cycle.

The blue boxes represent stores of

nitrogen, the green writing is for
processes that occur to move the
nitrogen from one place to another
and the red writing are all the bacteria
involved.

Phosphorus Cycles

Minerals become available to organism after they are

released from rocks.
Two minerals particular significant to organism are
phosphorus and sulfur.
The amount of phosphorus in an environment can
dramatically
affect
productivity.
Abundant
of
phosphorus stimulates lush plant and algal growth,
making phosphorus a major contribution to water
pollution.
Phosphorus cycle begins when phosphorous leach
from rocks and minerals over a long period of time.

Humans have greatly influenced the P cycle by mining

P, converting it to fertilizer, and by shipping fertilizer
and products around the globe.
Transporting P in food from farms to cities has made a
major change in the global P cycle. However,
excessive
amounts
of
nutrients,
particularly
phosphorus and nitrogen, are detrimental to aquatic
ecosystems.

Sulfur Cycles
The sulfur cycle is the collection of processes by
which sulfur moves to and from minerals (including the
waterways) and living systems. Biogeochemical cycles
are important for life because sulfur is an essential
element, being a constituent of many proteins and cofactors
Steps of the sulfur cycle are:
Mineralization of organic sulfur into inorganic forms,
such as hydrogen sulfide (H2S), elemental sulfur, as
well as sulfide minerals.
Oxidation
of hydrogen sulfide, sulfide, and
elemental sulfur (S) to sulfate (SO42).
Reduction of sulfate to sulfide.
Incorporation sulfide into organic compounds (including
metal-containing derivatives).

1.4 Changes in Environment

Changes in Environment

Ecosystems are always changing. Sometimes

those changes are quite fast, like in the case of
a natural disaster.
A natural disaster like a flood, fire,
earthquake, mudslide, hurricane or volcanic
eruption can instantly change an environment
and kill the communities that live there.
If this happens, a new community will replace
the old community over time. This is called
succession.
An example of succession is when a field is left
untouched for a long time, it may turn into a
forest. If a volcano wipes out a forest, it will
eventually grow back.

Activities that Harm Our Environment

Water Pollution

Any physical, biological or

chemical changes in water
quality that adversely affects
living organisms or makes
water unsuitable for desired
uses can be considered
pollution.
Polluted water can destroys
life
in
the
freshwater
ecosystems and oceans.
Two sources of water pollution;
(i) Natural (ii) Human

Activities that Harm Our Environment

Air Pollution

We pollute our air with factory

pollution and car exhaust.
Organisms, including humans
need clean air to survive
The air quality in Malaysia is
reported as the Air Pollution
Index (API). Four of the
index's pollutant components
(i.e., carbon monoxide, ozone,
nitrogen dioxide and sulfur
dioxide) are reported in ppmv
but PM10 particulate matter is
reported in g/m3.

Activities that Harm Our Environment

This scale below shows the health classifications used

by the Malaysian government.

If the API exceeds 500, a state of emergency is

declared in the reporting area. Usually, this means that
non-essential government services are suspended, and
all ports in the affected area are closed. There may also
be a prohibition on private sector commercial and
industrial activities in the reporting area excluding the
food sector

Activities that Harm Our Environment

Soil Pollution

The soil pollution is defined as

the presence of materials in the
soil which are harmful to the
living beings when they cross
their threshold concentration
levels.

We pollute our ground with

chemicals, hazardous waste
and
garbage.
These
hazardous materials can get
into our drinking water and
harm us.

Activities that Harm Our Environment

Waste: People produce so much

waste! Humans should be encouraged
to follow the three Rs: reduce, reuse,
and recycle! Many materials like
plastic, glass, metal and paper can be
recycled and re-used without causing
more harm to our environment.

Construction: Expanding the

places where humans live
harms the natural ecosystems.
Life in those ecosystems must
move elsewhere and some do
not survive.

Activities that Harm Our Environment

Spraying pesticides and

insecticides. It kills the bugs we
dont want, but what does it do to
the environment?

Deforestation is the cutting down

of many trees and not replacing
them. We use wood as a
resource, but trees support plant
and animal life. We must think
about our future before cutting
down acres of forests, without
making plans to replace them!

Activities that Harm Our Environment

The greenhouse effect

There are gases in the Earths atmosphere that

are known as greenhouse gasses. The gases
let sunlight pass through and trap some of the
suns heat so that the Earth stays warm. This
is called the greenhouse effect.
This is great for plants and animals to live, but
too much greenhouse effect is a bad thing.
Worldwide pollution caused by humans is
creating more greenhouse gasses. Some
scientists believe that this will increase the
temperature of the planet, resulting in global
warming.

Activities that Harm Our Environment

Global warming is caused by human activity

such as pollution. Pollution from the burning of
fossil fuels is causes too many greenhouse
gases to enter our atmosphere.
A warmer Earth may lead to the polar ice caps
melting which could cause flooding, extreme
weather conditions like hurricanes and
changes in rainfall patterns

Activities that Harm Our Environment

Ozone Depletion

The Earth is protected by the

atmosphere. The atmosphere
is the air that surrounds the
Earth. It protects us from the
suns bad rays.
Ozone, a gas, absorbs most of
the UV rays. Ozone protects
people when it is high in the
atmosphere, but it can hurt
people when it is near the
ground.

Activities that Harm Our Environment

Ozone Depletion

Smog, is a fog-like substance

caused by pollution. It contains
ozone that can harm people. Bad
ozone formed on Earth, rises into
the atmosphere and causes good
ozone to break down.
This thinning of the good ozone
layer weakens the part of the
atmosphere
that
protects
animals, plants and humans from
the sun. Again, humans creating
pollution is bad for our planet!

Changes in Environment

The Ecological Footprint

The environmental impact of

a person or population
Amount of biologically
productive land + water
for raw materials and to
dispose/recycle waste
Overshoot: humans have
surpassed the Earths
capacity

We are using 30% more of the planets resources

than are available on a sustainable basis!

Conclusion

Environmental science helps us understand our

relationship with the environment
It

informs our attempts to solve and prevent

problems

Identifying a problem is the first step in solving it

Solving environmental problems can move us

towards health, longevity, peace and prosperity
Environmental

science can help us find balanced

solutions to environmental challenges

THANK YOU

QUIZ 1
1. Please complete the chemical reaction below;2Fe4 + 3O2

2 Fe4O3

12 H2O + 6CO2 + sunlight 6O2 + C6H12O6 +

6H2O

QUIZ 1
2. The term environment includes
a)
b)
c)
d)

Animals and plants

Oceans and rivers
Soil and atmosphere
All of the above are included in this term

QUIZ 1
3. Do you think the rest of the world can have an ecological
footprint as large as the footprint of the United States?
a)
b)
c)
d)

Yes, because we will find new technologies and

resources
Yes, because the footprint of the United States is not
really that large
Definitely not; the world does not have that many
resources
It does not matter; its not that important