Unit I: INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AND NATURALRESOURCES

Two mark question

1. Define Environmental studies. Environmental studies are the process of educating the people for preserving quality environment 2. What is environment? Environment is sum total of water, air, and land, inter-relationships among themselves and also with the human beings, other living organisms and property 3. Mention the scope of Environmental studies. To get an awareness and sensitivity to the total environment and its related problems. To motivate the active participation in environmental protection and improvement. To develop skills for identifying and solving environmental problems. To know the necessity of conservation of natural resources. To evaluate environmental programmes interms of social, economic, ecological, and aesthetic factors. 4. Mention the importance of Environmental studies The air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we consume and the land we live on are all contaminated by the industrial activities. There is no zero pollution industry. Because of the lack of self discipline and not worrying about our, future generation, the valuable resources are polluted. To solve the above problems, the knowledge of environmental studies is very important. By environmental studies, people will understand the concept of "Need of development without destruction of environment". 5. What is mining? Mention the methods of mining. Or What are the types of mining? Mining is the process of extraction of metals from a mineral deposit Types of mining (a) Surface mining: Surface mining is the process of extraction of raw materials from the near-surface deposits. (b) Underground mining: It is the process of extraction of raw materials below the earth's surface. It includes i) Open-pit mining: In open-pit mining machines dig holes and remove the ores. Ex: Iron, copper, limestone, sand stone, marble, etc., (ii) Dredgeing: In dredging, chained buckets and draglines are used, which scrap up the minerals from under-water mineral deposit. (iii) Strip mining: In strip mining, the ore is stripped off by using bulldozers, stripping wheels 6. Enumerate the effects or impact of mining on the environment. Or State the environmental effects of extracting & using mineral resources. Devegetation and Defacing of Landscape Subsidence of Land Ground water Contamination Surface water Pollution Air Pollution Occupational Health Hazards 7. What are Dams? How is it useful to human beings? Benefits Dams are built to control flood and store flood water. Sometimes dams are used for diverting part or all of the water from river into a channel. Dams are used mainly for drinking and agricultural purposes.

 Dams are built for generating electricity. Dams are used for recreational purposes. Navigation and fishery can be developed in the dam areas 8. Discuss the problems of over-exploitation of Ground water. Or Mention the effects of ground water usage? Decrease of Ground Water Ground subsidence Lowering of water table Intrusion of salt water Earthquake and landslides Drying up of wells Pollution of water 9. What are the methods of flood control? Floods can be controlled by constructing dams or reservoirs. Channel management and embankments also control the floods. Encroachment of flood ways should be banned. Flood hazard may also be reduced by forecasting or flood warning. Flood may also be reduced by reduction of runoff by increasing infiltration through appropriate afforestation in the catchment area. 10. What are the up-stream impacts of constsruction of dams? Displacement of tribal people. Loss of non-forest land. Loss of forests, flora and fauna. Landslips, sedimentation and siltation occurs. Stagnation and water logging around reservoirs retards plant growth. Breeding of vectors and spread of vector-borne diseases. Reservoir induced seismicity (RIS) earthquakes. Navigation and aquaculture activities can be developed in the dam area. 11. Define under-nutrition & mal-nutrition. Under nutrition (or) under nourished: People who cannot buy enough food to meet their basic energy needs (carbohydrates) suffer from under nutrition. They receive less than 90% of these minimum dietary calories Malnutrition (or) malnourished: Besides the minimum calorie intake we also need proteins, minerals, vitamins, iron and iodine. Deficiency or lack of nutrition often leads to malnutrition resulting in several diseases 12. What are the merits of using renewable energy resources? Unlimited supply Provides energy security. Fits into sustainable development concept. Reliable and the devices are modular in size. Decentralized energy production 13. Why alternate energy resources are required? The increased power demand, depleting fossil fuel resources and growing environmental pollution have led the world to think seriously for other alternative sources of energy 14. What is the application of wind energy? Merits of renewable energy resources Unlimited supply Provides energy security. Fits into sustainable development concept. Reliable and the devices are modular in size.

 Decentralized energy production 15. Write a note on Geo-Thermal energy. The energy harnessed from the hot rocks present inside the earth is called geothermal energy Holes are drilled artificially upto the hot rocks and and pipes are put through which the steam gushes out at high pressure which turns the turbine of a generator to produce electricity 16. What is soil erosion? Clearing of forest cover exposes the soil to wind and rainfall, resulting in loss of top fertile soil layer 17. Differentiate between renewable & non-renewable energy resources. Difference in: Renewable resources 1) The resources that can be renewed by reproduction are called renewable resources. 2) Renewable resources are inexhaustible. 3) Renewable resources are not affected by the human activities. 4) All biotic resources are renewable. 5) For example: air and water. Non-renewable resources 1) The resources that are present in fixed quantities are called non-renewable resources. 2) Non-renewable resources are inexhaustible. 3) Non renewable resources are affected by human activities. 4) Some abiotic resources are non-renewable. 5) For example- fossil fuels and minerals. 18. Mention the advantages & disadvantages of modern agriculture.

19. What is an aquifer? Mention its types. A layer of highly permeable rock containing water is called an aquifer Types of aquifers 1. Unconfined aquifers 2. 2. Confined aquifer 20. Mention the types of drought. Meteorological drought. Hydrological drought. Agricultural drought. Socio-economic drought

21. What are super-pests? About 20 species of pests are now known which have become immune to all types of pesticides an are known as super pests 22. Define Eutrophication. Eutrophication means Over Nourishment Due to Eutrophication lakes get invaded by algal blooms; these algae grows very fast by rapidly using up the nutrients, they often are toxic and badly affect the food chain 23. What is biological magnification? Many of the pesticides are not biodegradable and keep on accumulating in the food chain, this process is called as bio-magnification 24. What is meant by sustainable development? 25. What are the major causes of deforestation? Developmental Projects Mining operations Raw materials for industries Fuel requirements Shifting cultivation Forest fires 26. What are the types of minerals? I. Based on Composition Based on composition, minerals can be classified into two types. 1. Metallic minerals: Metallic minerals are the one from which various metals can be extracted. Ex: Iron, aluminium, copper, zinc, etc., 2. Non-metallic minerals: Non-metallic minerals are the one from which various non-metallic compound can be extracted. Ex: Quartz, feldspar, dolomite, calcite, etc., II. Based on Usage Based on usage, minerals are classified into two types. 1. Critical minerals: These are essential for the economic power of a country. 2. Strategic minerals: These are required for the defence of a country. 27. What is microbial leaching technique? Bioleaching is the extraction of metals from their ores through the use of living organisms 28. What is carrying capacity? Carrying capacity refers to the number of individuals who can be supported in a given area within natural resource limits, and without degrading the natural social, cultural and economic environment for present and future generations 29. What are the types of soil erosion? Normal erosion or geologic erosion Accelerated erosion 30. What are the uses of various types of minerals? Development of industrial plants and machinery Ex: Iron, aluminium, copper, etc., Construction, housing, settlements. Ex: Iron, aluminium, nickel, etc., Generation of energy ( Coal, Lignite, Uranium, etc) Designing defense equipments, weapons, ornaments. Agriculture purposes, as fertilizers, seed dressings and fungicides (Zing, Manganese) Jewellery Making of alloys for various purpose phosphorites Communication purpose Telephone wire, etc..

 Medicinal purpose, particularly in ayurvedic system 31. What is bio-gas? It is mixture of methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen and hydrogen sulfide, the major constituent being methane Bio-gas is produced by anaerobic degradation of animal wastes in presence of water Bio-gas is non-polluting, clean and low cost fuel 32. What is nuclear energy? Nuclear energy is non- renewable source of energy, which is released during fission (disintegration) or fusion (union) of selected radioactive materials 33. Define sustainabe forestry. Sustainable forestry means managing our forest resources to meet the needs we have today without interfering with our future generations' needs. 34. State the need for public awareness for solving environmental problems. Man has overexploited the natural resource which leads to many enviromental problems such as acid rain, ozone layer depletion, green house effect, land slides, cancer and other health problems. Lack of awareness and less number of people participation leads to poor pollution management which are the major reasons for climate instability and unhealthy ecosystem. Hence, it is necessary to create awareness to the public about environmental problems and to protect the environment through implementing proper regulations. In order to protect the environment from the pollution, Supreme court has initiated the environmental awareness to the public through government and non governmental agencies. And it is important duty of us to cooperate with government from our side and work for the protection of environment. 35. What is water logging? Water logging is the land where water stand for most of the year 36. What is salinization? The process by which a nonsaline soil becomes saline, as by the irrigation of land with brackish water. 37. How forests are useful to mankind? Forests help us to maintain an ecological balance. They help to purify the air, regulate the climate, prevent soil erosion and replenish ground water and they are a rich source of medicinal plants and rare fruits 38. Give in detail the world forest distribution. 1/3rd of the worlds land area is forested. 39. What is deforestation? Deforestation is the process of removal of (or) elimination of forest resources due to many natural (or) man-made activities. In general deforestation means destruction of forests 40. List the causes of land degradation Land clearing and deforestation Agricultural mining of soil nutrients Urban conversion Irrigation Pollution 41. Name the factors that influence soil erosion Rainfall, soil type, landscape, crops, and farm management 42. What is the role of an individual in the conservation of natural resources? Conserve Water Conserve energy Protect the soil

 Promote Sustainable Agriculture 43. How do you protect forest? Conservation of forest includes planting of new trees and protecting the existing ones. Followings are the methods of conservation of forests. New plants of more or less of the same variety should be planted to replace the trees cut down for timber. Use of wood for fuel should be discouraged. Forest pests can be controlled by spraying pesticides by using aeroplanes. Forest fire must be controlled by modern techniques. Over grazing by cattle must be controlled. Steps should be taken by the government to discourage the migration of people into the islands from mainland. Education and awareness programmes must be conducted. Strict implementation of law of Forest Conservation Act 44. What is biosphere? The biosphere is the global sum of all ecosystems 45. What is meant by Carrying capacity ? Any system is the maximum population that can be supported by it on a sustainable basis 46. Define Desertification Desertification is a slow process of land degradation that leads to desert formation 47. Define habitat
Habitat is the surroundings in which a species live or Community includes all the populations of a given area, called the habitat.

48. What are critical and strategic mineral 1. Critical minerals: These are essential for the economic power of a country. 2. Strategic minerals: These are required for the defence of a country. 49. Write the demerits of solar energy 50. What are the harmful effects of landslides? 51. Write shorts notes on mineral resource of India

BIG QUESTION
1. What are conventional energy resources? Discuss about solar energy and Ocean thermal energy. Conventional energy resources are natural resources, which cannot be regenerated once they are exhausted. They cannot be used again. Ex: Coal, Petroleum, Natural Gas and Nuclear Fuels like Uranium Thorium which have accumulated in nature over a long span of time and cannot be quickly replenished when exhausted. Solar Energy Sun is the ultimate source of energy. The nuclear fusion reaction taking place inside the sun release enormous quantities of energy in the form of heat and light The solar energy received by the near earth space is approx. 1.4kJ/m2-s (solar constant) Traditional uses drying clothes and food grains, preservation eatables, for obtaining salt from seawater Techniques for harnessing Solar energy Solar Heat Collectors Solar Cells Solar Cookers Solar Water Heaters Solar Furnaces Solar Power Plants

Solar Cell They are also known as photovoltaic cells Solar cells are made of thin wafers of semi-conducting materials like silicon or gallium When solar radiations fall on them, a potential difference is produced which causes the flow of electrons and produces electricity The potential difference produced by a single PV cell of 4 cm2 size is about 0.4-0.5 volts and a current of 60 mA is produced Advantages of solar energy 1. Solar energy is free and it is available locally in abundance. 2. Solar energy is pollution free. 3. Systems are easy to install, generate and maintain. 4. System can be specifically designed according to 5. Supply of hot water is instant and un interrupted 6. Recurring fuel costs are zero 7. Heating 100 liters of water to 60o c by solar system results in an energy saving of 1200-1500units (kilowatts hours) of electricity per year. Ocean Thermal Energy The energy available due to the difference in temperature of water at the surface of the tropical oceans and at deeper levels is called ocean thermal energy A difference of 20C or more is required between surface water and deeper water of ocean for operating Ocean Thermal Energy Conservation power plants The warm surface water of ocean is used to boil a liquid like ammonia, the high pressure vapors of the liquid are then used to turn turbine of a generator and produce electricity

2. Discuss the major causes & consequences of deforestation? CAUSES OF DEFORESTATION 1. Developmental Projects: Development projects cause deforestation in two ways. (i) Through submergence of forest area underwater.

(ii) Destruction of forest area. Ex: Bigdams, Hydroelectric projects and road construction etc., Hence, there is a need to discourage the undertaking of any development works in the forest area. 2. Mining operations: Mining have a' serious impact on forest areas. Mining operation reduces the forest area. Ex: Mica, coal, manganese, limestone, etc., 3. Raw materials for industries: Wood is the important raw material for so many purposes. Ex: For making boxes, furnitures, match-boxes, pulp, etc., Every year in lndia, the demand for wood is increased continuously. 4. Fuel requirements: In India both rural and tribal population is dependent on the forest for meeting their daily need of fuel wood, which leads to the pressure on forest, ultimately to deforestation. 5. Shifting cultivation: The replacement of natural forest ecosystem for monospecific tree plantation can lead to disappearance of number of plant and animal species. Ex: India is the richest nation with more than 15,000 species of plants, many of which is endangered due to deforestation 6. Forest fires: Forest fire is one of the major causes for deforestation. Due to human interruption and rise in ambient temperature, forest fire happens often nowadays. Thus, due to forest fire thousands of forest area gets destructed Consequences (or) ill effects (or) impact of deforestation on the environment Since many people are dependent on the forest resources, deforestation will have the following social, economic and ecological effects. 1. Global warming: The cutting and burning of forest trees increases the CO2 content in the atmosphere, which in turn changes the global climatic pattern, rising sea levels and depletion of the protective ozone layer. 2. Loss of genetic diversity: The destruction of our forest destroys the greatest storehouse of genetic diversity on earth, which provides new food and medicines for the entire world. 3. Soil erosion: Deforestation also causes soil erosion, landslides, floods, drought. Natural vegetation acts as a natural barrier to reduce the wind velocity, this in turn reduces soil erosion. 6000 million tons of soils get eroded every year in India. 4. Loss of biodiversity: Most of the species are very sensitive to any disturbance and changes. When the plants no longer exist, animals that depend on them for food and habitat become extinct. 5. Loss of food grains: As a result of soil erosion, the countries loose the food grains. 6. Unemployment problems: The people living around forest areas losses their Iivelihood. 7. Flood and Landslides: Frequent floods, landslides in hilly areas and wind speed are heavy 3. Explain the major impacts of timber extraction Effects or impact of Timber Extraction Poor logging results in degraded forests. Soil erosion, especially on slopes. Sedimentation of irrigation systems. Loss biodiversity. Climatic changes, such as lower precipitation. New logging roads permit shifting cultivators and fuel wood gatherers to gain access to logged areas.

 loss of non-timber products 4. What are the environmental impacts of mineral extraction? Explain IMPACTS OF MINING Devegetation and Defacing of Landscape Subsidence of Land Ground water Contamination Surface water Pollution Air Pollution Occupational Health Hazards ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT 1) Devegetation and defacing of landscape: The topsoil as well as the vegetation are removed from the mining area. Large scale deforestation or devegetation leads to several ecological losses and also landscape gets badly affected. 2) Groundwater contamination: Mining disturbs and also pollutes the ground water. 3) Surface water pollution: The drainage of acid mine often contaminates the nearby streams and lakes. The acidic water is harmful to many aquatic lifes. Radioactive substances like uranium also contaminate the surface water and kill many aquatic animals. 4) Air pollution: Smelting and roasting are done to purify the metals, which emits enormous amounts of air pollutants damaging the nearby vegetation. The suspended particulate matter (arsenic particles, cadmium, lead, etc., 5) Subsidence of land: It is mainly associated with underground mining. Subsidence of mining area results in cracks in houses, tilting of buildings, bending of rail tracks. 5. Enumerate the various benefits and drawbacks of constructing dams. Benefits Dams are built to control flood and store flood water. Sometimes dams are used for diverting part or all of the water from river into a channel. Dams are used mainly for drinking and agricultural purposes. Dams are built for generating electricity. Dams are used for recreational purposes. Navigation and fishery can be developed in the dam areas. Problems of constructing dams Problems of dams can be studied in the following two titles. 1. Upstream problems (a) Displacement of tribal people. (b) Loss of non-forest land. (c) Loss of forests, flora and fauna. (d) Landslips, sedimentation and siltation occurs. (e) Stagnation and water logging around reservoirs retards plant growth. (f) Breeding of vectors and spread of vector-borne diseases. (g) Reservoir induced seismicity (RIS) earthquakes. (e) Navigation and aquaculture activities can be developed in the dam area. 2. Downstream problems (a) Water logging and salinity due to over irrigation. (b) Reduced water flow and silt deposition in rivers. (c) Salt water intrusion at river mouth. (d) Since the sediments carrying nutrients get deposited in the reservoir, the fertility of the land along the river gets reduced.

(e) Sometimes, due to structural defects the dam may collapse suddenly and destroy many living organisms. (f) Salt water intrusion at river mouth. 6. What are the uses and over-exploitation of water? Explain with a case-study. USES OF WATER 1. Consumptive Use Here water is completely utilised and it is not reused. 2. Non-Consumptive use Here water is not completely utilised and it is reused. 3. Other important uses of water Water is mainly used for domestic purposes like drinking, cooking, bathing and washing etc., Water is also used for commercial purposes like hotels, theatres, educational institutions, offices, etc., Another important use of water is for irrigation, like agriculture. Almost 60-70% of the fresh water is used for irrigation. 20-30% of the total fresh water is used for so many industrial operations like refineries, iron and steel, paper and pulp industries. Water is very essential for the sustainance of all the living organisms. Water also plays a key role in sculpting the earth's surface, moderating climate and diluting pollutants. Effects on over-utilization of water (or) Consequences of overdrawing of ground water 1. Decrease of Ground Water: Due to increased usage of ground water, the ground water level decreases. Reason Other reasons for decrease of ground water are (a) The erratic and inadequate rainfall results in reduction in storage of water in reservoirs. (b) The building construction activities are sealing the permeable soil zone, reducing the area for percolation of rainwater and increase in surface runoff. 2. Ground subsidence: When the groundwater withdrawal is more than its recharge rate, the sediments in the aquifer get compacted, which results in sinking of overlaying land surface. This process is known as ground subsidence. Problems Structural damage in buildings. Fracture in pipes. Reversing the flow of canals and tidal flooding. 3. Lowering of water table: Over utilization of ground water in arid and semi-arid regions for agriculture disturbs the state of equilibrium of the reservoir (disturb the hydrological cycle) in the region. This causes following problems. Problems Lowering of water table. Decreased pressure in the aquifers and changes in the speed and direction of water flow. 4. Intrusion of salt water: In coastal area, over-exploitation of ground water would lead to rapid intrusion of salt water from the sea. Problem Water cannot be used for drinking and agriculture. 5. Earthquake and landslides: Over-utilization of ground water leads to decrease in water level, which cause earthquake, landslides and famine. 6. Drying up of wells:

As a result of over utilization of ground water, the level of ground water getting depleted at much faster rates than they can be regenerated. This leads to drying up of dug wells as well as bore wells. 7. Pollution of water: When the ground water level near the agricultural land decreases, the water, containing the nitrogen as' nitrate fertilizer, percolates rapidly into the ground and pollute the ground water. Problem: Water becomes unsuitable for potable use by infants, when nitrate concentration exceeds 45 mgs / lit. 7. Comment on floods & drought. FLOOD Definition A Flood is an overflow of water, whenever the magnitude of flow of water exceeds the carrying capacity of the channel within its banks. CAUSES Heavy rainfall, melting of snow (ice), sudden release of water from dams, often causes floods in the low-lying coastal area. Prolonged downpour can also cause the over-flowing of lakes and rivers resulting into floods. Reduction in the carrying capacity of the channel, due to accumulation of sediments or obstructions built on flood ways. Deforestation, overgrazing, mining increases the runoff from rains and hence the level of flood raises. The removal of and uniform forest cover over the hilly zones leads to occurrence of floods. EFFECTS Due to flood, water spreads in the surrounding areas and submerges them. Due to floods the plain surface have become eroded and silted with mud and sand, thus the cultivable land areas gets affected. Extinction of civilization in some coastal areas also occur. FLOODS MANAGEMENT Floods can be controlled by constructing dams or reservoirs. Channel management and embankments also control the floods. Encroachment of flood ways should be banned. Flood hazard may also be reduced by forecasting or flood warning. Flood may also be reduced by reduction of runoff by increasing infiltration through appropriate afforestation in the catchment area. DROUGHT Definition Drought is nothing but scarcity (shortage or insufficient) of water, which occurs due to inadequate rainfall, late arrival of rains and excessive withdrawal of ground water. Thus lack of water for the normal needs of agriculture, livestock, industry or human population may be termed as a drought. Drought is understood from dry weather, which persists long enough to produce a serious hydrological imbalance, leading to damage of plants, animals and human life TYPES Droughts are classified into four types 1. Meteorological drought. 2. Hydrological drought. 3. Agricultural drought. 4. Socio-economic drought. 1. Meteorological drought: It occurs when the total amount of rainfall is less than 75% of the normal rainfall. This drought will be severe if the rainfall is less than 50% of the normal rainfall. 2. Hydrological drought:

It occurs when the total amount of rainfall is less than the average rainfall. It is generally associated with reduction of (below the average) statistical average of water reserves available in source such as aquifers, lakes and reservoirs 3. Agricultural drought: This occurs due to the shortage as well as the timing of overall rainfall, which in turn reduce the ground water and reservoir levels, soil moisture. Agricultural drought affects cropped plants. 4. Socio-economic drought: It occurs due to reduction in the availability of food and social security of the people in the affected areas. Socio-economic drought leads to famine (food shortage) EFFECTS Drought causes hunger, malnutrition and scarcity of drinking water and also changes the quality of water Drought causes widespread crop failures leading to acute shortage of food and adversely affects human and livestock populations. The drought indicates the worst situation and initiation of desertification. Raw materials for agro-based industries are critically affected during drought time, hence retarding the industrial and commercial growth. Drought also accelerates degradation of natural resources. Drought leads to large migration of people and urbanization. CAUSES When annual rainfall is below normal and less than evaporation, drought is created. High population is also another cause for drought. Population growth leads to poor land use and makes the situation worse. Intensive cropping pattern and over exploitation of scarce water resources through dug well or bore well to get high productivity has converted drought-prone areas into desert. Deforestation leads to desertification and drought too. When the trees are cut, the soil is subject to erosion by heavy rains, winds and sun. The removal of thin top layer of soil takes away the nutrients and the soil becomes useless. The eroded soils exhibit droughty tendency. MANAGEMENT Indigenous knowledge in control of drought and desertification is very useful for dealing with the problems. Rain water harvesting programme is another fruitful method to conserve more water and to control drought. To improve ground water level construction of reservoirs are essential in drought area. Modem irrigation technology (drip irrigation) is very much useful to conserve water. An afforestation activity also improves the potential of water in the drought area. Mixed cropping and dry farming are the suitable methods which minimize the risks of crop failures in dry area. 8. Discuss in detail the impacts of over-grazing & agriculture. Overgrazing: Livestock wealth plays a crucial role in the rural life of our country. The live stock grazing on a particular piece of grassland is called as Overgrazing. Overgrazing is a process of, "eating away the forest vegetation without giving it a chance to regenerate". Impact of Overgrazeing: Land Degradation, Soil Erosion, Loss of useful species, Land Degradation Overgrazing removes the vegetal cover over the soil and the exposed soil gets compacted due to which the operative soil depth declines Roots cannot go deep into the soil Adequate soil moisture is not available Organic recycling also declines in the ecosystem

Because not enough accumulation or litter remains on the soil to be decomposed The humus content of the soil decreases and overgrazing leads to organically poor, dry, compacted soil Due trampling by cattle the soil loses infiltration capacity, which reduces percolation of water into the soil and as a result of this more water gets lost from the ecosystem along with surface runoff Thus overgrazing leads to multiple actions resulting in loss of soil structure, hydraulic conductivity and soil fertility Soil Erosion Due to overgrazing by cattle, the cover of vegetation almost gets removed from the land The soil becomes exposed and gets eroded by the action of strong wind, rainfall etc The grass roots are very good binders of soil When the grasses are removed, the soil becomes loose and susceptible to the action of wind and water Loss of useful species Overgrazing adversely affects the composition of plant population and their regeneration capacity The original grassland consists of good quality grasses and forbs with high nutritive value Heavy grazing root stocks which carry the reserve food for regeneration gets destroyed Replacement by secondary species The secondary species are hardier and are less nutritive in nature MODERN AGRICULTURE AND ITS IMPACTS It makes use of hybrid seeds of selected single crop variety, high-tech equipments and lots of energy subsidies in the form of fertilizers, pesticides and irrigation water The food production has increased tremendously, evidenced by the green revolution The Impacts Impacts related to high yielding varieties Fertilizer related problems Pesticide related problems Water logging Salinity problems Impacts related to high yielding varieties The use of high yielding varieties encourage monoculture In case of an attack by some pathogen, there is total devastation of the crop by the disease due to exactly uniform conditions, which help in rapid spread of disease Fertilizer related problems Micronutrient Imbalance Most of the chemical fertilizers used in modern agriculture have nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium which are essential macronutrients Farmers use these indiscriminately to boost up crop growth. Nitrate Pollution Nitrogenous fertilizers applied in the fields often leach deep into soil and ultimately contaminate the ground water The nitrates get concentrated in the water and when their concentration exceeds 25 mg/L, they become the cause of a serious health hazard called Blue Baby syndrome Eutrophication Eutrophication means Over Nourishment Due to Eutrophication lakes get invaded by algal blooms; these algae grows very fast by rapidly using up the nutrients, they often are toxic and badly affect the food chain Pesticide related problems Creating resistance in pests and producing new pests Some individuals of the pest species usually survive even after pesticide spray The survivors give rise to highly resistant generations

About 20 species of pests are now known which have become immune to all types of pesticides an are known as super pests Death of non-target organisms Many insecticides are broad spectrum poisons which not only kill the target species but also several non-target species which are useful to us Biological magnification Many of the pesticides are not biodegradable and keep on accumulating in the food chain, this process is called as bio-magnification Water logging Over irrigation of croplands by farmers for good growth of their crop usually leads to water logging Inadequate drainage causes excess water to accumulate underground and gradually forms a continuous column with the water table Under water logged conditions, pore spaces in the soil get fully drenched with water and the soil-air gets depleted The water table rises while the roots of the plant do not get adequate air for respiration Mechanical strength of the soil declines, crop plants get lodged and crop yield fails Preventing excessive irrigation, sub-surface drainage technology and bio-drainage with trees like Eucalyptus are some of the remedial measures to prevent water logging Salinity Problems At present rd of the total cultivable land area of the world is affected by salts In India about 7 million Hectares of land are estimated to be salt affected Saline soils are characterized by the accumulation of soluble salts like sodium chloride, sodium sulphate, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride The most common method for getting rid of salts is to flush them out by applying more good quality water to such soils. Another method is laying underground network of perforated drainage pipes for flushing out the salts slowly 9. Write short notes of (i) Tidal energy (ii) Bio-gas (iii) Nuclear energy. Tidal Energy Ocean tides are produced by gravitational forces of sun and moon, and contain enormous amount of energy. The tidal energy can be harnesses by constructing tidal barrage

High Tide Low Tide Bio-mass Energy Bio-mass is the organic matter produced by the plants or animals which include wood, crop residues, cattle dung, manure, sewage The bio-mass is directly used as a fuel but the efficiency of such furnaces is very low and it produces lot of smoke causing air pollution It is therefore more useful to convert the bio-mass into bio-gas or bio-fuels Bio-gas

 Bio-gas is mixture of methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen and hydrogen sulfide, the major constituent being methane Bio-gas is produced by anaerobic degradation of animal wastes in presence of water Bio-gas is non-polluting, clean and low cost fuel No storage problems (direct supply from plant) The sludge left over is a rich fertilizer containing bacterial biomass with most of the nutrients preserved as such Bio-gas plants in our country are basically two types: 1. Floating gas holder type 2. Fixed dome type

Floating gas holder type

Fixed gas holder type bio-gas plant NUCLEAR ENERGY Nuclear energy is non- renewable source of energy, which is released during fission (disintegration) or fusion (union) of selected radioactive materials. Nuclear power appears to be the only hope for large scale energy requirements when fossil fuels are exhausted. The major advantage is that even small quantities of radioactive material can produce enormous amounts of energy. Example: Energy produced by a ton of U235 = 3 million tones of coal = 12 million barrels of oil.

Nuclear energy has been used in the generation of electricity in spaceships, marine vessels, chemical and food-processing industry. Nuclear fission: Nuclear fission reaction are based on the fission of U235 nuclei by thermal neutrons Environmental impact: Nuclear fission power reactors generate large quantities of radioactive fission waste products, which may remain dangerous for thousands of years. In addition these are no safe disposal methods. It is generated by fission (splitting the nucleus) and fusion (combining the small nucleus) of the atoms of certain elements such as Uranium-235 10. Explain the various types of land degradation. 11. Explain as an individual how will you conserve natural resources. 12. How will you achieve sustainable life-style by equitable share of resources. 13. What are the measures recommended for conservation of natural resources. Conserve Water Do not keep water taps running while brushing, shaving, washing or bathing. In washing machines fill the machine only to the level required for your clothes. Install water-saving toilets that use not more than 6 liters per flush. Check for water leaks in pipes and toilets and repair them promptly. A small pin-hole sized leak will lead to the wastage of 640 liters of water in a month. Reuse the soapy water of washings from clothes for washing off the courtyards, driveways etc. Water the plants in your kitchen-garden and the lawns in the evening when evaporation losses are minimum. Never water the plants in mid-day. Use drip irrigation and sprinkling irrigation to improve irrigation efficiency and reduce evaporation. Install a small system to capture rain water and collect normally wasted used water from sinks, cloth-washers, bath- tubs etc. which can be used for watering the plants. Build rain water harvesting system in your house. Even the President of India is doing this. Conserve energy Turn off lights, fans and other appliances when not in use. Obtain as much heat as possible from natural sources. Dry the clothes in sun instead of drier if it is a sunny day. Use solar cooker for cooking your food on sunny days which will be more nutritious and will cut down on your LPG ex- penses. Build your house with provision for sunspace which will keep your house warmer and will provide more light. Grow deciduous trees and climbers at proper places outside your home to cut off intense heat of summers and get a cool breeze and shade. This will cut off your electricity charges on coolers and air-conditioners. A big tree is estimated to have a cooling effect equivalent to five air conditioners. The deciduous trees shed their leaves in winter. Therefore they do not put any hindrance to the sunlight and heat. Drive less, make fewer trips and use public transportations whenever possible. You can share by joining a car-pool if you regularly have to go to the same place. Add more insulation to your house. During winter close the windows at night. During summer close the windows during days if using an A.C. Otherwise loss of heat would be more, consuming more electricity. Instead of using the heat convector more often wear adequate woolens. Recycle and reuse glass, metals and paper. Try riding bicycle or just walk down small distances instead of using your car or scooter. Lower the cooling load on an air conditioner by increasing the thermostat setting as 3-5 % electricity is saved for every one degree rise in temperature setting.

Protect the soil While constructing your house, dont uproot the trees as far as possible. Plant the disturbed areas with a fast growing native ground cover. Grow different types of ornamental plants, herbs and trees in your garden. Grow grass in the open areas which will bind the soil and prevent its erosion. Make compost from your kitchen waste and use it for your kitchen-garden or flower-pots. Do not irrigate the plants using a strong flow of water, as it would wash off the soil. Better use sprinkling irrigation. Use green manure and mulch in the garden and kitchen-garden which will protect the soil. If you own agricultural fields, do not over-irrigate your fields without proper drainage to prevent water logging and salinisation. Use mixed cropping so that some specific soil nutrients do not get depleted. Promote Sustainable Agriculture Do not waste food. Take as much as you can eat. Reduce the use of pesticides. Fertilize your crop primarily with organic fertilizers. Use drip irrigation to water the crops. Eat local and seasonal vegetables. This saves lot of energy on transport, storage and preservation. Control pests by a combination of cultivation and biological control methods. 14. Explain briefly the various methods of harvesting solar energy. 15. Explain in detail the effects due to pesticides usage in moderns agriculture. The economical uses of forests are as follows: I. Forests maintain environmental stability, ecological balance for the existence of all life forms. II. They provide timber and fuel wood. III. Soft wood is used in furniture, packages, and also other building materials. IV. Pulp is made from soft wood and is used in paper-making. V. Forests also provide us lac, cane, resin, charcoal, fire-wood, gums, medicinal herbs, fodder and grass. VI. Forest provide many things to meet our food requirements like wild fruits, nuts, berries etc. Many tribes are dependent on gathering of these products in forests. VII. Forests are the sources of timber for house-building, furniture making, ship-building etc. VIII. They modify climatic conditions and bring better rainfall in the area. IX. They reduce wind force and reduce air temperature during summer which have a positive effect on the overall environment. X. They add to the forest floor large quantities of leaves, twigs and branches, which at decomposition form humus. This increases the fertility of soil Factors Affecting Soil Erosion Factors such as rainfall, runoff, wind soil, slope, plant cover and presence or absence of conservation measures are responsible for soil erosion. But mainly three following factors affect the erosion. 1. Energy: It include The potential ability of rainfall, runoff and wind to course erosion and other factor which affects the power of erosive agents such as reduction in length of runoff or wind blow through construction of terrace, bunds etc. in case of water erosion and wind breaks or shelter belts incase of wind erosion. 2. Resistance: It is referred to that factors which affect soil erodibility and soil erosion. Mechanical and chemical properties of soil are responsible for infiltration rate of soil which reduces runoff and decreases soil erodibility. Cultivation decreases the erodibility of clay but increases erodibility of sandy soils. [Erodibilitysusceptibility of soil to get erosion] [ErosivityAbility of rain to cause erosion] 3. Protection:

It refers to plant covers which intercept the raindrop falling on ground surface reducing their impact on soil. Plant cover also reduces the runoff and wind velocity, there by soil erosion. Different plant cover offers different protection so suitable cover can be developed to control erosion.