Environmental Management Class 10 Notes, Questions | SSC

This chapter reviews the ecosystem and explains how the environment and ecosystem are related. It looks at environmental pollution, the need for environmental conservation and the laws made for it. It then explains biodiversity, its three levels and ways to conserve it, including sacred groves and the role of organisations. It ends with biodiversity hotspots, endangered heritage places and the classification of threatened species.

Summary

An ecosystem is formed by biotic and abiotic factors and their interactions. Producers like plants, herbivores like deer and cattle, and predators like lions and tigers that keep herbivore numbers in check are all important. Even organisms in filthy places, termites and dung insects matter, because they clean the environment by decomposing waste. Food chains link trophic levels, and a change in one population, such as a sudden fall in frogs in a paddy field, affects the whole ecosystem.

Environment is the sum of physical, chemical and biological factors that affect living organisms; it includes biotic, abiotic, natural and artificial factors. Natural environment includes air, water, land and living organisms, while the artificial environment also affects it directly or indirectly. Ecology is the study of interactions between biotic and abiotic factors, and the ecosystem is its basic functional unit. A small pond is an ecosystem and the Earth is the largest one. Natural cycles such as the water, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen cycles and food chains maintain environmental balance.

Environmental pollution is an unwanted change in the physical, chemical or biological properties of air, water and soil, caused by natural events or human activity, that harms humans and other organisms. Population explosion, rapid industrialisation, overuse of natural resources, deforestation and unplanned urbanisation cause it. Types include air, water, soil, sound, thermal, light and radioactive pollution. Radioactive pollution may be natural (UV and IR radiation) or artificial (X-rays, atomic plants); accidents at Chernobyl, Windscale and Three Mile Island affected thousands of people, and radiation can cause cancerous ulcers, tissue damage, genetic changes and poor vision.

Environmental conservation is needed to solve natural and man-made problems and to keep nature in balance. It can succeed only as a public movement, so positive attitudes and knowledge must be built in children through education. The United Nations Environment Programme was set up in 1972, and India's Ministry of Environment and Forests has run awareness programmes since 1985. Humans, being the most intelligent species, have disturbed the balance most and so carry the main responsibility to restore it.

Several laws protect the environment. The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 bars use of reserved forest land for other purposes, such as mining without central government permission. The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 controls pollution, with up to five years imprisonment or a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh for breaking it, and the National Green Tribunal was set up in 2010 to enforce such laws. The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 bans trade in rare animals (49 A) and articles made from wild animals (49 B) and requires disclosure of stocks of such articles (49 C). Other rules include the Sound Pollution (Control and Prevention) Rules 2000, the Biomedical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules 1998 and the E-waste (Management and Handling) Rules 2011. Jadav Molai Payeng of Assam planted trees for about 30 years to create the Molai forest and received the Padma Shri.

Biodiversity is the variety of living organisms, ecosystems and genetic variation within species. Genetic diversity is variation among members of the same species; species diversity is the variety of plant, animal and microbe species; ecosystem diversity is the variety of natural and artificial ecosystems in a region. Biodiversity is conserved by protecting rare species, setting up national parks, sanctuaries and bioreserves, running species projects, following rules and recording traditional knowledge. Sacred groves are forests protected by society in the name of god; more than 13000 have been reported in India. Many international and voluntary organisations such as IUCN, WWF, Greenpeace and the Bombay Natural History Society work for conservation.

The Western Ghats, Manas National Park in Assam and the Sundarbans National Park in West Bengal are endangered heritage places, threatened by mining, dams, deforestation and overfishing. There are 34 biodiversity hotspots in the world; they once covered 15.7 percent of the Earth, 86 percent of that has been destroyed and only 2.3 percent remains, yet they hold about 1,50,000 plant species, half the world's count. About 1,500 endemic plant species are found in the Western Ghats.

IUCN prepares the Red List of threatened species; its pink pages list endangered species and its green pages list species that were endangered but are now safe. Threatened species are classified as endangered (may soon become extinct, such as the lion-tailed monkey and lesser florican), rare (such as the red panda and musk deer), vulnerable (such as the tiger and lion) and indeterminate (such as the giant squirrel or shekru, about which data are lacking). World Biodiversity Day is observed on 22 May.

Mind map

How a broken food chain disturbs a paddy field ecosystem

Important definitions

Key points to remember

• The Earth is the largest ecosystem; a pond is a small one.
• Natural cycles (water, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen) and food chains maintain environmental balance.
• We have the Earth on lease from future generations, not as property inherited from ancestors.
• Mahatma Gandhi: The Earth is sufficient to satisfy everyone's need but not the greed.
• UNEP was established in 1972; India's Ministry of Environment and Forests runs awareness programmes since 1985.
• Environment (Protection) Act, 1986: up to 5 years imprisonment or fine up to Rs 1 lakh.
• National Green Tribunal was established in 2010.
• Wildlife Protection Act 1972, clauses 49 A, 49 B, 49 C deal with trade and articles of wild animals.
• More than 13000 sacred groves are reported in India.
• Greenpeace is the world's largest environmental organisation.
• 34 hotspots: once 15.7 percent of Earth's area, now only 2.3 percent left.
• About 1,500 endemic plant species are found in the Western Ghats.
• WWF survey (2008): about 30 percent of animal species became extinct between 1975 and 2005.
• World Biodiversity Day: 22 May.

Solved examples

Example 1. Reorganise the food chain: Grasshopper, Snake, Paddy field, Eagle, Frog. Name the ecosystem.

Start with the producer and move up the trophic levels: Paddy, then Grasshopper (primary consumer), then Frog (secondary consumer), then Snake (tertiary consumer), then Eagle (top consumer). It belongs to a paddy field, an agricultural (artificial) ecosystem.

Example 2. Hotspots once covered 15.7 percent of the Earth's area and 86 percent of them have been destroyed. Check the textbook figure for what remains.

Remaining part = 100 - 86 = 14 percent of the original. 14 percent of 15.7 = 0.14 x 15.7, about 2.2 percent of the Earth's area, which agrees with the textbook value of about 2.3 percent.

Example 3. Hotspots have about 1,50,000 plant species, which is 50 percent of the world's count. Estimate the total number of plant species in the world on this basis.

If 1,50,000 is 50 percent, the total = 1,50,000 / 0.5 = 3,00,000 plant species.

Example 4. Classify these as endangered, rare, vulnerable or indeterminate according to the textbook: tiger, red panda, lion-tailed monkey, giant squirrel, musk deer, lesser florican.

Endangered: lion-tailed monkey, lesser florican. Rare: red panda, musk deer. Vulnerable: tiger. Indeterminate: giant squirrel (shekru).

Example 5. A factory releases pollutants into the air beyond the permissible limit. Under which law can it be punished and what is the punishment?

Under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, which prohibits releasing pollutants beyond the permissible limit. The offender can get up to five years imprisonment or a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh. The National Green Tribunal (2010) helps enforce such laws.

Important questions and answers

Q1. What is the relationship between environment and ecosystem?

Environment is a broad concept including all physical, chemical and biological factors around organisms. An ecosystem is the basic functional unit used to study it: the biotic and abiotic factors of a definite area and their interactions. The environment is made up of many ecosystems, from a small pond to the whole Earth.

Q2. Explain the statement: We have got this Earth on lease from our future generations and not as ancestral property from our ancestors.

Property received on lease must be returned in good condition, while ancestral property is often treated as ours to use freely. The Earth's resources belong equally to future generations, so we must use them carefully, conserve them and hand over a healthy planet instead of exhausting it.

Q3. Write the factors affecting the environment.

Natural factors include earthquakes, floods, volcanoes and similar events. Man-made factors include deforestation, population explosion, rapid industrialisation, overuse of natural resources, unplanned urbanisation and pollution of air, water and soil.

Q4. Why do human beings have an important place in the environment?

Humans are superior to other animals in intelligence, memory and imagination and have dominated nature, using its resources heavily. This has disturbed the environmental balance. Since humans caused the damage, only humans can conserve and improve nature, so their role is crucial.

Q5. Write the types and examples of biodiversity.

Genetic diversity: differences among members of the same species, for example every human being differs from another. Species diversity: the many species of plants, animals and microbes. Ecosystem diversity: different ecosystems in a region, natural and artificial, each with its own organisms and abiotic factors.

Q6. How can biodiversity be conserved?

By protecting rare species, establishing national parks and sanctuaries, declaring bioreserves, running projects for special species, conserving all plants and animals, following conservation rules and recording traditional knowledge. Sacred groves also protect biodiversity.

Q7. Write a short note on sacred groves.

Sacred groves are patches of dense forest protected by local society in the name of god. They are like sanctuaries kept by the community rather than the forest department, and religious belief gives them special protection. They are found in the Western Ghats and across India, with more than 13000 reported.

Q8. What do we learn from the story of Jadav Molai Payeng?

Molai of Assam began planting bamboo after many snakes died in a Brahmaputra flood. He continued planting and caring for trees for about 30 years, turning barren land in Kokilamukh, Jorhat into the forest called Molai jungle, and received the Padma Shri. It teaches that one determined person can create a forest.

Q9. Which laws have been enacted for environmental conservation?

Forest (Conservation) Act 1980, Environment (Protection) Act 1986, Wildlife Protection Act 1972, Sound Pollution (Control and Prevention) Rules 2000, Biomedical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules 1998 and E-waste (Management and Handling) Rules 2011. The National Green Tribunal was set up in 2010 for effective implementation.

Q10. What is the IUCN Red List?

It is a list prepared by the International Union for Conservation of Nature containing names of threatened species from different countries. Pink pages list endangered species and green pages list species that were endangered earlier but are safe now.

Q11. Write a short note on radioactive pollution.

It may be natural (UV and IR radiation) or artificial (X-rays and radiation from atomic power plants). Major accidents occurred at Chernobyl, Windscale and Three Mile Island. Effects include cancerous ulcers from high X-ray doses, destruction of tissues, genetic changes and poor vision.

Q12. Name the three endangered heritage places of India and the threats they face.

Western Ghats: mining and search for natural gas. Manas National Park, Assam: dams and overuse of water, threatening tiger and rhino. Sundarbans National Park, West Bengal: dams, deforestation and excessive fishing, threatening tigers.

Exam tips

• Learn each Act with its year; matching and fill-in-the-blank questions are common.
• Memorise the textbook example for each category of threatened species.
• When asked to reorganise a food chain, always begin with the producer.
• Use the hotspot figures (34 hotspots, 15.7 percent, 2.3 percent) accurately.
• For opinion-based questions, give reasons and a practical action you would take.

FAQs

What are the three levels of biodiversity?

Genetic diversity, species diversity and ecosystem diversity.

When was the National Green Tribunal set up?

In 2010, for effective implementation of environment-related laws.

What is the largest ecosystem?

The Earth (biosphere) is the largest ecosystem.

When is World Biodiversity Day observed?

On 22 May.

These notes were prepared with AI help from the Balbharati Science and Technology Part 2 textbook (2026-27) and checked against it.