Do you remember how we get air, water, and food every day? Everything we get from nature and all living and non-living things are connected in a system called the environment.
But today, pollution is increasing and nature is getting disturbed, which can affect life on Earth.
It is important to understand how the environment protects it.
In this article, you will learn about Our Environment (Class 10 NCERT) in an elementary and easy way.
What is an ecosystem?
Food Chain
Food Web
Environmental Problems
3R Rule
Important Keywords
Biological Magnification
Importance of Environment
How to Save the Environment
1. What is an environment?
Everything that surrounds us is known as the environment.
It includes both:
Living things
Nonliving things
We depend on the environment for everything, like food, water, air, and shelter.
Components of Environment
| Type | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Biotic | is a Living things | like Plants, animal and humans |
| Abiotic | is a Non-living things | like Air, water, soil and sunlight |
2. What is an ecosystem?
The ecosystem is a place where living and non-living things interact with each other.
It’s like a small nature system where everything is connected.
For example:
A pond ecosystem includes the following:
Fish, water, plants, and microorganisms are All dependent on each other.
Types of Ecosystem
1. Natural Ecosystem
A natural ecosystem is a system where plants, animals, and microorganisms live in environment (air, water, soil) without human control.
For Examples: forest, river, desert
2. Man-made Ecosystem
An ecosystem that is developed and sustained by humans is known as a man-made ecosystem.
Examples:
Garden = the plants and flowers grown for decoration.
Aquarium = the fish and aquatic plants kept in a tank.
Crop fields = its Crops grown for food.
3. Food Chain: Who Eats Whom?
In an environment, the energy moves from one living thing to another. This is called a food chain.
Steps in a Food Chain:
A – Autotrophs (Producers): The organisms that make their own food using sunlight, like plants and algae.
B – Primary Consumers: the Herbivores that eat producers, like rabbits, cows.
C – Secondary Consumers:
Carnivores or omnivores that eat primary consumers, e.g., snakes, frogs.
D – Tertiary Consumers:
Top predators that eat secondary consumers, e.g., lions, eagles.
E – Decomposers:Organisms like bacteria and fungi that break down dead plants and animals, returning nutrients to the soil.
F – Energy Flow: Energy moves from one level to the next but decreases at each step.
2. Consumers
The consumers are living things that cannot make their own food. They depend on plants or the other animals for food.
Types of Consumers:
Herbivores – Eat only plants (Example: cow, deer)
Carnivores – Eat other animals (Example: lion, tiger)
Omnivores—Eat both plants and animals. (Example: human, bear)
3. Decomposers
The decomposers are living organisms that break down dead plants, dead animals, and waste material into simple substances.
For Examples:
Bacteria
Fungi
What they do:
It cleans up the surroundings.
It converts dead matter to nutrients.
Furthermore, it helps to make the soil fertile.
Table 3: Food Chain Levels
Level Name Example
1. Producers’ Grass
2 Herbivores: Deer
3 Carnivores: Lion
4. Decomposers: Fungi
3. Important Rule: 10% Law.
Only 10% of energy from one level of a food chain is passed through to the next level; the rest is lost.
Step to Important Rule: 10% Law
Step 1: Plants make energy
Plants receive energy from the sun.
Let’s assume that plants have 100 units of energy.
Step 2: Herbivores eat plants
Animals such as rabbits, deer, or cows eat plants.
Only 10% of the plant’s energy is transferred to the herbivore.
10% of 100 = 10 units of energy.
Step 3: Carnivores eat herbivores.
Wild animals, such as lions and snakes, eat herbivores.
Again, only 10% of the herbivore’s energy is transferred to the carnivore.
10% of 10 = 1 unit of energy.
Step 4: Top predators eat carnivores
Eagles and tigers are examples of wild animals that eat carnivores.
Only 10% of the carnivore’s energy goes to the top predator.
10% of 1 = 0.1 unit of energy.
Note:
Energy decreases with each level.
That is why there are fewer top predators
4. Food Web
A food web is a network of many food chains in nature. It shows how plants and animals are connected by what they eat.
For example:
Grass → Goat → Lion
Grass → Rabbit → Fox
5. Environmental Problems
Problems in nature caused by humans or natural events that are harmful to the earth, animals, plants, or people.
Explains two major issues.
A zone Layer Damage
Step 1: The ozone layer is a layer of gas in the sky that protects the Earth from the sun’s harmful rays.
Step 2: Chemicals like CFCs from refrigerators, air conditioners and spray cans damage it.
Step 3: Fewer UV rays are absorbed, so more reach Earth. This causes sunburn, skin issues, and damage to plants and animals.
Step 4: Save it by using ozone-friendly products, decreasing harmful gases, and planting trees.
The ozone layer is Earth’s sunscreen, and we need to protect it.
Waste Types:
1. Table 4: Waste Types
Type Breaks Down? Example
Biodegradable: Yes (food, leaves
Non-biodegradable: No Plastic, glass
6. 3R Rule to Save Environment
We can protect Earth using 3 simple rules:
1. Reduce
Creating less waste and using less resources to benefit the environment.
Points:
Reduce the amount of water you use, and turn off the taps when not in use.
Bring reusable bags and use less plastic.
Switch off lights and fans when not in use to conserve electricity.
Helps the environment and saves resources for future generations
2. Reuse
To recycle things instead of throwing them away.
Points:
Use old bottles, jars and boxes to store things.
Old clothes can be used to make rags for cleaning.
Paper can be reused for drawing or notes.
Helps to reduce waste and save resources.
3. Recycle
To reuse waste to create new products instead of throwing it away.
• Points:
You can make paper into new paper.
Plastic bottles can be recycled to make new plastic products.
Glass can be recycled to make new glass products.
It helps to cut down pollution and save natural resources.
7. Biological Magnification
As harmful chemicals move up the food chain, their concentration increases.
For example:
Chemicals enter crops → eaten by small animals → eaten by big animals → humans get the highest concentration.
This is called biological magnification.
8. Why Our Environment is Important
Our environment is a life-support system .
It provides:
- Oxygen
- Food
- Water
- Shelter
Conclusion
Our life is very necessary for our environment. All things in nature are connected. If one part is broken, then the entire system is affected.
We need to respect the 3R rule, reduce pollution, and protect nature for the future generations.
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