Standard IX – Environmental Education

Contents

Section I: Understanding Ecosystems……………………………2

• Ecosystems – An Introduction…………………………………….2
• Types of Ecosystems………………………………………………2
• Balance in Nature – Nutrient Cycles…………………………….3/4
• Conservation of Ecosystems……………………………………….5
• Conservation Case Study – Sacred Groves………………………....5

Section II: Depletion of Resources………………………………..6

• Natural Resources: A Review………………………………………6
• Depletion of Natural Resources……………………………………6

Section III: Waste Generation & Management…………………..7

• What a Waste………………………………………………………7
• Classification of Waste……………………………………………..7
• Sources and Types of Waste………………………………………..8
• Waste – What is the Problem? ……………………………………..9
• Dealing with Rubbish …………………………………………….10

Section IV: Environmental Values & Ethics…………………….11

• Environmental Ethics : Introduction…………………………........11
• Women and the Environment…………………………………......11

Some Useful Websites………………………………………...12/13

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 Standard IX – Section I: Understanding Ecosystems
Ecosystems – An Introduction Types of Ecosystems
Ecosystems vary in size. They can be as small as Ecosystems can be divided into three main
a puddle or as large as the Earth itself. Any categories. Terrestrial Ecosystems, Freshwater
group of living and nonliving things Ecosystems & Marine Ecosystems. They can
interacting with each other can be considered as then be further subdivided into the following
an ecosystem. Like all systems they are a types of biomes or ecosystems.
combination of interacting, interrelated parts
Terrestrial Freshwater Marine
that form a unitary whole. All ecosystems are
"open" systems in the sense that energy and Rainforests Rivers & Tropical
matter are transferred in and out. Tundra Streams Oceans
Taiga Temperate
Ponds &
Deserts Oceans
Lakes
Temperate
Grassland Wetlands Shorelines

NOTE: It is important to remember that this is

just a simplified list of some of the main type of
ecosystems.

Across
A
B
Group Activity 7. A type of marine ecosystem
10. Type of plant found in desert biomes
I 11. A common tree of the Taiga
12. Vegetative cover found in Antarctica
O 16. The maximum amount of photosynthesis
T takes place in this ecosystem
19. The largest desert biome in the world
I
20. A biome which has a lot of rain
C 21. A type of rainforest in South America

Down
1. Things that are not alive
2. A mammal found in the ocean ecosystem
3. This is needed for photosynthesis
4. Another name for a biome
5. Famous American grasslands
6. A large flightless bird found in the
Antarctic biome
8. Rivers and streams fit this category
9. Ecosystem are ____ systems
Ecosystem 13. Home of all known biomes
14. A geographic region characterized by a
Crossword specific climate and biota
15. An Abiotic factor
Puzzle 17. This biome has very few trees
18. A biome found along Mumbai's coast
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 Standard IX – Section I: Understanding Ecosystems
Group Projects: Biomes in a Box
In this activity students should divide into several
small groups of about 3-4 students, each group
should be assigned/pick a different biome.
Read the following instructions:
Build a 3D model or diorama of a biome in a box
(larger than a shoebox) using everyday materials.
The model should include flora and fauna, and it
should show the terrain. Tape a written
description of all of the characteristics of the
biome on one side of the box and a world map
indicating the locations of this biome on the
other. Present your biome to the class.
Balance in Nature: Nutrient Cycles
In nature, the materials needed by all organisms
in an ecosystem are reused or recycled from each
other. Nitrogen, carbon, oxygen, water and
other nutrients move through ecosystems in a
predictable pattern or cycles. These nutrient
cycles are called biogeochemical cycles.
Oxygen Cycle
Oxygen is vital for almost all life on earth and the
key to the oxygen cycle is green plants. The
atmosphere is composed of about 21% oxygen.
Oxygen from the atmosphere is primarily used
during combustion (burning) and respiration.
The lost oxygen is replenished by plants, algae &
phytoplankton during photosynthesis. In this
process the chlorophyll found in green plants is
used to capture light energy and this energy
along with carbon dioxide and water is used to
make simple sugars and oxygen.
sunlight
H2O + CO2 C6 H12 O6 + O2
(sugar)
Water Cycle
The water cycle is one of the most important and
essential cycles on earth. Water is circled from
various ponds, lakes, rivers and oceans to the
atmosphere by evaporation.
As temperatures fall, water vapour in the
atmosphere condenses to form rain or snow
(precipitation) and falls back to earth. Water is
also utilized by all living organisms for a variety
of biological and chemical processes. The excess
water is then removed, either by transpiration in
plants or as waste from animals and returned to
the environment.
Clouds Sunlight
Condensation
Evaporation
Rain / Snow
Ground
Used by Plants/
Water
Animals
Waterbody
Why are green plants an indispensable
part of any ecosystem?
Can you think of some different examples
of combustion?
(HINT: Fire consumes oxygen)
What do you think is the difference
between combustion and respiration?
What are clouds? How are they a part of
the water cycle?
Draw a diagram of a water cycle in your
city. Include important sources of water,
local plants, consumers of water and modes
of precipitation.
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 Standard IX – Section I: Understanding Ecosystems
Balance in Nature: Nutrient Cycles
Carbon Cycle
Carbon is one of the most important elements
found on earth and all living things (and many
non-living things as well) are full of carbon!
Nitrogen is the most common gas found in the
earth's atmosphere and comprises of nearly 71%
of its composition.
There are two main ways in which atmospheric
Nitrogen (N) is Fixed:
(i) Fixed by lightening
(ii) Fixed by bacteria (Rhizobium)
Fixed N is then used by plants and animals which
integrate the N into their tissues. N is important
because it is an important constituent of DNA
and proteins.
Denitrifying bacteria then releases N back into
the atmosphere in the form of nitrous oxide or
nitrogen gas.

The State of the World’s Ecosystems

Carbon from the atmosphere in the form of
carbon dioxide is used by plants during
photosynthesis to manufacture sugars. These
plants are then consumed by animals which
incorporate the carbon into their body tissues.
When plants and animals die they decay releasing
CO2 back into the atmosphere. Decaying plant
and animal matter may also be converted into
coal or oil. CO2 is released into the atmosphere
when these underground sources of ‘C’ are burnt
as fossil fuels for energy.
Humans have been having an impact on their
environment for millions of years, but none so
great as in the last 50 years. To understand the
consequences of changes to ecosystems, UN Sec.
General Kofi Annan launched a comprehensive
scientific study, the Millennium Ecosystem
Assessment, which was completed in 2005.
Complete an simple analysis of the Millennium
Ecosystem Assessment (MEA) and develop
your understanding of the relationship between
ecosystems and humans by answering the
following questions.

Nitrogen Cycle You can find a summary of MEA’s findings at:

http://www.greenfacts.org/ecosystems/
Atmospheric Nitrogen (N2)
(Fixed by lightening) How do ecosystems provide services to
‘N’ in plant and humans?
animal protein
How have ecosystems changed in the last
50 years or so?
N-fixing bacteria in the soil What are the main causes for these
‘N’ in decaying matter
and waste (solid and
and on plant roots convert changes?
Atm. N into compounds
liquid)
How do these changes affect human well-
Denitrifying Nitrogen in Soil being?
bacteria produce
NO and N2 gas How can we reverse the degradation of
Ammonia Nitrite Nitrates
ecosystems?
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 Standard IX – Section I: Understanding Ecosystems
Conservation of Ecosystems
The measure of the health of an ecosystem is its
biological diversity, or biodiversity. Humans are
encroaching upon wilderness areas and
destroying habitats at an alarming rate. We are
reducing biodiversity, causing the extinction of
plants and animals, and destroying ecosystems.
We must therefore support conservation efforts.
Conservation is the careful management of a
natural resource or a species to prevent
exploitation, neglect, and/or destruction.
What do you think the word biodiversity
means?
Why is it important to conserve different
ecosystems?
The oldest and most common problem
facing all conservationists is the balancing of
conservation practices with the needs and
necessities of human beings. Can you think
of ways in which this problem can be
resolved?
Did you know ???
India has 2356 known species of
amphibians, birds, mammals and
reptiles. Of these, 18.4% are
endemic, meaning they exist in
no other country, and 10.8% are
threatened (WCMC).
Website: National Bio-diversity Action Plan -
http://www.kalpavriksh.org/kalpavriksh/kalpavr
iksh/f1/f1.1/index_html
Reference: Rustletheleaf.com
Conservation Case Study: Sacred Groves
Devara kadu (sacred grove) is a traditional
institution in the western ghat region of
Karnataka, where a patch of forest in each village
is devoted to the worship of a village deity and
thereby conserved. Management of these forests
is largely non-utilitarian However, the groves by
their location serve as watersheds & provide a
number of ecological functions including the
formation of rich humus which is used by the
villagers for their crops.
Recently, these groves have been threatened by
cardamom and coffee plantation owners, who
encroach on the forested land for farming
practices. If the encroachment continues the
ecological functions served by these groves and
their rich biodiversity will be at stake.
At the Shanthalli devara kadu ten farmers
encroached 23 acres (25%) for cultivating
cardamom over 20 years. The entire village of
Shanthalli requested the encroachers to vacate
and brought this encroachment to the notice of
the State Forest Department , but to no avail.
The villagers then boycotted the social functions
(marriages, birthdays etc) of the encroachers and
came to the rescue of protesters who had been
jailed for protesting the encroachments. The
Village community was finally successful in
getting 90% of the encroachers evicted and the
solidarity of the village community for the cause
of conservation helped protect the institution of
the devara kadu.
(Original Reference: Chandrakanth, World Bank Initiative)
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 Standard IX – Section II: Depletion of Resources
Natural Resources : A Review
Natural resources (NR) are naturally occurring What are some potential uses for the
substances that are considered to be essential or following list of Mumbai’s NR:
useful to humans in a relatively unmodified
(natural) form. Natural resources include Natural Resource Type Uses
commodities such as minerals, ores, petroleum, Arabian Sea R Fisheries, Salt
forests, wildlife, and aspects of the physical
environment such as land, air and water and even Borivili National Park
energy. Natural resources are often classified into
Renewable and Non-renewable. Oval Maidan

Bombay High
Non-renewable resources are sources that
cannot be replenished and are limited in quantity Mithi River
or are utilized at a rate far faster than the rate at
which they are restocked. Examples include, Vikhroli Mangroves
fossil fuels and minerals.
Malad Quarries

Chowpatty Beach
LE
LE
W -
E N

B
B
N O

A
A

Depletion of Natural Resources

W
E N

E
N

In recent years the depletion of natural resources

E
R
R

has become an increasingly imminent problem.

Renewable resources are generally living
resources (fish, coffee, and forests, for example),
which can restock or renew themselves at the
rate at which they are extracted, if they are not
overharvested. Renewable resources may also
include non-living substances that are relatively
abundant and are replenished by natural cycles.
These include soil, water, wind and solar
radiation, to mention a few.
When talking about NR, energy is particularly
important. Like all natural resources, sources of
energy are both renewable and non-renewable.
Renewable forms of energy also called non-
conventional or alternative energy includes
solar power, hydro energy, wind power, thermal
power and natural gases and fuels. Non-
renewable forms of energy are more familiar and
include substances like petroleum, coal and gas.
At our current rate of consumption, the reserves
of many resources are at risk of being exhausted.
This process of depletion may be a long way off
for a number of resources such as air, water and
certain mineral ores; but other resources such as
fossil fuels, biodiversity, fresh water and fertile
soils are being used up so quickly there is a
danger that critical thresholds will be crossed
before long.
Think of THREE examples of NR that
were once abundant in your city, but have
been depleted by human activity in recent
years.
What are some of the causes for the
depletion of natural resources around the
world? (Create a list of these causes based on
in class discussion and see if you can come
up with any solutions)

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 Standard IX – Section III: Waste Generation & Management
What a Waste!
Waste or Rubbish is what people throw away
because they no longer need it or want it. Today,
as a society we are producing more waste than
ever before. Around the world, waste is being
disposed into abandoned mines, open fields and
forests and even being dumped into the oceans
while some of it is being incinerated, causing air
pollution. With the spread of technology,
industrialization & increasing standards of living,
the garbage factor is an unwelcome and often
unnoticed side effect of “development”.
Group Activity: Complete the following
table on waste classification.
Write a few examples for each category and
explain whether they are harmful to the
environment. Explain how you came to this
decision.
Non-
Biodegradable
biodegradable

Hint: Banana peels

Classifications of Waste Harmless, Decompose
Waste generated by human activity can be in a few weeks & adds
fertilizer to the soil
divided into different classifications.
Non-Toxic
Garbage can be divided into biodegradable and
non-biodegradable and toxic and non-toxic.
Biodegradable (B) waste consists of waste that
can be broken down by microorganisms and
natural processes into simpler and more stable
compounds, usually carbon dioxide and water.
Non-biodegradable (NB) substances are those
which for all intents and purposes cannot be
broken down in nature and remain unchanged.
Toxic

Toxic waste consists of substances that are

directly or indirectly harmful. They maybe be
poisonous to plants and animals or may disrupt
ecosystems and natural cycles.
Non-toxic waste are substances that pose no real
threat to human health or the environment.

Reference: Rustletheleaf.com 7
 Standard IX – Section III: Waste Generation & Management
Sources & Types of Waste
When you think about waste it is easy to see that Waste can vary greatly and its composition depends on
its sources. The following diagram describes the different types of waste based on composition and
source. Waste is produced from FIVE main sources: (1) Domestic (2) Industrial (3) Commercial
(4) Agricultural and (5) Transport

Sources & Types of Waste

Domestic Agricultural Commercial Transport Industrial

• This is waste • waste produced • Waste produced • Produced by • Produced by
produced by by agricultural by commercial the transport Industries during
people in their activities establishments on industry manufacture or
homes a daily basis • emissions, extraction
• Agri-waste may
• It is primarily be bio-waste or metals, rubber • Can be divided
of two types chemical & chemicals into many groups

Solid Waste Liquid Waste Industries

Hotels & Shops
Restaurants • Petro-chemical
• NB’s like tins, • Drainage from • paper, plastic, • Paper
plastic bags, the kitchen • Similar to
wood, cloth, old • Mining & Metal
glass bottles • Sewage domestic waste
electronics, inks • Power Plants
• Kitchen waste • Textiles
like peels and Hospitals & • Pharmaceutical
left over food Laboratories
• Needs to be handled
• Cloth, wood, carefully. It is usually
old batteries & Bio-Waste Chemicals Gas
hazardous
broken gadgets • material • Fertilizer,
• Needles, blood, stool, Solid Exhaust, Liquid
from plants, pesticides & CO,SO2,
glass, urine, cloth and Mining Chemicals,
cattle waste, herbicides NOX
pathological waste etc waste, oils, waste
food etc
sludge water

Student Assignment: Waste Diaries

For this project each student must create a waste diary. You must document, for the duration of a regular
school day (from the time you wake up, to the time you go to bed), the different kinds of waste you and
your friends and family produce. While documenting the different kinds of waste created, try to note
what the source of the waste is, where the waste might be disposed off and ways of reducing the
production of that waste.
Example: 7:30am – Woke up, and opened a new toothbrush. Threw away a biodegradable cardboard
packaging and non-biodegradable plastic cover that held the toothbrush. Brushed my teeth, and
washed my face and mouth, the waste water was disposed off down the bathroom drain, where it will
join the sewage system.
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 Standard IX – Section III: Waste Generation & Management
Waste: What is the Problem?
The environmental, economic and social impacts
of the waste we produce are significant and
require that we make serious changes in our
approach to waste management and disposal.
Implications of waste accumulation can be
divided into two major concerns
1. The generation of so much waste means
we are using resources inefficiently.
When we throw something away we are wasting
all the materials, time and energy that were used
to make it in the first place. On the other hand
recycling paper means that the energy put into
pulp and paper production can be saved,
reducing use of plastic bags means that less oil
needs to be extracted, and reusing scrap metal
means that fewer quarries and mines need to be
built, thus creating less of an impact on the
environment and our limited resources.
2. The management and disposal of waste
has serious implication for health and the
environment.
The disposal of waste causes
the damage and destruction of
the natural environment. Solid
waste, when accumulated, ruins
landscapes & blocks waterways.
Improper waste disposal also
leads to pollution
Emissions from factories and vehicles cause air
pollution, the disposal of sewage to rivers and
oceans causes eutrophication and the build up
of toxic compounds while the dumping of
construction waste in fields and forests disrupts
natural cycles and pollutes the soil. On a larger
scale, the creation and disposal of waste, as a by
product of human activity, also leads to
catastrophes such as the ozone hole, global
warming and acid rain.
In addition to the impacts of waste on
ecosystems and wildlife, waste also directly
affects human health. Chemical and nuclear
waste, if disposed of improperly can enter the
food chain and water sources and cause a range
of diseases from birth defects in children to
cancers in adults. Emissions cause respiratory
diseases and sewage is a breeding ground for
mosquitoes and malaria. All of these are just a
few examples on a long list of waste induced
impacts on human health.
Did you know ???
The United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) estimates that
more than five million people die
each year from diseases related to
inadequate waste disposal systems.
(Reference: UNEP)
Class Activity: The Waste Free Picnic
Sandwiches, bananas, mangoes, vegetables,
chicken, burgers, tikkis, samosas and ice-cream.
With these delicious ideas in mind, why not
design and organise a WASTE FREE PICNIC.
ƒ Start by listing who you would like to come.
How about designing a poster or invite? Make it
interesting - How about some facts about Waste
Reduction or Waste issues at school? And don’t
forget to put in the date and time
ƒ Get together with your class mates and
organise some waste free food. Buy fruits and
vegetables from the market and buy bread that
isn’t wrapped in layers of plastic and cardboard.
ƒ Avoid using thermacol cups and paper plates
and plastic forks and spoons.
ƒ And while you are at it teach people about
waste by putting up posters about the hazards of
all that rubbish and some wacky waste facts.
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 Standard IX – Section III: Waste Generation & Management
Dealing With Rubbish
How much waste we produce and what we do
with it are vital if we wish to live in a safe and
sustainable society. The options for dealing with
our rubbish are best described in the waste
hierarchy.
Prevention
Reduce
Reuse
Recycle
E. Recovery
Disposal
Most favourable options
Least favourable options
The waste hierarchy prioritises the order of the
way we should deal with waste. At the very top,
the most ideal solution in the elimination of the
amount of waste one throws away. This can be
accomplished by Preventing the activities that
lead to excess waste creation or Reducing the
amount of waste that is created and thrown away.
No waste = no disposal problems!
If creating certain types of waste is unavoidable,
then we should try and find a way of Reusing
that waste, or find someone else who could use it
instead. Recycling is a much better option than
final disposal but is not the best option of the
hierarchy, because it uses some energy and
resources.
Energy Recovery from waste as heat from
incineration or biogas from decomposing organic
waste is also an option. This process is not very
efficient and causes the loss of energy and
resources as well as pollution. Disposal to
landfills and water bodies is the least favourable
and most harmful way of dealing with waste.
After the Dustbin: A Questionnaire on the
fate of rubbish in Mumbai
Fill in the blanks in the following section to learn
more about waste disposal in the city.
♦ The __________________ is responsible for
the collection and disposal of garbage in the city.
♦ Greater Mumbai generates about __________
tonnes of solid waste a day.
♦ The city of Mumbai generates ______ tonnes
of biomedical waste per day, this waste is treated
through _____________.
♦ There are ____ (fill the blank with a number)
landfill sites in Mumbai.
♦ _______________ is a natural process of
converting organic waste into manure / soil
conditioner, it is used in Mumbai.
♦ The quantity of wastes disposed off through
processing and conversion to organic manure is
about ___________ tonnes per day.
♦ The Sewerage Operations department collects,
processes and disposes of ___________ litres of
effluents a day through its network of sewers,
treatment plants and outfalls.
♦ Almost ______ percent of the population of
Greater Mumbai is served by the community bin
collection system
More Questions on Waste:
Why is the disposal of waste to landfills
not a good option?
The process of incineration is used to
recover energy from waste materials, but it is
still not a favourable option for waste
disposal, why do you think that is?
Now that you’ve learnt about the three R’s
(reduce, reuse & recycle) how can you apply
them at home?
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 Standard IX – Section IV: Environmental Values & Ethics
Environmental Ethics: Introduction
So far we have learned about a number of
different environmental concerns, examined their
impact on human populations and looked at
different ways of solving them. While many of
these issues have a direct impact on today’s
generation, many of them have little to do with
our everyday lives. Why then should we concern
ourselves with these problems? The answer to
this question often falls under the purview of a
field called Environmental Ethics.
Environmental ethics is a discipline that studies
the moral relationship of humans to, & also the
value and moral status of, the environment and
its nonhuman contents.
Is it morally acceptable for poor farmers in
under-developed countries to practice slash and
burn techniques even though they destroy vast
stretches of forest and grassland? Does a mining
company, that destroys a previously unspoilt
ecological area, have a moral obligation to restore
that area to its original ecology? And what is the
value of a human constructed habitat compared
to a natural one?
Is it ethically wrong for
human beings to pollute and
destroy parts of the natural
environment & to consume
large proportions of Earth’s
natural resources.
And, if that is wrong, is it wrong because a
sustainable environment is essential to (present
and future) human well-being? Or is such
behaviour also wrong because the natural
environment and its components have values in
their own right, that is does the natural
environment have an intrinsic value irrelevant
of its value to human beings. These are among
the many questions that come up in discussions
on the environment.
Class Activity: Environmental Debates
To the Teacher: Divide the class into groups (4 –
6 depending on the size of the class). Pair up
each group with another and then give them one
of the debate topics listed below. One group
should be for the statement the other group
should be against it.
Topics
♦ The Narmada River Valley Project is an
important part of India’s energy program and the
environmental and social issues associated with it
are a small price to pay for development.
♦ It is impractical and unnecessary to try and
protect all biodiversity, we should just focus on
those aspects of the environment that are
important for human development.
♦ It is necessary to remove indigenous/tribal
people and migrant villagers from tiger
conservation areas if efforts to protect this
endangered species and its habitat are to be
successful.
Research these topics and then debate them in
class (15-20/debate). You will get a good idea of
just how difficult it is to make decisions about
the environment.
Women and the Environment
The relationship between women & the environ-
ment is a unique one and needs special attention.
Women, especially those in developing countries,
are involved in maintaining households, working
on farms and plantations, are responsible for the
education of children and form a larger section
of the consumer market. All these activities have
serious implications for ecological protection and
conservation and yet, most women around the
world are not involved in environmental politics
and policy making decisions. To ensure our
future and the future of the environment we
must also focus on the liberation and education
of women.
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 Standard IX – Some Useful Websites
‰ Food & Agriculture Organisation of the U.N
This UN site contains information on world ecosystems
http://www.fao.org/

‰ U.N Environment Programme

Information on ecosystems, wildlife, environmental issues, pollution and conservation.
http://www.unep.org/

‰ Ministry of Environment & Forests (India)

A government of India website that has information on environmental issues and conservation in
India, as well as current environmental policies and laws.
http://envfor.nic.in/

‰ Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (India – Maharashtra)

Information on management of waste and pollution as well as statistic on air and water pollution
in the city.
http://mpcb.mah.nic.in/

‰ The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (India – Mumbai)

Information on waste collection, management and disposal in Greater Mumbai
http://www.mcgm.gov.in/forms/grindex1.aspx

‰ U.S Environmental Protection Agency (U.S.A)

Information on ecosystems, wildlife, environmental issues, pollution and conservation.
http://www.epa.gov/

‰ Toxics Link (India)

Independent organisation working to share information about the sources and dangers of
poisons in the environment, as well as clean and sustainable alternatives for India and the World.
http://www.toxicslink.org/

‰ Waste Watch (United Kingdom)

Promotes research and education on waste, waste reduction, reuse and recycling.
http://www.wastewatch.org.uk/

‰ Recycle Zone (United Kingdom)

A site for schools, children and teachers that tells you what's what in the world of waste!
http://www.recyclezone.org.uk/home.aspx

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 Standard IX – Some Useful Websites
‰ Kalpariksh (India)
This site contains information on Indian ecosystems, waste, medicinal plants and holi colours.
www.kalpavriksh.org

‰ Friends of the Earth (United Kingdom)

A general website on environmental education, natural resources, ecosystems and waste.
www.foe.co.uk

‰ Kids R Green
A part of C.E.E (see below) a website with environmental information for kids. The site also has
some activities and projects.
http://www.kidsrgreen.org/krg.html

‰ Centre for Environment Education (India)

Information on the environment, sustainable development, conservation and biodiversity.
www.ceeindia.org

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