ENVIRONMENTAL SCEINCE
AND ENGINEERING
Claire C. Amarillo
I.
INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND ECOSYSTEM
Science
A systematized knowledge derived from and tested by recognition and formulation of a problem,
collection of data through observation, and experimentation.
1. SOCIAL SCIENCE
The study of people and how they live together as families, tribes, communities, races,
and nations and how they deal or interact with the physical world.
2. NATURAL SCIENCE Involves disciplines such as biology, chemistry, geology, physics, and environmental
science.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
Brings together fields of ecology, biology, zoology, oceanography,
atmospheric science, soil science, geology, chemistry, and more to study
the environment.
Focuses on the natural environment: the atmosphere, land, water and
their inhabitants. Modern environmental science now applies to built
environment such as man-made structures.
ENVIRONEMTAL ENGINEERING
A profession that applies mathematics and science to utilize the
properties of matter and sources of energy in the solution of problems
of environmental sanitation.
Includes the provision of safe, palatable, and ample public water
supplies, proper disposal of or recycle of wastewater and solid wastes;
adequate drainage; control of water soil, and atmospheric pollution.
“Scientists discover things; engineers make them work.”
“Environmental engineering and innovation is based on environmental science and theories.”
ECOLOGY
The study of ecosystem, how animals, plants, and other living things relate to each other
and fit into their environment.
“oikos” (Greek) = house, place to live
“The interaction of organisms within the same habitat is greater than those who are in a
different community.”
ECOLOGICAL ORGANIZATION
1. POPULATION – all the members of the species inhabiting a given location.
2. COMMUNITY – all the interacting populations in a given area.
3. ECOSYSTEM – the living community and the physical environment functioning together as an independent and
relatively stable system.
4. BIOSPHERE – the portion of the earth where life exists.
a. Numerous complex ecosytems:
i. Ecosphere – trees, mountains
ii. Atmosphere - air
iii. Lithosphere - land
iv. Hydrosphere - water
b. Ecosystem involves interactions between abiotic and biotic factors and maintain balance.
ECOSYSTEM
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Functional unit of nature where living organisms interact among themselves and also with the surrounding
physical environment.
Varies greatly in size from small pond to large forest or sea.
Two Basic Categories of Ecosystems:
1. TERRESTRIAL
o Forest, grassland, and dessert
2. AQUATIC
o Pond, lake, wetland, river, estuary
Two Classifications of Ecosystem
1. NATURAL ECOSYSTEM
o Terrestrial and aquatic
2. MAN-MADE ECOSYSTEM
o Aquarium, zoo, garden, orchard
MAJOR COMPONENTS OF ECOSYSTEM
1. Inorganic Substances
o Ex: C, N2, S, P, CO2, H2O, etc)
o Involved in material cycle
2. Organic Compounds
o Ex: proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids
o Links biotic and abiotic components
3. Climatic Regime
o Temperature, humidity, sunlight, amount of water
4. Producers
o Autotrophic organisms, capable of manufacturing their food from simple inorganic substances.
5. Macro-consumers
o Phagotrophs or heterotrophic organisms. Animals that eat or ingest other organisms or particulate
organic matter.
6. Micro-consumers
o Saprotrophs or osmotrophs, refers to bacteria and fungi which break down the complex compounds of
dead remains of plants/animals.
ABIOTIC FACTOR
Physical and chemical factors which affect the ability of organisms to survive and reproduce.
1.
2.
3.
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6.
Intensity of light and pH
Range of temperatures
Amount of moisture
Type of substratum (soil or rock type)
Availability of inorganic substances such as minerals
Supply of gases such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen
BIOTIC FACTOR
All the living things that directly or indirectly affect the environment.
CARRYING CAPACITY
The maximum number of organisms the resources of an area can support.
Limited by the available abiotic and biotic resources, as well as the ability of an ecosystem to recycle the residue
of dead organisms through the activities of bacteria and fungi.
NUTRITIONAL RELATIONSHIPS
1.
2.
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AUTOTROPHS
Can synthesize their own food from inorganic compounds and a usable energy source.
HETEROTROPHS
Cannot synthesize our own food and are dependent on other organisms for their food.
a. Saprophytes – heterotrophic plants, fungi, bacteria (decomposers) that live on dead matter
b. Herbivores – plant-eating animals
c. Carnivores – meat-eating animals
i. Predators – animals which kill and consume their own prey
ex: Lions, tigers, cheetah, wolves
ii. Scavengers – animals that feed on other animals that they have not killed.
Ex: Vulture
d. Omnivores – consume both plants and meat
SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIPS
Symbiosis
living together with another organism in close association.
1. COMMENSALISM
- one organism is benefited and the other is unharmed.
- ex: orchids in trees, barnacles on whales, clownfish on reef
2. PARASITISM
- The parasite benefits at the expense of the host
- ex: athlete’s foot, tapeworms, heartworms
3. MUTUALISM
- both organisms benefit from each other
- ex: nitrogen-fixing bacteria on legume nodules, bees and flowers
FOOD CHAIN AND FOOD WEB
Main source = Sun
Primary Producers = Photoautotrophs, plants
Primary Consumers = Chemoheterotrophs
Secondary Consumers = chemoheterotrophs, carnivore/omnivore
FOOD CHAIN
Transfer of energy from green plants through a series of organisms with repeated stages of eating and
being eaten.
Linear flow
FOOD WEB
The flow of energy in a natural community, much more complicated than the food chain.
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Producers (plants) – energy of the community is derived from the organic compounds in plants.
Primary Consumer (herbivore) – feeds on plants
Secondary Consumer (carnivore/omnivore) – feeds upon other consumers
Decomposers – breaks down organic wastes and dead organisms to simpler substances
SIGNIFICANCE OF ECOLOGY
Natural things in the planet have a role in maintaining a balance of a healthy environment for man and other
organisms to live. The structural and functional components of nature interact and are interdependent with each other,
thus, their behaviors/ characteristics must be understood.
BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLE