Natural Resources

The Earth's energy comes from the Sun and the energy is lost when the earth re-radiates it into the outer space. The earth system is made up of water, ice, atmosphere, etc. The atmosphere of the earth is heated by radiations which are mainly re-radiated by land and water.

Our earth will become like mercury. If it does not have atmosphere so first of all there will be no seasons. Hence, Surface Temp. of earth will erose too high at direct exposure of sun and will be too cold when there will be no sun.

Ozone will damage living tissues and the man-made things. The temperature will rise and metals will melt. Water will start to evaporate and eventually living beings will die.

Polythene bags can best be defined as a non-biodegradable substance that penetrates into the soil which in turn affects food growth and development. It blocks the synthesis of any natural material or process that comes in its way. Thus, it also hampers the soil formation in nature.

Elemental oxygen is normally found in the form of a diatomic molecule In the upper layers of atmosphere another form of oxygen that is a triatomic molecule of oxygen and it is called ozone (O₃). Thus, the two forms of oxygen found in the atmosphere are O₂ Oxygen and (O₃) (ozone).

Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) occurs when atmospheric nitrogen is converted to ammonia by an enzyme called a nitrogenase. The reaction for BNF is as follows

N₂+ 8 H⁺ + 8 e⁻→ 2 NH₃ + H. The process is coupled to the hydrolysis of 16 equivalents of ATP and is accompanied by the co-formation of one molecule of H₂

Rainfall and its total mount, frequency and intensity, these values vary from place to place, day to day, month to month and also year to year. It depends upon the season and type of climatic conditions including demography of that area.

Fertilizers and pesticides washes into waterways along with eroded sediments. This nitrogen fertilizer easily dissolved into waters and causes eutrophication* and "dead zones" that kill aquatic life. It is not eco-friendly.

*Eutrophication: Eutrophication is due to excessive nutrient supply in the water bodies which

Nitrogen fixation is a process by which nitrogen in the Earth's atmosphere is converted into ammonia (NH₃) or other molecules available to living organisms. Atmospheric nitrogen or molecular dinitrogen (N₂) is relatively inert: it does not easily react with other chemicals to form new compounds.

The water cycle consists of three major processes: evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. Evaporation is the process of a liquid's surface changing to a gas. In the water cycle, liquid water (in the ocean, lakes, or rivers) evaporates and becomes water vapor. It condenses in the atmosphere and comes back as precipitation (rain) back to earth.

Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies (e.g. lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers and groundwater). This form of environmental degradation occurs when pollutants are directly or indirectly discharged into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful compounds.

Ammonia contains no carbon and releases no greenhouse gases. The emission of direct and indirect greenhouse gases, namely methane (CH₄), carbon dioxide (CO₂), ammonia (NH₃), nitric (NO) and nitrous oxide (N₂O)

Transpiration is the process by which moisture is carried through plants from roots to small pores on the underside of leaves, where it changes to vapor and is released to the atmosphere. It is kind of evaporation of water from plant leaves.

severe depletion of ozone in a region of the ozone layer and it is caused by the destruction of ozone by CFCs and by other compounds, such as carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) and carbon tetrafluoride (CF₄).

Ozone depletion occurs when chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)—formerly found in aerosol spray cans and refrigerants—are released into the atmosphere. These gases, through several chemical reactions, cause the ozone molecules to break down, reducing ozone ultraviolet (UV) radiation-absorbing capacity.

All the problems have deteriorated the environment. Greenhouse leads to global warming and ozone layer depletion has led to many diseases in human beings.

Nitrogen being unreactive is not used in respiration at all. we simply breathe the nitrogen back out again, unchanged along with CO.

Topsoil is the upper, outermost layer of soil, usually the top 2 inches (5.1 cm) to 8 inches (20 cm). It has the highest concentration of organic matter and microorganisms and it is the place where most of the Earth's biological soil activity occurs.

Carbon dioxide is taken up by Plants during Photosynthesis and it is fixed into organic carbon source which is taken up by animals which feed on plants and so on. At the end, the decomposers break down the dead remains of plants and animals and this releases the carbon in an inorganic form into the soil.

Soil is a mixture of minerals, organic matter, gases, liquids, and countless organisms that live inside and on it. Rock, is the source of all soil mineral materials and the origin of all plant nutrients

About 75% percent of the Earth's surface is water-covered, and the oceans hold about 96.5 percent of all Earth's water. Water also exists in the air as water vapor, in rivers and lakes, in icecaps and glaciers, in the ground as soil moisture and in aquifers, and even in humans and animals.

Biotic components are the living things that shape an ecosystem. Air is an abiotic component.

If CO₂ level will increase temperatures throughout the Earth. However, soil conditions will not necessarily favor growth of dry land plants.

The oxygen cycle is the biogeochemical cycle. The main source of atmospheric free oxygen is photosynthesis, which produces sugars and free oxygen from carbon dioxide and water and gives it to atmosphere.

In the winter months when the wind speeds are low, smoke and fog become stagnate at a place forming smog and increasing pollution levels near the ground closer to where people are respiring. It hampers visibility and disturbs the environment.

Moss (division Bryophyta), any of at least 12,000 species of small non vascular spore-bearing land plants. They are small flowerless plants that typically grow in dense green clumps or mats, often in damp or shady locations. The individual plants are usually composed of simple leaves that are generally only one cell thick, attached to a stem that may be branched or unbranched and has only a limited role in conducting water and nutrients.

Rising temperatures can directly affect the metabolism, life cycle, and behaviour of aquatic animals.

Trees reduce the rate of erosion by protecting the soil from the impact of rain. transpiring large amounts of water, which counteracts very wet soil and binding soil to sloping land with their roots.

Soil erosion is a naturally occurring process that affects all landforms. Rainfall may also move soil indirectly, by means of runoff in rills (small channels) or gullies (larger channels, too big to be removed by tillage). In many parts of the world, rill and gully erosion is the dominant form of water erosion.

The symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria invade the root hairs of host plants, where they multiply and stimulate formation of root nodules, enlargements of plant cells and bacteria in intimate association. Within the nodules the bacteria convert free nitrogen to ammonia, which the host plant utilizes for its development. To ensure sufficient nodule formation and optimum growth of legumes (e.g., alfalfa, beans, clovers, peas, soybeans). However the nitrogen-fixing enzyme, nitrogenase, is unstable in the presence of oxygen.

Water is capable of dissolving a large number of substances. As water flows over the rocks containing soluble minerals, some of them get dissolved in the water. Thus, rivers carry many nutrients from land to the sea.

Loss of topsoil can be prevented by

(i) increasing the vegetational cover

(ii) checking the falling of trees

(iii) by preventing excessive grazing by animals

Overgrazing occurs when plants are exposed to intensive grazing for extended periods of time by animals. The animals should be limited to particular space and should also be monitored when grazing. They should also be given alternate source of feed for their survival.

Addition of undesirable chemicals like pesticides, fertilizers, industrial waste and domestic wastes not only kill the organisms, they also cause diseases to the aquatic organisms. Besides, the requirement of oxygen by aquatic organisms is also increased. There is a reduction in the dissolved oxygen in water which adversely affects the aquatic organisms.

Air near water bodies is cooled due to evaporation of water. Heat raises the air and creates a vacuum below. Evaporation cooles down the water and surrounding and thus area near lake is cooler as compared to other areas and we feel relief from heat.

Air above the land gets heated quickly during day and starts rising. This creates a region of low pressure as a result air over sea rushes into this area of low pressure. This movement of air from one region to the other creates winds. During night, as water cools down slowly, the air above water is warmer than the air on land. So air moves from land to sea creating winds.

Lichens and Mosses (a) and (b). Lichens and mosses release substances which break down the stones resulting in the formation of soil.

The fungal component of lichens produces organic acids that disintegrate rock, giving the lichen a better hold and contributing to the weathering process, which eventually turns a rock into soil.

As lichens die, they provide some organic matter that also contributes to soil. Mosses can then colonize the thin soil; as mosses die, the soil thickens more allowing other hardy species to colonize.

Abiotic factors making soil are sun, water and wind

Biotic factors making soil are lichens, mosses and trees.

Through photosynthesis and absorption from soil. A nutrient cycle (or ecological recycling) is the movement and exchange of organic and inorganic matter back into the production of living matter. The process is regulated by food web pathways that decompose matter into mineral nutrients. Nutrient cycles occur within ecosystems. Ecosystems are interconnected systems where matter and energy flows and is exchanged as organisms feed, digest, and migrate from one place to another.

Cycling of these gases maintains consistency and biotic and abiotic factors contribute in the maintenance of balance.

It is due to the fact there is no atmosphere on the moon. Our moon does indeed have an atmosphere consisting of some unusual gases, including sodium and potassium, which are not found in the atmospheres of Earth, Mars or Venus.

people love to fly kites near the seashore because during day the air above land gets heated faster and starts rising. So the air above the sea moves into this area rapidly.

Mathura refinery releases toxic gases (like oxides of sulphur) which causes acid rain and hence corrosion of the marbles of Taj Mahal.

The Mathura Refinery, is located in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh. The refinery processes low sulphur crude from Bombay High, imported low sulphur crude from Nigeria, and high sulphur crude from the Middle East. The Mathura oil refinery releases toxic gases and disposes waste into the rivers making the area dirty and unhealthy. the air has high levels of suspended particulate matter, caused by factory emissions, dust, construction, and exhaust from automobiles. These are causing the Taj Mahal to change color

It is a bio-indicator and sensitive to pollution from automobiles. Lichens are highly susceptible towards sulphur dioxide. A compound in them reacts with sulphur dioxide to form a poisonous chemical that kills the plant itself. Delhi has maximum number of automobiles, hence has a highly polluted environment and lichens do not grow here.

Marine water is not useful for human and plant life directly. Uneven distribution of limited freshwater resources need conservation to cater to the demands.

The following can be the reasons for the mass mortality of fishes in the pond.

(i)Thermal pollution

(ii) Addition of poisonous (mercury) compounds in water

(iii) Due to blockage of gills with any pollutant.

(iv) Domestic Sewage

(v) Eutophication

(vi) Thermal Waste Water Discharge

Lichens release chemical substances to break the rocks into smaller particles and hence make soil. They enrich the soil by trapping water, dust and silt. When lichens die they contribute organic matter to the soil, improving the soil so that other plants can grow there.

Water helps in formation of soil in following ways.

(i) Water causes ‘wear off’ of rocks over a long period of time.

(ii) It also causes the rocks to rub against other rocks creating small particles which are taken away downstream and deposited as soil.

(iii) Water expands on freezing in crevices of rocks and cracks rocks into smaller pieces.

Fertile soils are rich in organisms that decomposes dead organic matter forming humus. Humus gives minerals, absorbs water and makes soil porous. It is also able to absorb more air and water.

Step farming is practiced to check soil erosion through water currents on the slopes. It is more commonly known as terracing farming. In agriculture, a terrace is a leveled section of a hilly cultivated area, designed as a method of soil conservation to slow or prevent the rapid surface runoff of irrigation water. Often such land is formed into multiple terraces, giving a stepped appearance. This type of farming in land use is prevalent in many countries, and is used for crops requiring a lot of water, such as rice. Terraces are also easier for both mechanical and manual sowing and harvesting than a steep slope.

In root nodules nitrogen fixing Rhizobium bacteria are present which increases the soil fertility.Bacteria living in the root nodules fix atmospheric nitrogen to the plant.

Plants cannot utilize atmospheric nitrogen directly. Hence, leguminous plants establish a symbiotic relationship with bacteria like Rhizobium. Leguminous plant provides shelter and nourishment for the bacteria and in turn bacteria fix atmospheric nitrogen to the plant.

The fossil fuels like coal and petroleum contain small amounts of nitrogen and sulphur. When fossil fuels are burnt, it produces oxides of nitrogen and sulphur. These gases cause inhalation problems and in presence of rain forms acid rain. Burning of fossil fuels also increase the amount of suspended particles in air that reduce the visibility.

(i) undesirable substances like fertilizers and pesticides or any poisonous substances.

(ii) sewage directly entering a water body.

(iii) hot water from the power plant that increases the temperature and reduces the dissolved oxygen in water thus killing the aquatic organisms.

(iv) industrial effluents or radioactive substances in water body.

We can take following measures to check water pollution

(i) The sewer lines should not be directly connected to the water body.

(ii) We should not throw our garbages or domestic waste in the water body.

(iii) Prevent dumping of toxic compounds in the water bodies.

(iv) Washing of clothes should be avoided near water bodies as it adds lot of detergents to it.

(v) Plant trees near the banks of the river to check soil erosion otherwise erosion leads to siltation of water body.

The inside temperature of the car rises very high. Explain why?

Infra-red radiations in sunlight pass through the glass and heat the interior of the car. The radiation emitted by upholstery and other inner parts of the car cannot pass out of the glass, so the heat trapped inside raises the temperature of the interior. This is because glass is transparent to infrared radiation from the sun having smaller wavelength than that emitted by the interior of the car which are of longer wavelength to which the glass is opaque.

Dust remains present in air as suspended particles can cause allergy and other respiratory diseases. It also affects plant growth, by covering stomata on leaf surface. It acts as the carrier of toxic compounds like heavy metals.

The rocks are heated by the sun; they contract during night but not at same rate during the day. It results in cracks in rocks and ultimately to smaller particles. These small particles further break down into soil.

Increasing concentration (more than normal) of CO is harmful and considered as a pollutant. Higher concentrations of CO₂ leads to greenhouse effect/global warming. Increased level of CO leads to pollution.