OUR ENVIRONMENT

OUR ENVIRONMENT

We have heard the word 'environment' often being used on the television, in newspapers and by people around us. Our elders tell us that the 'environment' is not what it is used to be earlier; others say that the developed and developing countries are regularly held to discuss 'environmental' issues. 

ECO-SYSTEM - WHAT ARE ITS COMPONENTS?

All organisms such as plants, animals, microorganisms and human beings as well as the physical surroundings interact with each other and maintain a balance in nature. All the interacting organisms in an area together with the non-living constituents of the environment form an ecosystem. Thus, an ecosystem consists of biotic components comprising living organisms and abiotic components comprising physical factors like temperature, rainfall, wind, soil and minerals.

      For example, if you visit a garden you will find different plants, such as grasses, trees; flower bearing plants like rose, jasmine, sunflower; and animals like frogs, insects and birds. all these living organisms interact with each other and their growth, reproduction and other activities are affected by the abiotic components of ecosystem. So a garden is an ecosystem. Other types of ecosystems are forests, ponds and lakes. There are natural ecosystems while gardens and crop-fields are human made (artificial) ecosystems.