Environmental Science (Compulsory Course)

Dr. Sankar Chandra Basu

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Land resources: Minerals, soil, agricultural crops,
natural forest products, medicinal plants, and
forest-based industries and livelihoods; Land cover,
land use change, land degradation, soil erosion,
and desertification; Causes of deforestation;
Impacts of mining and dam building on
environment, forests, biodiversity, and tribal
communities

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Water resources: Natural and man-made sources;
Uses of water; Over exploitation of surface and
ground water resources; Floods, droughts, and
international &inter- state conflicts over water

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Energy resources: Renewable and non-renewable
energy sources; Use of alternate energy sources;
Growing energy needs; Energy contents of coal,
petroleum, natural gas and bio-gas; Agro-residues
as a biomass energy source
Types of Natural Resources
Definitions
Land resources & land use change
Land degradation, soil erosion & desertification

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Desertification is the process by which vegetation in drylands
i.e. arid and semi-arid lands, such as grasslands or shrublands,
decreases and eventually disappears. The concept does not
refer to the physical expansion of existing deserts, but to the
various processes that threaten to turn currently non-desert
ecosystems into deserts.

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Human activities, including deforestation and the
overexploitation of aquifers, accelerate desertification. The
effects of climate change, which is also driven by humans, and
the destruction it causes in the form of extreme weather
phenomena such as droughts, hurricanes, fires, etc. must be
added to this.

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According to the UN, more than 24 billion tonnes of fertile soil
disappear every year. In fact, today two-thirds of the Earth is
undergoing a process of desertification and, if no action is
taken, 1.5 million km2 of agricultural land, an area equivalent to
the entire arable land of India, which is essential for maintaining
biodiversity and feeding the population, will be lost by 2050.
Desertification Vulnerability
 Deforestation: Causes, Consequences & remedial measures

Forest Fires: Sometimes Natural, sometimes man made The Amazon — and our future — is being burned for profit -
Greenpeace International
What Does Deforestation Mean?

Deforestation means cutting down the trees to a large extent be it forests, any barren land or trees we see on our way to college
every day.

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Natural forests are being destructed to use the land for
– cultivation,
– building houses,
– factories, logging,
– making space for cattle grazing,
– extraction of oil,
– mining,
– construction of dams or to obtain wood for making furniture
and
– using it as fuel.

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Forest wood has been an essential need for us since the time of civilization and still continues to be the main source for many uses
in our day to day life. Trees help to maintain the water cycle and give shelter to the organisms. It takes place in an area that is
densely populated by trees and is mostly observed in a forest like the Amazon rainforest.

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Forests cover almost 30% of the earth’s land.
 Effects of Deforestation

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Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Gases such as methane and carbon dioxide trap heat in Earth’s atmosphere, leading change in climate. Trees absorb the carbon
dioxide and release oxygen and water into the atmosphere and this contributes to global warming. Cutting carbon dioxide adds to
the environment and then this lack of the tree creates an absorption deficit. Deforestation leads to the emission of greenhouse gas.

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Soil Erosion
Cutting down on trees leads to clearance of forests and so soil erosion occurs. Exposure of the soil to the sun’s heat dries up the
moisture inside the soil. Nutrients evaporate and it affects the bacteria that help to break down organic matter. Due to this, rain
washes the soil surfaces and erosion takes place. Large amounts of soil wash into local streams and rivers and cause damage to
hydroelectric structures and irrigation infrastructure.

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Biodiversity Losses
Deforestation alters land and so that many of the plants and animals do not survive. With more deforestation, the entire species can
extinct. This is the ‘biodiversity loss’. Many wonderful species of plants and animals have been lost, and many others remain
endangered. As each species of an ecosystem rely upon other species, loss of one species can have far-reaching consequences for
other species. We lose about 50 to 100 species of animals each day due to the destruction of their habitats. Millions of plants and
animal species are on the verge of extinction due to deforestation.

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Floods
Deforestation leads to land erosion because the trees maintain the surface of the mountains. The water level of the rivers increases
suddenly, causing floods. When it rains, trees absorb and store a large amount of water with the help of their roots. Chopping down
of trees disrupts the flow of water and leads to floods in some areas.
Solutions to Deforestation

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The best way to stop deforestation is replanting.
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Ban on cutting of trees and new trees and planting more.
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There should be an implementation of regulations of laws at organizational
and governmental levels due to the extent of deforestation.
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Spread the awareness about sensitization and organize educative campaigns
about the effects of deforestation.
Use and over-exploitation of surface and ground waters
Floods, Droughts, Conflict of water: international and inter-state