Environment for General Studies UPSC Civil Services Exam 
           
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                                                                  Environment PDF 
          1.   Environment and Ecology...................................................................................................................... 6 
               1.1  Environment ............................................................................................................................................. 6 
                        Biosphere ............................................................................................................................................................ 7 
                        Habitat ................................................................................................................................................................ 7 
                        Ecosystem ........................................................................................................................................................... 8 
                        Components of an Ecosystem .......................................................................................................................... 10 
               1.2  Ecology – Principles and Organizations .................................................................................................. 14 
                        Levels of Organizations in Ecology ................................................................................................................... 14 
                        Principles of Ecology ......................................................................................................................................... 16 
               1.3  Ecotone ................................................................................................................................................... 22 
          2.   Functions of Ecosystem ....................................................................................................................... 25 
               2.1  Ecological Succession ............................................................................................................................. 25 
                        Stages ............................................................................................................................................................... 26 
               2.2  Homeostasis in Ecosystem ..................................................................................................................... 30 
                        Homeostasis ..................................................................................................................................................... 31 
               2.3  Energy Flow Through an Ecosystem – Trophic Levels ............................................................................ 32 
                        Food Chain ........................................................................................................................................................ 33 
                        Food Web ......................................................................................................................................................... 36 
                        Ecological Pyramids .......................................................................................................................................... 38 
                        Pollutants and Trophic Level – Biomagnification ............................................................................................. 44 
               2.4  Biogeo Chemical Cycling or Nutrient Cycling ......................................................................................... 46 
                        Types of Nutrient Cycles ................................................................................................................................... 47 
                        Carbon Cycle (Gaseous Cycle) .......................................................................................................................... 48 
                        Nitrogen Cycle (Gaseous Cycle) ........................................................................................................................ 51 
          3.   Natural Ecosystem .............................................................................................................................. 61 
               3.1  Biomes or Terrestrial Ecosystems .......................................................................................................... 61 
                        Tundra Biome ................................................................................................................................................... 62 
                        Taiga or Boreal Biome ...................................................................................................................................... 63 
                        Temperate Deciduous Biome (North-Western Europe – British Type Climate) .............................................. 64 
                        Temperate Rainforest Biome ........................................................................................................................... 64 
                        Sub-Tropical Deciduous Biome in Eastern China, South Eastern USA ............................................................. 64 
                        Steppe or Temperate Grassland Biome ........................................................................................................... 65 
                        Temperate Deciduous Biome (Mediterranean Climate) .................................................................................. 65 
                        Tropical Deciduous Biome (Monsoon Climate) ................................................................................................ 65 
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                        Savanna or Tropical Wet and Dry Biome .......................................................................................................... 65 
                        Tropical Rain Forest Biome ............................................................................................................................... 65 
                        Desert Biome .................................................................................................................................................... 66 
               3.2  Aquatic Ecosystems ................................................................................................................................ 66 
                        Aquatic Organisms ............................................................................................................................................ 67 
                        Factors Limiting the Productivity of Aquatic Habitats ...................................................................................... 67 
                        Wetland Ecosystem .......................................................................................................................................... 68 
                        Ramsar Convention on Wetlands ..................................................................................................................... 74 
                        Estuarine Ecosystem ......................................................................................................................................... 83 
                        Mangroves ........................................................................................................................................................ 86 
          4.   Global Environmental Issues and Environmental Degradation ............................................................. 91 
               4.1  Major Causes of Environmental Degradation ........................................................................................ 92 
               4.2  Consequences of Environmental Degradation ...................................................................................... 92 
               4.3  Air Pollution ............................................................................................................................................ 93 
                        Classification of Pollutants ............................................................................................................................... 94 
                        Major Gaseous Air Pollutants, Their Sources & Effects .................................................................................... 98 
                        Prevention and Control of Air Pollution ......................................................................................................... 103 
                        Effects of Air Pollution: Acid Rain – Acidification ........................................................................................... 110 
                        Ocean Acidification ......................................................................................................................................... 115 
               4.4  Water Pollution .................................................................................................................................... 117 
                        Causes of Water Pollution .............................................................................................................................. 117 
                        Effects of Water Pollution .............................................................................................................................. 122 
                        Water Pollution Control Measures ................................................................................................................. 123 
                        Eutrophication – Ageing of Lakes ................................................................................................................... 132 
               4.5  Radioactive Pollution ........................................................................................................................... 135 
                        Ionizing and Non-Ionizing Radiation ............................................................................................................... 136 
                        Accidents at nuclear power plants ................................................................................................................. 139 
                        Safe Disposal of Nuclear Wastes .................................................................................................................... 140 
                        Impact of Radiation from Mobile Phone Towers ........................................................................................... 140 
               4.6  Soil Pollution ......................................................................................................................................... 141 
                        Causes and Sources of Soil Pollution .............................................................................................................. 141 
                        Effects of soil pollution ................................................................................................................................... 142 
               4.7  Noise Pollution ..................................................................................................................................... 143 
               4.8  Solid Wastes ......................................................................................................................................... 143 
                        Effects of Plastic Waste .................................................................................................................................. 143 
                        Industrial solid waste ...................................................................................................................................... 144 
                        Plastic waste in road construction ................................................................................................................. 144 
                        Issues with treatment and disposal of solid waste ........................................................................................ 144 
                        Waste Minimization Circles (WMC) ............................................................................................................... 146 
               4.9  Hazardous Waste ................................................................................................................................. 146 
                        Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants .............................................................................. 147 
                        Basel Convention ............................................................................................................................................ 147 
                        Rotterdam Convention ................................................................................................................................... 147 
               4.10 Electronic waste | E-WASTE ................................................................................................................. 148 
                        Source and health effects ............................................................................................................................... 148 
                        E-Waste in India .............................................................................................................................................. 150 
                        Heavy Metal Toxicity and Methods of Their Prevention ................................................................................ 151 
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               4.11 Marine Pollution ................................................................................................................................... 153 
                        Convention on Dumping of Wastes at Sea ..................................................................................................... 153 
                        The United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea........................................................................................ 155 
               4.12 Land Degradation ................................................................................................................................. 155 
                        Deforestation .................................................................................................................................................. 156 
                        Overgrazing..................................................................................................................................................... 158 
                        Faulty Methods of Agriculture ....................................................................................................................... 158 
                        Soil Salinity and Soil Alkalinity ........................................................................................................................ 158 
                        Desertification ................................................................................................................................................ 160 
                        Waterlogging .................................................................................................................................................. 161 
                        Characteristics of Indian Soils ......................................................................................................................... 162 
                        Soil Erosion ..................................................................................................................................................... 162 
                        Soil Conservation ............................................................................................................................................ 164 
               4.13 Human Modified Ecosystems and Environmental Degradation .......................................................... 169 
                        Agroecosystems.............................................................................................................................................. 169 
                        Plantation Forest ............................................................................................................................................ 170 
                        Aquaculture .................................................................................................................................................... 170 
                        Dams, Reservoirs and Diversions ................................................................................................................... 171 
                        Environmental Issues in the Himalayas .......................................................................................................... 172 
          5.   Biodiversity .......................................................................................................................................176 
               5.1  Definitions ............................................................................................................................................ 177 
               5.2  Biodiversity of India .............................................................................................................................. 180 
                        Realms ............................................................................................................................................................ 180 
                        Biomes of India ............................................................................................................................................... 181 
                        Bio-geographic Zones ..................................................................................................................................... 181 
                        Bio-geographic provinces ............................................................................................................................... 182 
                        Wildlife Diversity of India ............................................................................................................................... 183 
               5.3  Loss of Biodiversity ............................................................................................................................... 186 
                        Cause for the loss of biodiversity ................................................................................................................... 186 
               5.4  Biodiversity Conservation .................................................................................................................... 192 
                        In situ conservation ........................................................................................................................................ 192 
                        Ex Situ Conservation ....................................................................................................................................... 198 
               5.5  Historic Citizen Movements to Conserve Biodiversity ......................................................................... 199 
                        Chipko Movement .......................................................................................................................................... 199 
                        Appiko Movement .......................................................................................................................................... 200 
               5.6  Biodiversity Hot Spots .......................................................................................................................... 200 
                        Biodiversity hotspots in India ......................................................................................................................... 201 
               5.7  World Heritage Sites ............................................................................................................................ 203 
                        Man and Biosphere Programme (MAB programme) ..................................................................................... 204 
          6.   International Union for Conservation of Nature .................................................................................204 
               6.1  BirdLife International ........................................................................................................................... 204 
               6.2  CITES ..................................................................................................................................................... 205 
               6.3  TRAFFIC ................................................................................................................................................. 206 
                        World Wide Fund for Nature (World Wildlife Fund) ...................................................................................... 207 
               6.4  IUCN Red List or Red Data List or Red Book ......................................................................................... 207 
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               6.5  IUCN Red List India (As of March 2019) ............................................................................................... 209 
                        ‘Critically Endangered’ Mammals ................................................................................................................... 209 
                        ‘Endangered’ Mammals.................................................................................................................................. 213 
                        ‘Endangered’ Marine Mammals ..................................................................................................................... 219 
                        ‘Vulnerable’ Mammals ................................................................................................................................... 220 
                        ‘Vulnerable’ Herbivorous Marine Mammals .................................................................................................. 224 
                        ‘Near Threatened’ Mammals ......................................................................................................................... 225 
                        Least concern .................................................................................................................................................. 228 
                        ‘Not Evaluated’ Mammals .............................................................................................................................. 229 
                        Crocodile species in India ............................................................................................................................... 229 
                        ‘Critically Endangered’ Birds ........................................................................................................................... 230 
                        Endangered Birds ........................................................................................................................................... 233 
                        ‘Vulnerable’ Birds ........................................................................................................................................... 234 
                        ‘Critically Endangered’ Reptiles ...................................................................................................................... 235 
                        ‘Vulnerable’ Reptiles ...................................................................................................................................... 237 
                        ‘Near Threatened’ Reptiles ............................................................................................................................. 239 
                        ‘Critically Endangered’ Fish ............................................................................................................................ 239 
                        ‘Endangered’ Fishes ........................................................................................................................................ 241 
                        ‘Critically Endangered’ Spiders ....................................................................................................................... 241 
                        ‘Critically Endangered’ Corals ......................................................................................................................... 242 
                        Others ............................................................................................................................................................. 243 
                        Steps Taken by the Government for Wildlife Protection ............................................................................... 244 
               6.6  Misc. Topics .......................................................................................................................................... 245 
                        Indian Vulture Crisis........................................................................................................................................ 251 
          7.   Climate Change ..................................................................................................................................256 
               7.1  Greenhouse effect and Global Warming ............................................................................................. 256 
                        Importance of Natural Greenhouse Effect ..................................................................................................... 257 
                        Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) ............................................................................................................................. 257 
                        Global Warming – Impacts ............................................................................................................................. 262 
                        Sea Level Change ............................................................................................................................................ 263 
               7.2  Reducing Carbon in the Atmosphere to fight Climate Change ............................................................ 266 
                        Clean coal technology to reduce CO  in atmosphere ..................................................................................... 266 
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                        Carbon capture and storage ........................................................................................................................... 267 
                        Carbon Sink and Carbon Sequestration.......................................................................................................... 268 
               7.3  Ozone Depleting Substances ................................................................................................................ 272 
                        Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer ............................................................................ 273 
                        Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer .................................................................. 273 
                        Kigali amendment to Montreal Protocol 2016 ............................................................................................... 273 
                        The Ozone Depleting Substances Rules ......................................................................................................... 275 
          8.   International Conventions, NGOs, Laws .............................................................................................276 
               8.2  United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (1972) ........................................................ 277 
                        United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) or UN Environment ......................................................... 277 
               8.3  UNCED or Earth Summit 1992, Rio De Janeiro Brazil ........................................................................... 280 
               8.4  Agenda 21 ............................................................................................................................................. 282 
                        Rio+5 (1997) ................................................................................................................................................... 283 
                        Rio+10 (2002) or Earth Summit 2002 ............................................................................................................. 283 
                        Rio+20 (2012) ................................................................................................................................................. 283 
                        2030 Agenda – Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) ................................................................................ 284 
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