Environment and Conservation

Overview

Environment and Conservation is a core theme in the EVS syllabus for Classes III-V and appears frequently in PSTET Paper I. This topic integrates science and social awareness by examining how human activities affect the natural world and what steps we can take to protect it. Questions typically test factual knowledge (types of pollution, endangered species, conservation methods) as well as the ability to connect concepts to everyday life and local Punjab contexts.

For PSTET, you must know the basic types of pollution and their sources, understand biodiversity and why it matters, recognise climate-related phenomena, and identify conservation practices at individual, community and national levels. Expect questions on the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle), national parks and wildlife sanctuaries (especially those in Punjab), and simple cause-effect relationships between human actions and environmental degradation.

Key Concepts

• **Environment** comprises all living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) components that surround and affect organisms — air, water, soil, plants, animals and human-made structures.

• **Pollution** is the introduction of harmful substances (pollutants) into the environment, degrading air, water or soil quality and harming living beings.

• **Biodiversity** refers to the variety of life forms — plants, animals, microorganisms — in a given area. India is one of the 17 mega-biodiversity countries.

• **Ecosystem** is a community of living organisms interacting with their physical environment (pond ecosystem, forest ecosystem, etc.).

• **Conservation** means the sustainable use and protection of natural resources — forests, water, wildlife — to ensure availability for future generations.

• **Climate** is the long-term average weather pattern of a region, while **weather** is the day-to-day atmospheric condition.

• **Global warming** is the gradual increase in Earth's average temperature, mainly due to greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane.

• **3Rs Principle** — Reduce (use less), Reuse (use again), Recycle (convert waste into new products) — is the foundation of waste management taught at primary level.

Formulas / Key Facts

| Fact | Detail | |------|--------| | **Three types of pollution** | Air, Water, Soil (also Noise and Light at advanced level) | | **Major air pollutants** | Carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, particulate matter, smoke | | **Water pollution sources** | Industrial effluents, sewage, pesticides, plastic waste | | **Soil pollution causes** | Excessive fertilisers, pesticides, plastic, industrial waste | | **Greenhouse gases** | CO₂, methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O), CFCs | | **Ozone layer** | Protects Earth from harmful UV rays; damaged by CFCs | | **National parks in Punjab** | None currently; Harike Wetland is a Ramsar site and bird sanctuary | | **Tiger reserves in India** | Jim Corbett (first, 1936), currently 54 tiger reserves | | **World Environment Day** | 5 June | | **Wildlife Week in India** | 2-8 October | | **Chipko Movement** | 1973, Uttarakhand — villagers hugged trees to prevent felling | | **Endangered species examples** | Bengal tiger, Indian rhinoceros, Asiatic lion, Great Indian Bustard |