1. Carrying capacity

Ans. When the environment is able to supply resources, assimilate them and can sustain life without interruption, is called environment ‘s carrying capacity. In this case it can meet the demands of the society and the resources extraction does not go beyond the rate of regeneration of the resources and the wastes generated are within the assimilating capacity of the environment..

2. Environmental Crisis

Ans. When the demand of resources exceeds the capacity of the environment, environment crisis takes place. The environment fails to sustain life by providing genetic and bio diversity because of the shortage of depletion of resources.

 3. Absorptive Capacity

Ans. Absorptive capacity means the ability of the environment to absorb degradation. Consequently we have reached at the threshold of environmental crisis.

4. Global Warming

Ans. Global warming is a gradual increase in the average temperature of the earth’s lower atmosphere as a result of the increase in green house gases since the industrial revolution. It is caused by man-made increase in carbon – dioxide and other green house gases through the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation.

5. Factors responsible for global warming

Ans. Factors responsible for global warming are (i) Burning of coal and petroleum products. (ii) Deforestation, which increases the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, methane gas released in animal waste and increased cattle production results in deforestation.

6. Ozone Depletion :

Ans. This reefers to the phenomenon of reduction in the amount of ozone in the stratosphere . The problem of ozone depletion is caused by high levels of chlorine and bromine compounds in the stratosphere. . As a result of the depletion of the ozone layer, more ultraviolet radiation comes to earth and causes damages to living organism. It can also influence the growth of terrestrial plants . The ozone depletion has caused serious concern and has led to the adoption of Montreal Protocol.

7. Opportunity Costs.

Ans. It is defined with respect to a particular value or action and is equal to the value of the foregone alternative choice or action. The cost of programs and projects to the impact of global warming and ozone depletion is known as opportunity costs. As, if there were no environmental problems these financial resources could have been utilized more fruitfully.

8. Pollution Control Boards

Ans. In order to address two major environmental concerns in India viz water and air pollution., the government has set up the Central Pollution Control Board in 1974. This was followed by state establishing their own State Level Boards to address all the environmental concerns. . They Investigate , collect and disseminate information relating to water, air and land pollution, lay down standards for sewage/ trade effluent and emissions.

9. Environment.

Ans. It is defined as the total plantary inheritance and the totality of all the resources. It includes all the biotic and abiotic factors that influence each other.

10. Biotic Elements

Ans. All the living elements (the birds, animals and plants forests, fisheries etc) are biotic elements.

11. Abiotic Elements

Ans. They include air, water land etc

12. Functions of environment

Ans. (i) Supply renewable and non- renewable resources. (ii) Assimilating water (iii) Sustaining life (vi) Providing aesthetic services.

13. Conditions for performing the functions

Ans. Demand for these functions are within the carrying capacity.

14. Causes of Global Warming.

Ans. (i) Man-made increase in carbon dioxide and green house gases through the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation.

15. Long term results of global warming.

Ans. (i) Melting of polar ice with a resulting rise on sea level and coastal flooding, disruption of drinking water supplier depending on snow melts , extintion of species as ecologicaliniches disappear more frequent tropical storms and increased incidences of tropical diseases.

16. Ozone Depletion

Ans. It refers to the phenomenon of reduction in the amount of ozone in the stratosphere.

17. Factors responsible for land degradation

Ans. 1. Lose of vegetation occurring due to deforestation
         2. Unsustainable fuel wood and other fodder extractions
        3. Shifting cultivation
        4. Encroachment of forest lands.
        5. Forest fire and over grazing
       6. Non adoption of adequate soil conservation measures
       7. Improper crop rotation
      8. Indiscriminate use of agro-chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides.
      9. Improper planning and management of irrigation system
     10. Extraction of ground water in the competing use of land for forestry, agriculture pasture, human settlements etc

18. Renewable resources

Ans. They are those resources which can be used without the possibility of the resource becoming depleted or exhausted .Their supply remains available. Trees in the forests and the fishes in the oceans are renewable resources.

19.Non- renewable resources

Ans. They are those resources which gets exhausted with extraction and use. For example fossil fuel

20. Causes of air pollution in urban areas.

Ans. 1. Vehicles 2. A huge concentration of Industries 3. Thermal Power plants.