TNPSC Mains Syllabus for Optional Subject: Environmental Science
UNIT – I: SCOPE AND IMPORTANCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
Definition; multidisciplinary nature of environmental science, scope and importance; global environmental problems; components of environment: biotic, abiotic. Atmosphere. Lithosphere: case study on major geological formations in
Tamil Nadu; Hydrosphere case study on major river systems in Tamil Nadu.
UNIT- II: ECOLOGICAL CONCEPTS
Ecosystem definition; structure and function; energy flow, food chain and food web; ecological pyramids, biogeochemical cycles (Carbon, Nitrogen and Phosphorus); Hydrological cycle; ecosystem types: ponds, ocean, river, cropland, wetland, desert, forests and grassland; ecological succession; primary, secondary and tertiary producers. Examples of plant and animal adaptations for arid (desert and semi-desert) and humid (rain forest) biomes.
UNIT – III: ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES
Non-renewable resources - Mineral use and exploitation; fossil fuels. Renewable resources: water – surface and ground water, supply, demand, dams-benefits and problems; soil and land resources – Structure, formation, erosion, conservation of soil, agricultural practices, land use, land degradation, desertification; Fisheries – inland and marine fisheries, aquaculture, overharvesting. Forest resources – Timber, medicinal plants, fuel-wood, deforestation, forest management. Management of renewable and nonrenewable resources; sustainable use.
UNIT- IV: BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
Biodiversity - Definition; Introduction to genetic, species and ecosystem diversity; biogeographical classification of India: Forest types of Tamil Nadu: tropical dry evergreen, thorny scrub, wet evergreen forests, grasslands, sholas, dry and mixed deciduous forests, mangroves. Coral reefs. Agro-biodiversity, land races and genetic resources. Valuation of biodiversity; Consumptive, productive, cultural value. Threats to biodiversity: habitat loss, poaching, over-utilisation, invasive species. Endemic and threatened species of Tamil Nadu. In situ conservation: Mudumalai, Anamalai and Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserves,
Gulf of Mannar Marine Reserve, Pulicat and Pt. Calimere Wildlife Sanctuaries; sacred groves. Ex-situ conservation: Vandalur Zoological Park and Madras
Crocodile Bank. Red data book, National Biodiversity Act, Wildlife Protection Act
(1972), Tamil Nadu Forest Conservation Act.
UNIT- V: HUMAN POPULATION AND ENVIRONMENT
Population growth and regulation: Age pyramids, Malthusian theory, global trends of population growth, variation among nations and zero population growth.
Environmental health, Nutrition and health. Communicable diseases such as typhoid, cholera, tuberculosis, hepatitis, influenza, HIV- social issues. Noncommunicable diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, asthma. Epidemics.
Environmental risk factors. Human displacement and rehabilitation, tribal population and welfare schemes, women and child welfare; Human rights, Intellectual Property Rights.
UNIT- VI: NATURAL CATASTROPHIES AND DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Causes and effects of natural catastrophies – Earthquakes, floods, cyclones, hurricanes, storms, landslides, drought, famine, tsunami; pre-disaster and post - disaster management, risk assessment, early warning systems and forecasting.
Role of administrators, scientists, planners, volunteers.
UNIT- VII: ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
Definition of pollution and pollutants; types of pollution - Air, water, soil, noise, thermal, nuclear; causes of pollution, effects of pollution and control measures; liquid and solid waste management, nuclear holocausts. Case studies: leather industry, fly ash, thermal stations, nuclear power plants.
UNIT- VIII: ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AND LEGISLATION
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) : Objectives, Principles of Process, screening of projects, methodologies, checklist and documentation, prediction methodologies, public participation, limitation of EIA ; Environmental Protection
Acts in India : air, water. Lake and River action programmes; coastal zone management; pollution control boards, Management plans using Geographic
Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) tools.
UNIT - IX: ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANISATIONS AND AGENCIES
International Organisations: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN),
International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), International Panel on Oceans (IPO), Earth Summit, Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), World Wide
Fund for Nature (WWF), Man and Biosphere Programme (MAB), India: Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Ministry of Earth
Sciences (MoES), NGO’s.
UNIT- X: GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE
Introduction to climate change, past climatic fluctuations. Current climate and weather – Wind, monsoon, cyclones. Global ocean circulation. Global warming and greenhouses gases – Carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone.
Sources of green house gases – Fossil fuel use, vehicle emissions, industry; agricultural practices, deforestation. Role of UNFCC (United Nation Framework
Convention on Climate Change) in monitoring green house gas emissions.
International treaties: Kyoto protocol, Paris agreement. Acid rain, source, impacts and management. Ozone layer depletion: causes, impacts and remediation.