Class 10 Science - ODISHA
Our Environment
The chapter 'Our Environment' in Class 10 Science explores how human activities impact the surrounding natural world. Students learn about ecosystems, biotic and abiotic components, food chains, food webs, and trophic levels. A major focus is placed on biological magnification and environmental problems caused by humans, such as ozone layer depletion and improper waste management, including biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes. This chapter holds significant weight in the Odisha BSE board exams, testing students on conceptual understanding and real-world applications of ecological balance and sustainable living.
Start Learning FreeKey Concepts
Ecosystem
A self-contained unit consisting of all interacting biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) components in a particular area.
Food Chain and Food Web
A food chain is a linear sequence of organisms eating one another, while a food web is a complex, interconnected network of multiple food chains in an ecosystem.
Ten Percent Law
Only 10 percent of energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next, while the remaining 90 percent is lost to the environment as heat.
Biological Magnification
The progressive increase in the concentration of harmful chemical pesticides at successive trophic levels in a food chain.
Ozone Layer Depletion
The thinning of the protective ozone shield in the stratosphere caused by the release of synthetic chemicals like chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
Waste Management
The proper disposal of biodegradable wastes through natural rotting and non-biodegradable wastes through recycling and reuse.
Important Formulas
Board Exam Info
In the Odisha (BSE) Class 10 Science examination, this chapter typically carries around 3 to 5 marks. Questions commonly include short-answer questions, reasoning-based questions about the ten percent law or ozone depletion, and differentiating between biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is energy flow in an ecosystem always unidirectional?
Because energy captured by autotrophs does not revert back to the sun, and the energy passed to herbivores cannot be returned to producers. At each transfer, a major part is lost as heat.
What happens if all the decomposers are removed from the earth?
Dead bodies of plants and animals would pile up, and recycling of nutrients would stop, leading to the depletion of soil nutrients and disruption of ecosystems.
Why are some substances biodegradable and others non-biodegradable?
Biodegradable substances can be broken down into simpler harmless substances by biological agents like bacteria and fungi, whereas non-biodegradable substances cannot be broken down by biological processes.
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