Environment- What is Natural and Human Environment?

Environment- What is Natural and Human Environment?

Environment

Environment is our basic life support system. It provides the air we breath, the water we drink, the food we eat and the land where we live.

Environment: French word Environer/Environner meaning “neighbourhood”.

How do human beings modify this natural environment?

The car fumes pollute the air, water is collected in a pot, food is served in vessels and land is used to build factories.

Human beings make cars, mills, factories and manufacture containers. This is how  human beings modify natural environment.

What is Environment?

The place, people, things and nature that surround any living organism is called environment.

It is a combination of natural and human made phenomena. 

While the natural environment refers to both biotic and abiotic conditions existing on the earth, human environment reveals the activities, creations and interactions among human beings.

Biotic  environment:

The world of living organisms.

e.g. plants and animals

Abiotic environment :

The world of non-living elements.

e.g. land

NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

Land, water, air, plants and animals comprise the natural environment. Let's discuss lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere . 

 Lithosphere:

 Lithosphere is the solid crust or the hard top layer of the earth.

It is made up of rocks and minerals and covered by a thin layer of soil. It is an irregular surface with various landforms such as mountains, plateaus, plains, valleys, etc.

Landforms are found over the continents and also on the ocean floors.

Lithosphere is the domain that provides us forests, grasslands for grazing, land for agriculture and human settlements.

It is also a source of mineral wealth.

Hydrosphere:

The domain of water is referred to as hydrosphere.

It comprises various sources of water and different types of water bodies like rivers, lakes, seas, oceans, etc.

It is essential for all living organisms.

Atmosphere:

 The atmosphere is the thin layer of air that surrounds the earth. 

The gravitational force of the earth holds the atmosphere around it. It protects us from the harmful rays and scorching heat of the sun.

    It consists of a number of gases, dust and water vapour.

The changes in the atmosphere produce changes in the weather and climate.

Biosphere:

Plant and animal kingdom together make biosphere or the living world.

It is a narrow zone of the earth where land, water and air interact with each other to

support life.

What is ecosystem?

Ecosystem: It is a system formed by the interaction of all living organisms with each other and with the physical and chemical factors of the environment in which they live, all linked by transfer of energy and material.

All plants, animals and human beings depend on their immediate surroundings. Often they are also interdependent on each other.

This relation between the living organisms, as well as the relation between the organisms and their surroundings form an ecosystem.

There could be an ecosystem of large rain forest,grassland, desert, mountains, lake, river, ocean and even a small pond.

 

World Environment Day:

On 5 June every year the World Environment Day is celebrated.

HUMAN ENVIRONMENT

Human beings interact with the environment and modify it according to their need. Early humans adapted themselves to the natural surroundings.

They led a simple life and fulfilled their requirements from the nature around them.

With time needs grew and became more varied.

 Humans learn new ways to use and change environment. They learn to grow crops, domesticate animals and lead a settled life.

The wheel was invented, surplus food was produced, barter system emerged, trade

started and commerce developed. Industrial revolution enabled large scale production. Transportation became faster. Information revolution made communication easier and speedy across the world.

A perfect balance is necessary between the natural and human environment. Humans must learn to live and use their environment in a harmonious way.