Understanding the Relationship Between Human Activity and the Environment
Understanding the Relationship Between Human Activity and the Environment
Environment refers to the entire life environment including the biological diversity present in the Earth. This includes plants and animals, both living and in non-living matter. The natural environment encompasses all living things and non living things happening naturally, which means in this instance non synthetic. The word is mostly used on a global scale, although the natural environment may also encompass the Earth’s atmosphere, the oceans and seas, the land and the sub terrestrial surface including rocks, glaciers, and ice.
Global change is one of the biggest threats to our environment. The gradual increase in atmospheric concentration of heat and other gases (including carbon dioxide) with the result of human activity is referred to as global warming. Another major challenge facing the environment is the lack of clear-cut boundaries separating human activity from natural processes. In this respect, we are currently seeing both new and old forms of pollution posing serious problems. While it is difficult to determine what human activity has been responsible for the vast majority of environmental degradation, the consequences of ignoring the problems will be catastrophic.
Environment refers to the human society that exists within an ecosystem. An ecosystem is a vast collection of ecosystems or systems, where different species of plants and animals co-exist in a dynamic balance. In its most inclusive definition, an ecosystem encompasses all the living and non living things existing in nature. ecosystems provide critical habitats and home to a wide variety of biodiversity, including plant and animal life, as well as many forms of ecosystems or biosphere.
A number of factors govern the survival and the growth of ecosystems. One of the most important functions of the ecosystems is to regulate the amounts of heat and nutrient cycles, while regulating the rate of photosynthesis and respiration. The conditions of the air and water provide a base for various forms of organisms. The existence and survival of an organism depends on the ability to transport energy and nutrients and to assimilate carbon dioxide and nitrogen. In order to understand how the biosphere or the environment influences and impacts us, we need to recognize a number of ecosystems such as lakes, rivers, oceans, and the soil.
The biotic inhabitants are those organisms that live in an ecosystem, either due to physical barriers or social ones. Non-biotic organisms are those that do not inhabit a ecosystem, but are found in living tissues. Some examples include soil, air, and water. A variety of factors allow some non-biotic organisms to dominate over the others in terms of population, numbers, or quality.
Natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, and floods can significantly alter the quality of the ecosystems. In natural environments, human interference may also play a significant role in altering the natural balance. However, the ecological systems will usually recover after these disturbances. The impact of human interference on the environment can be managed and controlled through a range of public and private programs.