Environment
by
About Environment
The word ‘environment’ has been derived from the French word ‘environer’
meaning to encircle or surround. The dictionary meaning of the word. ‘Environment’ is
(1) a surrounding (2) external conditions influencing development or growth of people,
animal or plants and (3) living or working conditions, ect.
Environment refers to the sum of total conditions which surrounds man at a given
point in space and time. In the beginning, the environment of early man comprised
abiotic or non-living aspects of earth and biotic or living organism. But gradually with
the march of time and advancement of society, man alerted and extended is environment
through his social, economic and political function.
Generally speaking the environment is equated with nature wherein physical
components of the earth support and affect life in the biosphere. In fact, environment is
viewed in different ways with different angles by different groups of scholars. But it
may be safely argued that ‘environment is an inseparable whole and is constituted by
the interacting systems of physical, biological and cultural elements which are
interlinked individually and collectively in many ways’. Thus, environment is defined as
(1) the circumstances and physical conditions that surround and affect an organism or a
group of organism and (2) the social and cultural conditions that affect an individual or
community
Structure And Types Of Environment
Since the environment is both physical and biological concept, it
encompasses both the non-living and living component of the planet earth. Thus, on the
basic structure the environment may be divided into two basic types-physical or abiotic
environment and biotic environment. On the basis of physical characteristics and state,
abiotic or physical environment is sub-divided into three broad categories: solid, liquid
and gas which represent the lithosphere, the hydrosphere and the atmosphere
respectively. Thus, the three basic divisions of physical environment may be termed as
lithospheric environment, atmospheric environment and hydrospheric environment.
The biotic component of the earth consists of plants and animals including
man as an important factor. Thus, the biotic environment may be divided into flora
environment and fauna environment.
Ecosystem
Ecosystem is functional unit consisting of all living organism in a given area,
and all the non-living physical and chemical factors of their environment, linked
together through nutrient cycling and energy flow.
Component Of Ecosystem
Components of ecosystem
Biotic Abiotic component
Inorganic component Organic component Climatic factors
Producers Consumers Decomposers
Types Of Ecosystem
An ecosystem may either be natural or artificial. The natural ecosystem
again can be into terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. All these types of ecosystem are
self-sufficient interacting systems in the biosphere and these have a similar fundamental
plan in their structure and function.
Natural Resources
Resources that are drawn from nature and used without much modification are
called natural resources. The air, water, soil and minerals are all natural resources.
Many of these resources are free gifts of nature and can be used directly. In some
cases tools and technology may be needed to use natural resource in the best possible
way. Natural resource can be broadly categorized as renewable and non- renewable
resources. Renewable resources are those which get renewed or replenished quickly. For
example, air, water, sunlight, ect. Non- renewable resources are those which have a
limited stock. Once the stocks are exhausted it may take thousands of years to be
renewed or replenished. Coal, petroleum and other mineral resources are some examples.
Thank
You !
