3.1.
Environment
3.2. Types (Categories) of Environment
• Is the surroundings from all living and non-living
components.
• Is a sum total of all the living and non-living elements
and their effects that influence human life.
• Environment is also the circumstances, objects or
conditions, factors by which one is surrounded. It is
the complex of physical, chemical, biotic and abiotic
factors.
• Both biotic and abiotic components form the
environment. These two components interact with
each other and they are interdependent.
In sum, the Environment means the aggregate of a
complex set of physical, chemical, biological,
geographical, social, cultural and political conditions
that surrounds an individual or organism and
eventually, determines its appearance (form) as well
as nature of its survival.
Environment can be categorized to 2 main types as
follows:
3.2.1 Geographical (Natural) Environment
3.2.2 Built (Man-made) Environment
It consists of all components provided by nature and hence
can be called the Natural Environment. It is also referred to
as the Physical Environment as it pertains to the physical
requirements of life. These physical or geographic
conditions are not dependent on the existence of
humans. Sometimes, humans have no control over the
physical conditions of the environment.
It contains all components of nature. It includes natural
resources, the earth’s surface, mountains, rivers, land,
water, deserts, storms, volcanoes, oceans, climatic factors,
and so on. It is also used to refer to biological situations
such as complexities associated with plants and animals.
Natural environment is often also used as synonym for
habitat.
• Planet Earth is made up of 4 overlapping subsystems
that contain all of world’s gases, water sources, land
masses and living organisms. These 4 Subsystems are
known as Spheres.
• Geographers break down the Earth’s systems into 4
spheres that make up the world’s air (Atmosphere),
water (Hydrosphere), land, rocks & soil (Lithosphere),
and living organisms (Biosphere).
• Three of these spheres are abiotic and one sphere is
biotic.
• The atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere taken
together as a whole are called the Geosphere of the
earth.
1. The Atmosphere: is a layer of gases surrounding the
planet earth that is retained by earth gravity. The
atmosphere is composed of gases including oxygen,
nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and others.
2. The Hydrosphere: is the vast volume of water that
makes up the majority of the earth’s surface. It refers
to the combined mass of water found on, under, and
over the surface of the planet. This water is present as
liquid, ice, and water vapor. It includes oceans, seas,
rivers, lakes, and ponds.
3. The Lithosphere: is the term for the solid portion of
the earth. It is the rocky outer part of Earth; the rigid
outermost shell. This includes rocks, mountains, land
and soil.
4. The Biosphere: describes all areas of the planet where
life is present. Ecosystems that support life may exist in
the soil, the air, the water, or the land. The Biosphere is
the zone of life or the area of the planet where life can
be found. It covers all living organisms on earth.
• The term built environment refers to the human – man-made
surroundings that provides the setting for human activity.
• Built environment is composed of places and spaces created
or modified by people including buildings, parks or green
spaces, and supporting infrastructures, such as water supply,
or energy networks, transportation systems etc.
• Man-made environment is used to refer to the one created by
man in order to regulate and monitor certain environmental
conditions. Some address it as a Social-Cultural Environment.
It can further be divided into 2 types of environments as
follows:
Inner Environment
Outer Environment
is the Social Environment that exists as long as a particular
society exists. It refers to the society and the cultural heritage
created by man. It also includes language, traditions,
regulations, organizations, institutions, social conditions and
health which is existent in every human group. That is, it
includes the culture that the individual was educated or lives
in, and the people and institutions with whom they interact.
Social environment refers to the immediate physical and social
setting in which people live or in which something happens or
develops.
The inner environment has a profound impact on human lives
and is often called the ‘Social Heritage' as it is an important
factor for humankind to exist, live and grow.
It refers to the changes in the environment due to
human intervention in the natural environment.
Through advancement in the field of science and
technology, humans have attempted to alter conditions
of their physical environment. This outer environment
is as a result of these modifications which includes
modern infrastructure in cities, our homes and their
associated amenities, our modes of communication and
transport, our resorts to conveniences and luxury,
different kinds of industry manufacturing luxurious
commodities, electrical appliances and so on which
ultimately aims at civilization and urbanization.
The inner and the outer environments are correlated
and hence inseparable.