Environment
Environment means what surrounds us. It may be living or non-living things. It includes physical, chemical and other natural forces. Living things live in their environment. They constantly interact with it and adapt themselves to conditions in their environment. In the environment there are different interactions between animals, plants, soil, water, and other living and non-living things. The word environment is used to talk about many things. For example, trees, rivers, and oceans are a part of the environment. People in different fields of knowledge use the word environment differently. Electromagnetic environment is radio waves and other electromagnetic radiation and magnetic fields. The environment of a galaxy may mean the interstellar medium, or it may mean other nearby galaxies.
In psychology and medicine, a person's environment is the people, physical things and places that the person lives with. The environment affects the growth and development of the person. It may affect the person's body and mind.
The conditions of living organisms in an environment are affected by the weather and climate changes in the environment. They are also greatly affected by other living things.
Natural environment
[change | change source]In biology and ecology, the environment is all of the natural materials and living things, if those things are natural, it is a natural environment.
Environment includes the living and non-living things that an organism interacts with, or that have an effect on it. Living elements that an organism interacts with are known as biotic elements: animals, plants, etc. Abiotic elements are non-living things which include air, water, sunlight etc. Studying the environment means studying the relationships among these various things. An example of interactions between non-living and living things is plants getting their minerals from the soil and making food using sunlight. Predation, an organism eating another, is an example of interaction between living things.
Environmentalists think we should protect the natural environment, to keep it safe. Things in the natural environment that we value are called natural resources. For example, fish, insects, and forests. These are renewable resources because they come back naturally when we use them. Non-renewable resources are important things in the environment that are limited for example, ores and fossil fuels after a few thousand years. Some things in the natural environment can kill people, such as lightning.
- Ecological units which are natural systems without much human interference. These include all vegetation, microorganisms, soil, rocks, atmosphere, and natural events.
- Universal natural resources and physical phenomenon which lack clear-cut boundaries. These include climate, air, water, energy, radiation, electric charge, and magnetism.