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How Many Types of Environment are There

How Many Types of Environment are There

Edited By Team Careers360 | Updated on May 20, 2023 09:53 AM IST

Introduction

The term "environment" refers to our immediate surroundings, which include both living and non-living things. The social, ecological, or built environments can all be included. An individual's behaviour and intelligence are significantly influenced by their environment. Any alteration in a living thing—direct or indirect—is connected to an alteration in his immediate environment. Most of the environment is made up of the lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and atmosphere. Nevertheless, it can be roughly divided into two categories, namely (a) Microenvironments and (b) Macro environments. It can also be divided into two additional categories, including (c) physical environment and (d) biological environment. The environment can be defined as our immediate surroundings, which include both biotic and abiotic elements. We reside in a setting, which could be either natural, social, or man-made.

These are the environmental factors that affect how people, plants, and animals live. Every person who is a part of the environment has an impact on it since it also affects how people behave. Therefore, it is evident that people and the environment are interconnected and beneficial to one another. The environment's importance stems from the fact that no living thing, including humans, could exist without it. It benefits living things and their offspring by providing natural beauty, preserving the delicate balance of life, sustaining the food chain, and Given the diversity of the world we live in, it is difficult to properly classify the environment. However, two types of environments are widely recognised and accepted: the natural or geographical environment and the man-made environment. Let's first examine the environment before talking about them.

Our Environment

Everything around us, including the people, buildings, roads, mountains, and trees, constitutes our environment. It is made up of both organic and man-made components. The two categories of these components are biotic and abiotic. All living things are considered to be biotic components. All non-living things are abiotic elements.

Natural Environment

Everything that is unmade is referred to as the natural environment. The land, the water, the plants, and the animals make up the natural environment. Let's investigate the various features of the natural world. These four components are the lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere.

The lithosphere is the term for the crust of the earth, or its outer, hard layer. It is made up of rocks and minerals and is coated in a thin layer of soil. A surface featuring irregular landforms including mountains, plateaus, plains, and valleys is called the lithosphere. Our forests, grazing areas, agricultural land, and real estate are all provided by this region. It additionally offers minerals.

The hydrosphere's domain is water. Rivers, lakes, seas, oceans, estuaries, and other water sources are among the many different types of water bodies that make up this region. Every living creature needs it.

The term "atmosphere" refers to the breathable layer that covers the earth. It is fixed in place by the gravitational attraction of the earth. Through reflection, the atmosphere protects people from the sun's harmful UV rays. There are various gases in it, including oxygen, which sustains life, as well as dust and water vapour. As the atmosphere changes, so do the weather and the climate.

Every living thing is a part of the ecosystem. It is the area of the planet where interactions between the atmosphere, water, and land enable life to exist.

Human Environment

The environment that is created by humans. Humans have altered it in response to their demands. Before the development of technology, people would modify their behaviour to fit their surroundings. They had a simple existence and obtained all their needs from the natural world. Their requirements increased and diversified over time. Humans have discovered new ways to alter their surroundings to suit their wants.

They acquired skills in building homes, domesticating animals, and growing crops. They created trade, commerce, the wheel, and the barter system. Transportation moved more quickly. The Industrial Revolution made mass production possible. Globally, communication improved and accelerated. They have created a man-made biosphere.

The environment, both natural and man-made, must be perfectly balanced. We can achieve a balanced ecosystem if we use the resources it provides properly. We must learn to conserve our resources and use them properly. Natural resources are priceless and necessary for survival. These include wood, minerals, water, and air. We might eventually run out of them if we do not use them wisely. We ought to consider our coming generations.

Geographical Environment

It can be referred to as the natural environment because it contains all the elements that come from nature. The physical prerequisites of life, it is sometimes referred to as the physical environment. The existence of people is not necessary for certain geographical or physical circumstances. Sometimes, people are powerless to change the environment's physical features. Natural resources, the surface of the world, mountains, plains, land, water, deserts, storms, cyclones, volcanoes, oceans, climatic elements, etc. are all included in this. It can also be applied to biological circumstances, such as the complexity of plants and animals. It is well established that the sustainability of a nation's natural resources influences its economy.

Components of Environment

Most of the environment is made up of the lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and atmosphere. Microenvironments and macro environments are two groups into which they can be divided. The macro environment of an organism is made up of all the elements, including biotic and abiotic variables, as opposed to the microenvironment, which refers to the immediate local surroundings of an organism. The biotic component includes every living creature found in an ecosystem, including animal and plant life. Temperature, light, rainfall, soil, and minerals are examples of abiotic variables. It is also known as the physical environment. Three layers make it up: the atmosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere.

Man-Made Environment

His environment is the term used to describe the environment that has been regulated and observed by man. It's referred to by some as a social and cultural environment. It can also be divided into two distinct habitat categories.

  • Internal Setting

  • Environment Outside

The Internal Setting

It is a social setting that endures as long as a specific society does. It has to do with the laws, customs, groups, and institutions. Every human group has traditions and folkways, which are involved. It is referred to by labels like social heritage, non-material culture, etc. This inheritance is crucial for the development of human society and is recognised to have an impact on a person's life. the modified state of the physical and economic environment two distinct facets of the man-made world, namely the natural and artificial environments.

The Inner Environment

The social environment that lasts as long as society values it is the inner environment. The internal environment has a significant influence on how people live. The inner environment is frequently referred to as the "social heritage" because it is crucial for humankind to exist, live, and develop. It is reliant on social influence from others.

The Outer Environment

Humans have tried to change aspects of their physical environment through advances in science and technology. These changes include modern city infrastructure, our homes and their amenities, our modes of communication and transportation, our reliance on conveniences and luxury, various industries producing opulent goods, electrical appliances, and so on, all of which ultimately serve to advance civilization and urbanisation.

The physical environment that man has independently produced with advancing technology and knowledge is known as the outer environment. The physical environment has been altered to better accommodate human progress and environmental development. It encompasses things like housing, other amenities offered on a social and personal level, transportation, and communication, among many other things. Because it is under the control of man and his developing technology, it can be claimed that the outer environment changes more quickly than the inner one.

We now know what an environment is, to sum up. The many environmental classifications have also been taught to us.

Conclusion

Our immediate surroundings—which include both abiotic and biotic influences—are referred to as the environment. We may be living in a built-up, social, or natural environment. These are the settings in which people, animals, and plants live. Because the environment affects a person's behaviour, everyone who is a part of it has an influence. People and the environment are consequently interdependent and mutually beneficial. Without the environment, not only would human life end, but that of all other living creatures as well. It enhances the beauty of the environment, preserves the balance of life, supports the food chain, and is advantageous to people and their many activities.

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