Environmental Science

LESSON 4. Type And Structure Of Environment

These may be explained as under:

44.1.1. Physical Environment

Physical environment, refers to geographical climate and weather or physical conditions wherein an individual lives. The human races are greatly influenced by the climate. Some examples are given below :

(a) In the cold countries i.e. European countries the people are of white colour. Likewise, in Asian and African countries, that is, in hot countries people are of dark complexion.

(b) The physique of an individual depends on climate conditions as the individual tries to adjust in his physical environment.

(c) The human working efficiency also depends on the climatic conditions.

4.1.2. Social Environment

Social Environment includes an individual’s social, economical and political condition wherein he lives. The moral, cultural and emotional forces influence the life and nature of individual behaviour. Society may be classified into two categories as following:

(i) An open society is very conductive for the individual developement.

(ii) A closed society is not very conductive for the developenment.

4.1.3. Psychological Environment

Although physical and social environment are common to the individual in a specific situation, yet every individual has his own psychological environment, in which he lives. Kurt Lewin has used the term ‘life space’ for explaining psychological environment. The psychological environment enables us to understand the personality of an individual. Both, the person and his goal form psychological environment. If a person is unable to overcome the barriers, he can either get frustrated or compelled to change his goal for a new psychological environment. By adopting this mechanism, the individual is helped in his adjustment to the environment.

4.2. STRUCTURE OF ENVIRONMENT

Environment is both physical and biological. It includes both living and non-living components.

(i) Physical Environment

The Physical Environment is classified into three broad categories viz.

(i) Solid,

(ii) Liquid

(iii) Gas.

These represent the following spheres:

(i) The lithosphere (solid earth)

(ii) The hydrosphere (water component) and

(iii) The atmosphere

As such, the three basics of physical environment may be termed as under:

(i) Lithospheric Environment

(ii) Hydrospheric Environment

(iii) Atmospheric Environment

The scientists have classified them into smaller units based on different spatial scales, e.g.

(i) Mountain Environment

(ii) Glacier Environment

(iii) Plateau Environment

(iv) Coastal Environment

(ii) Biological Environment

The biological environment consists of:

(i) Plants (flora)

(ii) Animals (fauna).

Thus, the biotic environment further be divided into floral environment and faunal environment. All the organisms work to form their social groups and organizations at several levels. Thus, the social environment is formed. In this social environment the organisms work to derive matter from the physical environment for their sustenance and development. This process gives birth to economic environment. Man claims to be most skilled and civilized of all the organisms. This is the reason why his social organisation is most systematic. The three aspects of man, e.g. physical, social and economic, function in the biotic environment as under:

(i) The Physical Man : The ‘Physical Man’ is one of the organisms, populations or biological community. He is in need of basic elements of the physical environment like habitat (space), air, water and food. Besides, like other biological populations, he releases wastes into the ecosystem.

(ii) The Social Man : The ‘Social Man’ performs the following functions:

(a) Establishing social institutions,

(b) Forming social organisations,

(c) Formulating laws, principles and policies,

(d) Taking steps to safeguard his existence, interest and social welfare.

(iii) The Economic Man : The economic man derives and utilises resources from the physical and biotic environment with his skills and technologies. The economic function makes the man an environment/ geomorphic process as he transports matter and energy from one component of the ecosystem to the other. There may be any following two situations:

(a) His exploitative functions may be in harmony with the natural environment. Such, functions do not necessarily involve change in the working of the ecosystem.

(b) These functions may exceed the critical limit. Consequently, the equilibrium of the environment/ecosystem is disturbed and a great number of environment and ecological problems crop up. These are detrimental to him besides to whole population of human species in a given ecosystem.