What are the main features of the environment?

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28 Answers

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Ramon Eiris, marine scientist, environmental data analyst

Updated November 1, 2020

Originally Answered: What are the components of the environment?

Environment is all that surrounds and interacts with life forms, even other life forms. Essentially, we
divide environment in physical and biologic components.

We can study the environment looking for its measurable characteristics, which are called
environmental factors: they are all those physical (abiotic) or biologic (biotic) variables that in one or
other way impact the life forms existence.

This factors could be variables like temperature, oxygen concentration, amount of solar irradiation,
wind, currents, salinity, concentration of certain substances (resources or toxins, pollutants, radiation)…
and on the biologic side we could measure and study the number of species in a given territory
(diversity), number of members of each species (population), rate of reproduction of each one, number
of interactions, its relation with other species like predators, competitors, preys, etc…

Also, from a structural point of view, we have to discern what those factors play over spatial parts of the
environment. So that, we use a sort of imaginary boxes to limit close related ambiances which usually
are called “compartments” (or depending on the scope, reservoirs) that mostly are fitting ones upon
others like a set of matrioshka dolls, but also can exist ones beside others depending on the scale we
choose to study them.

So, here we could take the bigger scale available: the whole planet, and we could have the Atmosphere
(the set of all air and atmospheric systems), the Hydrosphere (the body of all aquatic environments) and
Lithosphere (all those compartments related with the geology part). Of course, the biologic component,
as spread across the planet surface as it is, shall be summed up in what we call Biosphere (the set of all
the organisms -grouped in what is called communities of them in the planet).
All of this compartments are connected in one or other way with each others, and they interchange
some form of matter or energy, or both, along the time forming what we call cycles.

This cyclic character and its network of interconnections, usually are called systems. Those who support
any type of life, we say they are ecosystems.

Depending on the scale you are considering, they can be more or less complex but always you could
consider a bigger compartment and a smaller one within other bigger.

What I’ve told is used to describe the environment for wild life forms, but it happens that in this planet
all the communities (the set of any kind of organisms that live in a specific place at fixed time period) are
interrelated so tightly ones with each other, exerting interactions and influences upon other even not so
close communities. This means that usually you never encounter one unique species alone, there is
always any kind of organism which depend or affect this former and, besides, it’s also tightly linked with
environmental factors in their place.

Given the spatial spread of our species, the homo spapiens specie,we also should add to this factors,
another dimension: the socio-economic factors (where we could include economics, politics, and social
features that of course, have also an impact in the rest of environmental factors, whether we liked it or
not).

The most higher level compartment where we could include all this factors could be named the
Technosphere.

And summing up, here you are the main features of environment: Physical (abiotic) factors, biotic
factors and social-economical factors.

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Alan Sloan, Free thinker.

Updated 3 years ago · Author has 4.3K answers and 682.8K answer views

Originally Answered: What are the different components of the environment?

Wow! Amazing question!

So the Environment is one giant machine made up with components, right? I see that too. I think the
word for people like us is determinists. In the eighteenth century they had a guy called Issac Newton
who found out that there are mechanistic principles determining all motion in the universe.

But the Environment us not just things moving. Things stand still and just grow, other things bite bits off
and eat them.

Maybe I should point out that there are random mutations going in all the time, tiny particles and
radiation bashIng into DNA and causing mutations which are mostly

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Mehak Dhawan

Answered December 23, 2020 · Author has 294 answers and 298.5K answer views

Originally Answered: What is the component of the environment?

The term environment has been derived from a French word “Environia” means to surround. It refers to
both abiotic (physical or non-living) and biotic (living) environment. The word environment means
surroundings, in which organisms live. Environment and the organisms are two dynamic and complex
component of nature. Environment regulates the life of the organisms including human beings. Human
beings interact with the environment more vigorously than other living beings. Ordinarily environment
refers to the materialsand forces that surrounds the living organism.
The basic components of the enviro

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Peter Schlesinger, Ph.D. in Natural Resources, U Idaho

Answered 1 year ago · Author has 2.2K answers and 736.2K answer views

What are some features of a natural environment

Boulders and pebbles, roaring rivers and streams, Sequoias and saplings, Sargassum seaweed and kelp,
savanna and yard grass, elephants and ants, gorillas and howler monkeys, a nice sunset and a swirling
tornado, baby carp and blue whales, and all the plants, animals, weather conditions, and physical
features in between, some smaller and some larger, some colder, hotter, wetter, dryer.

1.3K viewsView upvotes · Answer requested by Darrell Sanford

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John Darling, former Chemistry/AP (1994-2017)

Answered 1 year ago · Author has 72 answers and 8.8K answer views

What things are found in the environment?

Originally Answered: What are three things found in our environment?

Earth, air and water.

There really is no such thing as “away”. When things are “thrown away” it’s important to know they are
being put (often hidden out of sight) into our earth, air and water. The Fate of all things thrown away is
ultimately to be partitioned between these three destinations. It’s important to recognize this. We
should be designing all our products with their ultimate Fate in mind. That is how we can work towards
a sustainable lifestyle.

Earth: We are just discovering the impacts of PFAS on our soils .

Air: We have been dumping CO2 in the air for decades now. Our kids and gran
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Jane Cristina, works at Leaftrend

Answered 3 years ago · Author has 224 answers and 647.8K answer views

What is the importance of environment in points?

Environment is everything that is around. It can be living or non-living things. It includes physical,
chemicals and other natural forces. Living things live in their environment. They constantly interact with
it and change in response to conditions in their environment

Importance of Environment

Environment plays an important role in the healthy living of human beings.

it matters because it is the only home that humans have, and it provides air, food, and other needs.

Humanity's entire life support system depends on the well-being of all the environmental factors.

Environment play an important role

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Fahim Choudhury, studied at Bedford College

Answered 3 years ago

Can you describe the main features of natural and human-made environment?

Originally Answered: What are the main features of natural and human -made environment?

• A Natural environment is linked to biodiversity in a biosphere where animals have plenty of vegetation
and are not hunted the way they are in sport, by humans, but through natural selection. Seas, lakes,
rivers, valleys, oceans are all examples of a natural environment. The north Atlantic Ocean is the
culmination of a huge global current network that takes 10′000 years to completely cycle once. The
landmarks such as the limestone cliffs of the Seven Sisters in the UK is an example of natural erosion of
the sediments.

• A human environment consists of plastic waste, deforestation, hunting whal

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Penny Albritton, former Manager at Healthy Eating

Answered January 3, 2021

What is the importance of the environment for human beings?

The environment is an important issue even when society is faced with economic crises, wars, and
unending social problems. It matters because Earth is the only home that humans have, and it provides
air, food, and other needs.

Ecosystem Importance

Humanity's entire life support system depends on the well-being of all the species living on earth. This is
commonly referred to as the biosphere, a term coined by Vladimir Vernadsky, a Russian scientist in the
1920s. Biosphere refers to one global ecological system in which all living things are interdependent.
Within the overall biosphere or ecosyste

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Jane Cristina, works at Leaftrend

Answered 3 years ago · Author has 224 answers and 647.8K answer views

How can we prevent pollution in our environment?

Originally Answered: What are some ideas for controlling environment pollution?

Pollution prevention is a major global concern because of the harmful effects of pollution on a person’s
health and on the environment. Environmental pollution comes in various forms, such as: air pollution,
water pollution, soil pollution.

Some of the effective and practical control measures for minimizing environmental pollution are
outlined below:

Solid organic wastes including faecal matter and wastes from tanneries should be converted into
compost manure at the places far away from the cities and human dwellings

Combustible solid wastes should be burnt in incinerators.

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