PHYSICAL ( ABIOTIC)

ENVIRONMENT

Abiotic factors are non-living components of an ecosystem that influence

their surroundings.Abiotic or physical factors are any environmental factors
that are caused by living organisms. The term is typically used to refer to the
resources that organisms use to develop, maintain themselves, and
reproduce in studies of ecology or biology. Ecosystems are impacted by non-
living resources, and a change in the parameters of these resources directly
effects the living organisms within an ecosystem. Physical or abiotic factors
determine what organisms will be able to thrive within an ecosystem and
ultimately determine its biotic (living) composition. On Earth, this abiotic
component is interlinked and inseparable from the biotic elements. Examples
of the physical environment include:

Temperature
• Temperature is the measure of the average heat or thermal energy in a
substance. Air and water temperatures are primarily determined by the
amount of sunlight that is absorbed by the surface of the Earth, and the
amount of heat that is re-radiated in the atmosphere by the greenhouse
gases. Atmospheric and ocean circulation redistribute heat across the
surface of the Earth and shape regional temperature patterns.

Cyclones
• Is a large air mass that rotates around a strong center of low atmospheric
pressure, counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the
Southern Hemisphere as viewed from above (opposite to an anticyclone).

Sounds
• Vibrations that travel through the air or another medium and can be heard
when they reach a person's or animal's ear. It also a big help in delivering
information, it increases the production value and evokes emotional
responses. It also emphasises what's on screen and is used to indicate mood.

Light
•A few examples of natural light sources include the Sun, stars and candles.

A few examples of artificial light sources include light bulbs, lamp posts and

televisions. Without light sources we could not see the world around us,

however, not every object we see is a light source.

Solar lights

•This are environmentally friendly as it does not emit greenhouse gases such

as carbon that is normally produced by the normal power source we have in

our homes.

Water
• These are substance composed of the chemical element hydrogen and

oxygen and existing in gaseous, liquid, and solid states. A tasteless and

odorless liquid at room temperature, it has the important ability to dissolve.

Water falls as various types of precipitation—rain, hail, sleet, snow—and

collects on the surface in glaciers, lakes, marshes, rivers, and oceans. It can

be suspended in the air or found deep underground. Its presence helps

regulate Earth's temperature. Water is essential for all living species and one

of the most plentiful compounds because they also nourish entire

ecosystems and provide important habitat for native plants and animals.

Animals need fresh water for their bodies to function. They gain water not

only through the action of drinking but also from the food they eat. Water is

vital for bodily functions such as regulation of temperature, nutrients,

removing wastes, body weight and health.

Water droplets

• Is a small column of liquid, bounded completely or almost completely by

free surfaces. A drop may form when liquid accumulates at the lower end of

a tube or other surface boundary, producing a hanging drop called a pendant

drop.

Humidity
• Humidity is the presence of water vapor in the atmosphere. The more
water evaporates in a given area, the more water vapor rises into the air,
and the higher the humidity of that area is.

Topography
• Topography is the study of the land surface. In particular, it lays the
underlying foundation of a landscape. For example, topography refers to
mountains, valleys, rivers, or craters on the surface.

Tectonic plates
• Is the generally accepted scientific theory that considers the Earth's lithosphere to
comprise a number of large tectonic plates which have been slowly moving since
about 3.4 billion years ago.

Soil
• Soil is the link between the air, water, rocks, and organisms, and is responsible for
many different functions in the natural world that we call ecosystem services.

Soil Ph
•Soils can be naturally acid or alkaline, and this can be measured by testing their
pH value. Research has demonstrated that some agricultural practices significantly
alter soil pH.

Land
• It is the part of the Earth's surface that is not covered by water. It serves as the
soil for plants and trees. It affects human health and wellbeing and where we make
decisions that affect not just the land, but also water, oceans, air, and atmosphere.
The land sustains every aspect of our lives, providing fundamental life-support
systems and the foundation of our economy and society. Land use has impacts on
climate, biodiversity and ecosystem services. It also cause degradation and
pollution of water, soil and air.
Forests
•It's an area of land dominated by trees.[1] Hundreds of definitions of forest are
used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height,
land use, legal standing, and ecological function.

Air
• It is the mixture of gases that makes up the Earth atmosphere and that people
and animals’breath. The air in our atmosphere acts as insulation, keeping the earth
from getting too cold or too hot ozone, another type of gas in the air, also protects
us from too much sunlight.

Plants
•These are predominantly photosynthetic of the kingdom Plantae. They emit oxygen
into the atmosphere, absorb carbon dioxide, provide habitat and food for wildlife
and humans, and regulate the water cycle.

Animals
• A living organism that feeds on organic matter, typically having specialized sense
organs and nervous system and able to respond rapidly to stimuli. Wild animals,
such as birds, fish, insects, and pollinators, play an important role in maintaining
the web of activity in a healthy ecosystem. There seems to be an ecological
balance between all animals in nature. Some animals help to bring out the
nutrients from the cycle while others help in decomposition, carbon, and
nitrogen cycle.

Buildings
• Green buildings and communities reduce landfill waste, allow for
alternative modes of transportation, and promote the preservation and
creation of vegetated land areas and roofs.

Infrastructure
• Infrastructure plays a critical role in enabling long- term development. Despite
these benefits it is responsible for the vast majority of greenhouse gas
emissions worldwide.

Rocks
• It play a major role in transportation. Gravel, crushed stone, cement tar and
asphalt are needed to build roads and all manner of vehicles from tricycle to
jet liners requires minerals.

People interact with their physical environment through the air they
breathe, water they drink, houses they live in, and the transportation they
access to travel to work and school. Poor physical environment can affect our
ability and that of our families and neighbors to live long and healthy lives.
For instance, without an adequate amount of sunlight, autotrophic organisms
may not be able to survive. When these organisms eventually die, it will
create a shortage of food for primary consumers. This effect cascades up the
food chain, affecting every organism. Consequently, it leads to an imbalance
in the ecosystem.

A low-risk environment has an even more profound effect when combined

with a positive social environment. These types of classrooms often remind
us of our own favorites in school. Positive social environments promote
acceptance, kindness, forgiveness and opportunities to make mistakes
without consequences.

These gentle learning environments can be incredibly important for diverse

students. Teaching empathy, self-compassion, resilience and self-confidence
can be just as important as the content for many students, particularly
English language learners (ELLs), students with disabilities, and students
from marginalized social groups who may have not felt successful in school
previously. Physical environmental factors contributing to mental illness are
those that have the power to affect a person’s biology or neurochemistry,
thereby increasing their chances of developing a disorder. For example, if a
person lacks access to health-related resources such as whole, nutrient-rich
foods and they tend to eat more processed and refined foods, their body
(and brain) won’t function optimally. As a result, if they encounter a major
stressor, they may not have the resources to effectively cope.

In addition to poor nutrition, some other examples of physical environmental

factors are:

•Sleep deprivation

•Smoking

•Substance abuse

•Pollution

•Exposure to toxins during childhood

•Extreme weather conditions (such as excessive rain or snow)

•Hazardous conditions at work

A lack of social support is just one type of social environmental factor. Others
include:

•Social stigma (such as coming out as gay or lesbian)

•History of abuse

•Family discord during childhood

•Early loss of a parent

•Poverty

•Lack of spirituality or religious affiliation

•Lack of meaningful work or hobbies

•Toxic relationships

•Lack of self-care and/or relaxation

LIVING ( BIOTIC) ENVIRONMENT

The Living Environment can be seen as biotic and the Physical Environment
abiotic. They both are interlinked.

This area of study falls under Environmental Science and touches upon
Ecology. It looks at the interaction of living organisms as well as how an
understanding of this informs how we as humans can be more sustainable.
The living environment is represented by the space in which organisms
(biota) live and interact with each other or with the non-living environment
(the abiota).

Plants, animals, protozoa, and other organisms are known as biota. In order
to survive, they interact with non-living elements that support life, known as
the abiota, such as air, water, and soil. The living environment can be broken
down into smaller ecosystems or environments.

LIVING ENVIRONMENTAL EXAMPLES

•Soils, rocks, etc., as the lithosphere.

•Seas, groundwater, etc., as the hydrosphere.

•Air, as the atmosphere.

•Animals, plants, etc., as the biosphere.

•Plants - Food, fiber, shelter, medicine, and fuel are all provided by plants.
Green plants produce the basic food for all organisms. Oxygen is released
during the food production process. This oxygen, which we get from the air
we breathe, is necessary for survival.

•Glaciers, ice caps, etc., as the cryosphere, which is sometimes included in

the hydrosphere.

•Grasslands, deserts, artificial floating islands, etc., which combine any or all
of the above.

Living environments have been separated into:

The Atmosphere: the gas mixture surrounding the planet

The Lithosphere: the crust and upper mantle, thus, the rocky layer
of the planet

The Hydrosphere: the water present on our planet in all its forms,
including the Cryosphere (frozen water)

The Biosphere: all living things.

The living environment role and function

Functions:
•Unique resources
•Ecosystem services
•Life-enabling
•Cultural, spiritual, recreational

Examples:
Timber (pinewood), fuel (biological oils), food (edible mushrooms),
fibres (wool), medicine (peppermint), etc.

Planetary homeostasis through the mediation of biogeochemical

cycles, freshwater filtration through soil and sediments,
interspecies relationships such as pollination and seed dispersal,
etc.
Our planet’s living environment is the only one that we know can harbour
life, for now.

New methods of intra-species communication, such as speech and writing

inspired by other species, etc.

The roles and functions of our living environment are multifaceted. The
presence of life on Earth has not only brought modifications to the climate
but has also enabled our evolution.

It is essential to conserve natural areas and encourage biodiversity to ensure

continued habitation for all organisms on Earth.

The producers are biotic factors that are very important in an ecological
system because these organisms “produce” food from inorganic materials
and energy sources. Life may not be able to exist without them.

Producer: green plants, small shrubs, fruit, phytoplankton, and algae.

Consumer: a grasshopper, zooplankton, butterflies, rabbits, giraffes,

pandas and elephants.

Decomposer: earthworms, termites, and millipedes, bacteria and

fungi.

The interactions between various biotic factors are necessary for the
reproduction of each species and to fulfil essential requirements like food,
etc.

SOCIAL ( CULTURAL) ENVIRONMENT

Cultures
•It is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions,
and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts,
laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups.
When we think about cultures contribution at work, we need to consider
things like inviting people with different mindsets to the conversations to
expand the ideas and innovation.

Religion
• A human being's relation to which they regard as a holy, scared, absolute,
spiritual, divine. They play a role in each of the four areas examined in the
previous section the need for peace and security, the quality of governance,
economic growth, and education. Religious change can affect social
cohesion, consumption trends and willingness to pay for climate-change
mitigation or adaptation initiatives. Our findings indicate that religious
affiliation relates to greenhouse gas emissions, energy use and gross
domestic product on a global scale.

School
• School is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces
and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction
of teachers.

Language
• The principal method of human communication, consisting of words used in
a structured and conventional way and conveyed by speech, writing, or
gesture. It helps people to convey the origins of words and languages, their
historical applications, and their modern-day relevance
Families
•Family is considered as one of the most important units of society because
it contributes to child-rearing and your place in adulthood.

Friendship
•Friendship can help you celebrate good times and provide support during
bad times. Friends prevent isolation and loneliness and give you a chance to
offer needed companionship, too.

Society
•To participate in community and self-development activities. For example,
participating in community decision making processes, volunteering for and
donating to charities.

Attitudes
•Environmental attitudes are important predictor because they often, but not
always, determine behavior that either increases or decreases environmental
quality. The study aims to assess and determine the relationship between
human attitude and human behavior toward the environment.

Customs administrations contribute to the fight against climate change and

to ensuring greater envi- ronmental sustainability by supporting effective im-
plementation of various Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs)9,
whose objectives include ad- dressing the illicit trade in hazardous waste and
ozone-depleting .