write a bricf essay about the dimensions of the earth's environment?
Answers
Answer:
Dimensions of Environment
Explanation:
Environment has three dimensions, viz. physical, biological and social.
1. The Physical Environment
The physical environment consists of abiotic or non-living components such as land, air and water.
These are called lithosphere, atmosphere and hydrosphere.
a) Lithosphere:- It is the solid part of the earth which is made of rocks and soils. It occupies about 29% of earth’s surface area and provides habitat for plants and animals.
b) Atmosphere: -
It is the blanket which surrounds the earth on all sides.
The atmosphere plays a crucial role for the sustenance of life on the earth.
Ozone layer saves us from the harmful effects of ultraviolet rays coming from the Sun.
At the same time atmosphere permits the penetration of sunlight but doesn’t permits the reflection of light and thus helps stabilizing the heat and temperature on the earth’s surface.
c) Hydrosphere: -
It consists of water bodies on the earth’s surface.
It refers to oceans plus their extensions into other realms like lakes and rivers, water vapour in the atmosphere, water in the soil and in deep layers of water beneath the earth’s surface and the water locked up in its caps and glaciers.
It includes both fresh water and saline water.
About 71% of the earth’s surface is covered by water and is known as hydrosphere.
Of all the water of hydrosphere 97.2% is in oceans, 2% is in icecaps and the rest is in rivers, lakes, inland oceans and below the ground as underground water. Some water is present in the atmosphere as water vapour.
Biosphere: -
It is that part of the earth that supports life.
It lies at the interfaces between the inorganic realms of the earth, i.e., lithosphere, atmosphere and hydrosphere.
In other words, it is the interaction between these three realms of the earth.
It is the most important realm for us because it contains all forms of life including human, animal and plant life.
The average thickness of the biosphere consisting of air, water, soil and rock is about 25 km.
The upper limit of the biosphere is determined by the availability of oxygen, moisture, temperature and pressure in the atmosphere.
2. The Biological Environment
It is also known as the biotic dimension of the environment, this dimension of the environment comprises of all living beings including micro-organisms, plants, animals and above all man. As such it is also known as the biosphere.
Flora :- Plants occur in various forms such a woodland, forests, meadows grasslands etc.
Various plants growing in a particular area are generally known as vegetation.
Fauna :- Our earth is inhabited by millions of animals. Different areas are occupied by
different types of animals depending upon their environment and requirements of life. While plants are primary producers, animals are primary and secondary consumers.
3. Social Environment
It is also known as cultural or man-made environment; it is concerned with the social behaviours of the organisms. All the organisms of the floral and the faunal environment organise themselves into social groups and form what is known as social environment. It involves population interaction and behaviour patterns of animals in response to their environment.
All organisms living in different parts of the world derive matter from the physical environment for their sustenance and do economic activities. This gives rise to what is called economic environment. Economic activities develop civilisation and makes social organisation of human beings rather systematic.