ENVIRONMENTAL GEOGRAPHY: CONCEPTS AND APPROACHES Flashcards
the interactions between humans and nature in space and time.
+ branch of geography that describes the spatial aspects of interactions between humans and the natural world
Environmental Geography
the interdisciplinary academic field which systematically studies human interaction with the environment in the interests of solving complex problems
Environmental Studies
broad field of study
that includes also the natural environment, built environment and the sets of relationship between them
Environmental Studies
Different Principles of Environmental Geography
- Environmental System or Ecosystem
- Biospheric Ecosystem is Governed by Discernible Processes
- Continuous Creation, Maintenance, Destruction, and Recreation of Surface Materials of the Earth
- Physical and Biological Processes Operate According to the Law of Uniformitarianism
- Natural Environmental System is Governed by Homeostatic Mechanism
- Reciprocal Relationship Between Abiotic and Biotic Components of the Natural Environmental System
- The Energy Flow and Circulates of Nutrients in the Biospheric Ecosystem Help in the Sustenance of Life on the Planet Earth
the fundamental ecological unit for
the study of the Environmental
Geography
Environmental System or Ecosystem
made up of the parts
of Earth where life exists
+ extends from the deepest root systems of trees, to the dark environment of ocean trenches, to lush rainforests and high mountaintops
Biosphere
the theory that changes in the earth’s crust during geological history have resulted from the action of continuous and uniform processes
Uniformitarianism
refers to any process that living things use to actively maintain fairly stable conditions necessary for survival.
Homeostasis
Homeostasis, from the Greek words for:
“same” and “steady”
The term Homeostasis was coined in 1930 by the physician _____
Walter Cannon
the ability to maintain internal stability in an organism in response to the environmental changes
Homeostasis
The _____ of the human body is the best example of homeostasis.
internal temperature
a living thing that has an impact on another population of living things or on the environment
Biotic Factor
a non-living thing that has an impact on another population of non-living things or on the environment
Abiotic Factor
Examples of Biotic
Organisms
Plants
Animals
Fungi
Examples of Abiotic
Air
Soil
Water
a way of getting closer
+ The study of relationships between man and environment has always been, in one way or another, a focal theme in Environmental Geography
Approach
Different Approaches of Environmental Geography
- Environmental Deterministic Approach
- Possibilistic Approach
- Economical Deterministic Approach
- Geographical Approach
approach is based on the basic tenet of ‘earth made man’s and pays more attention on the complex control of physical environment on man and his activities
- Environmental Deterministic Approach
the philosophy introduced by Fabvre, to explain man and environment relationship in a different way of determinism, taking man as an active agent in environment
+ which asserts that natural environment provides options, the number of which increases as the knowledge and technology of a culture group
- Possibilistic Approach
approach is based on the basic ideology of the man’s mastery over environment and continued economic and industrial expansion through the application of modern technologies
- Economical Deterministic Approach
used for location-based analysis and decision making
+ GIS professionals typically employ it to examine selected geographic datasets in detail, which are combined for the comprehensive study and analysis of spatial problems
- Geographical Approach
Example of Environmental Determinism
countries located in hotter climates, such as along the tropics, are less developed because they are lazy due to the climate - countries that have a more variable climate are more developed as they work harder
Examples of Possibilism
snow skiing in the Middle East may seem preposterous, plans are in place to build the longest indoor ski slope in the world in this city
