Environments

Synonyms

Aquatic; Arid; Coastal; Fluvial; Humid; Lacustrine; Marine; Mountainous; Terrestrial; Urban environments

Definition

Natural systems characterized by specific combinations of physical, chemical, and biological properties and interactions and reflecting impacts of human activities to varying extents(Warren 2001). In urban environments, human activities dominate over but usually, to some extent still reflect, the surrounding natural environment.

Environments are terrestrial or aquatic or reflect the interfaces between these types. Some are extensively modified by human activity (urban, suburban, or agricultural and mining land uses) but others are not.

Terrestrial environments (about 28% of the Earth’s surface) are defined by a combination of:

• Temperature – polar, temperate, subtropical, or tropical;

• Humidity – arid, semi-arid or humid

• Geomorphology (e.g., mountains, foothills, plateaux, plains, and lowlands).

These influence the distribution of ecosystemswhich include polar...