Environmental Systems and Rates of Environmental Change

Hello again! Quater here and today's topic is Environmental systems and rates of change!

What are Environmental Systems?

Environmental systems are natural systems that include the air (atmosphere), living organisms (biosphere), water (hydrosphere), ice (cryosphere), soil (pedosphere), and rock (lithosphere). Human factors or activities are also included in environmental systems. Ecosystems and the water cycle below are examples of environmental systems.

Diagram of the Water Cycle or Hydrological Cycle.

What is Environmental Change?

An environmental change is a change in the environment caused primarily by human influences and natural ecological processes. Natural disasters, for instance, are examples of environmental changes.

Environmental Systems and the Rate of Environmental Change.

The rates at which environmental changes occur affect the ability of ecosystems or living creatures to survive. For example, changes in temperature or loss of habitat. It is therefore important to understand how environmental systems and human activities result in environmental changes.

Chart showing the link between environmental systems, human and natural influences and environmental changes.

NOTE: An increase in the amount of human and natural influences increases the rate OR speed of environmental change.

Table showing some examples of natural and human influences and the environmental changes they cause.

Natural Influence	Environmental change	Man-made Influence	Environmental change
Natural disasters e.g. Volcanic eruptions	Ash release, blocking of sunlight, property loss	Cutting down of trees for energy and industries e.g. furniture, agricultural land	Deforestation and desertification, habitat loss, soil erosion and loss of fertility, loss of biodiversity
Ocean Current changes e.g. El Niño	Temperature changes (hot and cold), rainfall changes	Urbanization and population growth	Pollution, poor air quality, contaminated water, overuse of resources (fossil fuels, oil, coal, fisheries etc.)
Natural changes in climate and atmosphere	Temperature changes, Ice ages and warmer periods, drought and extreme cold	Changes in climate,weather and atmosphere	Increased greenhouse gases, changes in temperatures, drought and extreme cold

Chart showing the link between environmental systems, human and natural influences and environmental changes using the examples provided above.

From the Chart Above:

• Human-caused Forest destruction increases the rate at which forest areas are destroyed, as well as the number of habitats lost or land that may become deserts.

• The natural ocean currents of the Earth change frequently. These changes accelerate the rate of flooding and weather changes, as well as the rate at which temperatures rise and fall, and they can increase or decrease the amount of rainfall we receive.

I hope you have a better understanding of Environmental systems and rates of change now!

~~See you next time!