1. What is meant by biosphere?

The interface of air, water and land forms a life supporting layer known as the biosphere. The biosphere is the broadest Earth ecosystem which is the spatial unit for the study of environmental geography.

2. What all factors encompass the study of earth system?

The prime concern of environmental geography is to study the components of natural environment separately and together, their linkages of various levels through physical and biological processes and human responses to environmental relationships. These aspects cannot be studied in isolation. They are not only linked together but also to the physical environment in which they are found. Thus, to understand the environment one need to study each of the Earth system components: lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere.

3. How are the components of earth compared to a tapestry?

The physical and biological components of the Earth are interlinked with each other, like a tapestry. If we pull a thread from a tapestry at one end, the whole tapestry can unravel. Similarly, even a slight modification in the Earth’s environment can lead to disasters such as floods and droughts, extinction of species and so on.

4. According to you, what all factors led to the present day environmental problems?

The relationship between humans and environment are identified as an overall system. In this system, the factors such as humans, animals, plants, climate, rocks and soils have a functional interaction. This functional interaction is under threat always by the development of science and technology and has adverse effects on our environment.
The dawn of industrial revolution led to the discovery of many technological tools. Over the time, human communities acquired the technical knowhow and developed the skill to handle the technical tools. This in turn helped the modern human community to improve their standard of living and became technological community. These technological humans recklessly and indiscriminately exploited natural resources for industrial expansion and urban growth. These events created most of the present day environmental problems.

5. Name the four stages of relationship of humans with their natural environment?

The changing relationships of humans with the natural environment from prehistoric to modern periods may be divided into four stages:

(i) Period of food gathering and Hunting
(ii) Period of Animal domestication and Pastoralism
(iii) Period of Plant Domestication and Agriculture
(iv) Period of Science, Technology and Industrialization

6. Why are the humans in the period of food gathering and hunting called physical humans?

The primitive humans were functionally a physical human because their basic needs were limited to food only which they could collect from their surroundings. They used to satisfy their hunger by fruits, which were easily obtained from the trees and plants; they spent the nights in the caves and on the trees. So the relationship between human and the environment was very friendly. The natural environment provided all requirements of early humans and thus they were totally dependent on their environment. Hence they are called as Physical humans.

7. The fire became one of the important ecological tool- explain.

The discovery of fire made a significant change in the attitude of humans because they learned to cook animal flesh before eating. This practice required wood, which they got from the forests. Such a demand made another significant starting point in the technology. The humans invented some device to cut and chop trees and their branches to get firewood. They also invented some tools to kill animals. Thus the discovery of fire and the invention of tools and weapons made the humans capable of exploiting the natural resources at a faster rate from their environment. Thus fire became one of the major ecological tools used by humans and changed the environment for their own benefit.

8. Describe the period of Animal Domestication and Pastoralism?

In the beginning, the early humans domesticated some cattle and other animals for meat. Slowly and slowly their herd of domesticates animals substantially increased. This meant humans had to create temporary habitats, fenced with branches of trees and thorny bushes for domesticated animals. Thus, early humans burnt the forest to create temporary home for the domesticated animals. They started to exploit the forest resources to gather fodder for their animals and for their foods. Domestication of animals initiated the community life.

9. What gave birth to ‘river valley civilization’?

The cultivation of main food crops resulted in the formation of social groups and organization which gave birth to early human civilization known as ‘river valley civilization’. Humans settled in the river valleys due to availability of water and fertile land for cultivation. This meant the emergence of socially organized human communities. Human civilization and farming practices changed the cordial relationships that existed between the humans and their natural environment at that time.

10. What led to the change from ‘physical human’ to ‘economic human’?

At one point of time, humans developed their own environment known as ‘cultural environment’ by building houses and creating villages and towns and cities. The elements of cultural environment such as buildings and roads were built. Agricultural development changed the ‘physical human’ into ‘economic human’ but no serious damage was done to the natural environment though significant changes, no doubt, were brought in the environment.