GEOG 030 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Sustainable Development, Unintended Consequences, Ecosystem Services
Document Summary
Ecology- the science of relationships between living organisms and their environment. Human ecology- about relationships between people and their environment. Ex. the air, soil, water, living organisms and physical structures, including everything built by humans. Biological community- the living parts of an ecosystem. Social system- everything about people, their population and the psychology and social organization that shape their behavior can be on any scale - from a family to the entire human population of the planet. Ecosystem services- include water, fuel, food, materials for clothing, construction materials and recreation; are moved to meet people"s needs. People affect ecosystems when they use resources such as water, fish, timber and livestock grazing land. After using materials from ecosystems, people return the materials to ecosystems as waste. People intentionally modify or reorganize existing ecosystems, or create new ones, to better serve their needs.
