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The Environment

Overview

What is the environment?

The environment is everything around us. All our surroundings including the air, soil, water, plants, and animals make up the environment.

Earth with white background
Earth
Source: NASA
Biomes and Ecosystems

Plants and animals need a healthy environment to survive. An ecosystem is an area where living organisms interact in a specific way with the local environment to survive. When ecosystems are damaged by man, then some living organisms may not be able to survive. A biome is a large group of similar ecosystems like the desert, savanna, and rainforest.

Biomes and Ecosystems
Desert
Grasslands
Savanna
Tundra
Tropical Rainforest
Temperate Forest
Taiga Forest
Marine
Freshwater
Coral Reef


What is environmental science?

Environmental science studies the environment and how the earth works. Environmental scientists often study how humans have impacted the Earth's environment and how we can reduce the impact that humans have on the environment.

Environmental scientists study things like the atmosphere, the oceans, geology, habitats, and ecology.

Nutrient Cycles

The Earth's environment is constantly recycling nutrients so they can be used by different parts of the environment. These cycles are important for the existence of living organisms. Some important cycles include the water cycle, the nitrogen cycle, the carbon cycle, the oxygen cycle, and the food chain.

Food Chain and Web
Carbon Cycle
Oxygen Cycle
Water Cycle
Nitrogen Cycle


Environmental Issues

Human activities have created many environmental issues from land, water, and air pollution. Part of environmental science is to determine how the environment has been impacted and then to work on ways to help the environment recover.

Land Pollution
Air Pollution
Water Pollution
Ozone Layer
Recycling
Global Warming


Renewable Energy

One important aspect of helping the environment to recover is renewable energy. Renewable energy uses energy sources that cannot be "used up." Rather than burning fossil fuels like coal and oil, renewable energy uses energy sources like the wind and the Sun.

Renewable Energy
Biomass Energy
Geothermal Energy
Hydropower
Solar Power
Wave and Tidal Energy
Wind Power


Other Subjects

Other subjects that may be interesting when studying the environment include:

Atmosphere
Climate
Weather
Erosion
Ocean Waves and Currents
Ocean Tides
Ice Age
Forest Fires


Interesting Facts about the Environment
Environmental Issues
Land Pollution
Air Pollution
Water Pollution
Ozone Layer
Recycling
Global Warming
Renewable Energy Sources
Renewable Energy
Biomass Energy
Geothermal Energy
Hydropower
Solar Power
Wave and Tidal Energy
Wind Power

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