Environmental Factors: Direct and Indirect Environmental Factors!
The environment is a complex phenomenon of several factors which are the product of the forces and processes of nature, and, are universal and inherent all over the earth.
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These factors are classified into two groups as under:
(i) Direct factors:
These are light, temperature, soil, air, water, soil nutrients, etc.
(ii) Indirect factors:
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These are soil structure, soil organisms, altitude, wind, slope, etc.
According to Oosting (1948), the environment is a complex of variable factors or causes, which include: (a) substances (soil, water), (b) conditions (temperature, light), (c) forces (wind, gravity), (d) organisms (plants, animals), and (e) time. Another ecologist Daubenmire (1959) classified these factors into seven coordinate headings as (a) soil, (b) water, (c) temperature, (d) light, (e) atmosphere, (f) fire, and (g) biotic factors.
Others have grouped these elements as follows:
(i) Climatic or aerial factors,
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(ii) Topographic or physiographic factors,
(iii) Edaphic factors, and
(iv) Biotic factors.
While studying environment geographers have also considered the above mentioned factors. These factors are termed as physical factors.
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The natural environment of any part of the earth’s surface can be classified into three categories comprising 14 elements:
(a) Abstract elements:
(i) Location
(ii) Situation
(iii) Geometrical position
(iv) Size or areal space
(v) Form
(b) Physical elements:
(vi) Physiography/landforms
(vii) Climate
(viii) Rocks and minerals
(ix) Soils
(x) Surface waters of the land
(xi) Underground water
(xii) The ocean and its coast
(c) Biotic elements:
(xiii) Natural vegetation
(xiv) Animal life
A brief review of these elements is necessary for proper understanding of environment.
Location is an environmental factor, which indicates relative occurrence in space or, in other words, space relationship.
Geographical location can be expressed in absolute terms of latitude and longitude relative to the earth’s surface as a whole.
The latitudinal location also is an indicator of the broad climatic zone in which a specified area/place is located. Whether the place is located in tropical, temperate or cold region can easily be ascertained simply by its latitudinal location. Apart from this, location in terms of land and sea also affects the local environment.
This is known as situation and it means the occurrence of a place with regard to the fixed features of nature. The basic types of situation are:
(i) Continental situation:
(a) Intermontane situation, (b) midland situation, (c) piedmont situation, and (d) river plain situation; and
(ii) Maritime situation:
(a) littoral situation, (b) peninsular situation, (c) insular situation, (d) pelagic situation, and (e) isthmian situation.
All these situations have had their impact on the environment in one way or other. Similarly, size, i.e., areal space, is also an environmental factor which controls the climate as well as regional environment.
Relief or landform is a main physical factor, which affects the environment variously. The impact of relief can be seen on climate, natural vegetation, soils as well as on settlement of man and economic development. Because of favourable relief, the river valley civilisations have developed in China, India, Mesopotamia, and even today it is a controlling environmental factor for all types of economic development.
The various forms of landforms developed in areas like hilly, plain, plateau, arid, glacial, coastal, limestone, etc., regions have had specific natural environment and ecological settings. Mountains are least hospitable to human cultures. The topographical effect on environment can be seen on precipitation, development of snow fields and glaciers, rate of erosion, variations in vegetation types, soils, etc.
Climate of a region is determined by such methodological factors as temperature, pressure, winds, relative humidity, rainfall, evaporation rate, etc. These factors are concerned mainly with the aerial environment of an organism. Climate is not only directed but determines the entire ecological balance of a region.
The other environmental factors like natural vegetation, soil, water bodies as well as man’s activities are in one way or the other related with climate. The various forms of ecosystem, such as deserts, coasts, glaciers, are the products of climate. The climate is highly affected by man’s activities in the form of pollution, which has now become a global problem.
The direct effects of temperature and rainfall can be observed on vegetation and animals.
Soil is also an important environmental factor. Plants depend for their nutrients, water supply and anchorage upon the soil. Soil system is indeed very complex and dynamic, undergoing continuous change, and the rate of such change is influenced by a number of other factors of the environment.
Soil formation depends upon parent material, climate, vegetation, relief and time. A properly managed soil is an asset; if it is misused; it can be permanently damaged and will create environmental degradation.
Natural vegetation is an index of other environmental factors such as climate, soil, landforms, while by itself it is a factor of environment. It controls the temperature and helps rainfall by increasing humidity. It is also a controller of soil erosion. Forests are assets to mankind and a natural resource of national importance.
Great damage has been done to forests after the Industrial Revolution and now the world is facing several problems due to deforestation which has become the main cause of environmental degradation both in developed as well as developing countries.
Among other environmental factors, water bodies and animals are also important. All these factors of the environment are not independent but are linked with each other in such a way that none can be separated from the other.
Therefore, the environment should be taken into consideration in its entirety. The total impact of environment is reflected in all man’s developmental activities—economic, social, political or cultural.