The importance of the environment

The importance of the environment

By Dr. Kyle Muller

In recent decades, the concept of protecting and respecting the environment has been taking more weight, being very common to ask ourselves: why is it important not to contaminate the environment really? Not only have we concluded that it is essential to take care of the environment, but even the possibility that the UN includes the right to a “healthy environment” in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is discussed.

But, really, where does it fall The importance of the environment? Why is it so essential? What can we do to protect it? Next, from Ecology Verde We tell you everything you should know about how to take care of the environment. Take note!

What is the environment

The environment is recognized to the Set of natural and artificial elements that enable the existence of organisms in a specific space and time. In a more technical way, it is composed of the biotic factor and the abiotic. The biotic factor It corresponds to all living beings, which are divided into different kingdoms. The most complex kingdom is the animal kingdom (animals), followed by the plant kingdom (plants), the fungus kingdom (yeasts, mushrooms and molds), the protoctist kingdom (algae and protozoa) and, finally, the won kingdom (bacteria).

On the other hand, The abiotic factor It is composed of the chemical and physical components that lack life but that affect both the proper functioning of ecosystems and that of organisms. Within this group we find all the absent components of an ecosystem, such as energy flows, atmospheric conditions, gases, concentrations of organic and inorganic substances and water resources. Water, light, pH, humidity, temperature, oxygen, soil, different nutrients and air are the most remarkable.

The importance of the environment - What is the environment

The environment as a source of resources

Once the environment is understood and what is composed, it is essential to understand that living beings We use it as a source of resourceshence the importance when keeping it. From him the food is extracted, as we see, for example, in the case of zebras, which nourish the Sabana Pasto. However, it is also useful to better develop certain activities, such as the branches used by chimpanzees to get the ants from small cavities.

Of course, we also serve the environment to better build a home, as we see with swallows or, in a more complex way, to differentiate from other beingsas we humans do when making their own clothes. The Batwa, the Pigmeo town of Burundi and Rwanda, use the wood of the forest as a source of energy, for example.

The importance of the environment - the environment as a source of resources

The environment as a space

As a physical place, in the environment We grow and develop. Some species adapt to the environment to create their nests, burrows or houses. Others look for suitable gaps to protect themselves, raise their proles, overcome adverse weather conditions or even have better advantages when hunting.

Everyone comes to mind examples of animals, but let’s go further: there are other living beings than They thrive in the environment according to the conditions of this physical space. This occurs in the case of cyanobacteria, bacteria found in large water surfaces where there is excess nutrients. Another example could be that of the moss or briophyte, which needs wet spaces to exist, whether small cracks on stones or branches.

The importance of the environment - the environment as a space

The environment as a place of interaction with other living beings

From a more abstract point of view, in the environment We interact with other individuals. This can occur with members of the same species to mate, as all falls do, or to protect and learn from other useful behaviors to grow and survive, as with sheep when they learn from their mothers to eat the thyme and thus avoid digestive discomforts. The interaction can also be contemplated from a more sociable vision in which it seeks to play, as we see with the ORCAS when playing with each other with algae.

When using it as interaction space with other speciesthe environment can also serve for the concrete survival of many organisms, as occurs with the mutual symbiotic relationship of coral and algae, where both take advantage of each other to exist in more favorable conditions. Without this relationship of different species, coral reefs would not grow the same and could not be the habitat of thousands of living beings.

You may also be interested in this article about what they need to live living beings.

Why the environment is important

Therefore, without a healthy, diverse and balanced environment, there would be no many species and, in fact, We would not exist humans, since we depend on him. Here lies our pressure as a species that causes the most impact, because the pollution and environment They are the responsibility of the human being. In this other article we explain more in detail how pollution affects the environment.

It is essential to reduce our impact not only for the human species to continue to exist, a basic condition that we sometimes forget, but also so that the rest of the species can live in a dignified and safe way. We have reached a point where it is impossible to deny our impact on the environment; We must be clear that the earth will end up self -regulating when we extinguish ourselves, however, it is not fair that we put the continuity of other thousands of species at risk. Even humans whose impact is insignificant compared to ours (as is the case of the Amazon tribes, Australian, African aborigines, etc. due to their lower technological development) are affected by the style of consumption and development we carry.

Therefore, we must understand why the environment is important and why we must take care of it and protect it. If you want to formulate an explanation of How to take care of the environment for childrenit is essential to keep in mind that it is in all of us to create a more sustainable space in which it is possible to live in harmony without jeopardizing the existence of millions of species.

From Ecology Verde we also recommend you to take a look at this article on ecological education for children: learn to take care of the environment.

The importance of the environment - why the environment is important

If you want to read more articles similar to The importance of the environmentwe recommend that you enter our category of other environment.

Literature
  • Biology. Campbell N. and Reece J. (2007). Pan -American Editorial.
  • https://news.un.org/es/story/2018/10/1444342
  • https://www.fundacionaquae.org/wiki-explara/16_coral/index.html
  • https://www2.eez.csic.es/olivares/ciencia/fijacion/cianobacterias.htm
  • https://viajes.nationalgeographic.com.es/ubicacion-exacta/ksar-mas-famosomarrcoos_14283
Kyle Muller
About the author
Dr. Kyle Muller
Dr. Kyle Mueller is a Research Analyst at the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department in Houston, Texas. He earned his Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from Texas State University in 2019, where his dissertation was supervised by Dr. Scott Bowman. Dr. Mueller's research focuses on juvenile justice policies and evidence-based interventions aimed at reducing recidivism among youth offenders. His work has been instrumental in shaping data-driven strategies within the juvenile justice system, emphasizing rehabilitation and community engagement.
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