Human Environment Interaction

HEI (Human Environment Interaction)

the way that humans modify, adapt, and depend on the earth

Adaptation

Humans adapt to the environment to meet their needs. EX: AC/Heat your home, ice fishing, warmer or cooler clothing.

Modification

Humans MODIFY (change) the environment (affecting it positively and/or negatively) to meet their needs. EX: Mining, Terrace Farming, Building a dam

Dependency

Humans DEPEND on the environment to meet their needs. EX: drinking water, fresh air, recreation (hiking, surfing), transportation

Natural Resources

Materials on earth - such as fish, trees, coal - that have economic value. They are abundant - but are NOT equally distributed.

renewable resources

Any natural resource that can replenish itself in a relatively short period of time, usually no longer than the length of a human life. (fish, shrimp, trees)

nonrenwable resource

natural resource that cannot be replaced once they are removed from the ground (or takes a REALLY long time period to replace) ex. fossil fuels and diamonds (minerals)

Inexhaustible Energy

resources which are used for producing power, are the result of solar or planetary processes and are unlimited in quantity (ex: solar power, wind energy)

Desertification

Degradation of land (land becomes desert like), especially in semiarid areas, primarily because of human activity (poor farming techniques, overgrazing, and deforestation). and climate change

Shrinking of the Aral Sea

CAUSE: less water reached sea level because USSR built dams and irrigation canals for crops

climate change

a change in global or regional climate patterns, in particular a change apparent from the mid to late 20th century onwards and attributed largely to the increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by the use of fossil fuels.