Natural environment facts for kids
Natural environment means all living and non-living things occurring naturally, meaning not because of humans. The universe is natural, but often the term "natural environment" only means nature on Earth.
Two aspects are usually included::
- Ecological units which are natural systems without much human interference. These include all vegetation, microorganisms, soil, rocks, atmosphere, and natural events.
- Universal natural resources and physical phenomena which lack clear-cut boundaries. These include climate, air, water, energy, radiation, electric charge, and magnetism.
There is also the built environment. There, man has changed landscapes and natural environment to make cities and agricultural land.
Etymology
The main components of the Natural Environment can be simply defined. 'Natural' can be classified
Images for kids
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Land management has preserved the natural characteristics of Hopetoun Falls, Australia while allowing ample access for visitors.
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An image of the Sahara desert from satellite. It is the world's largest hot desert and third-largest desert after the polar deserts.
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Coral reefs have significant marine biodiversity.
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Rocky stream in the U.S. state of Hawaii
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Lácar Lake, of glacial origin, in the province of Neuquén, Argentina
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A swamp area in Everglades National Park, Florida, US.
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Atmospheric gases scatter blue light more than other wavelengths, creating a blue halo when seen from space.
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A view of Earth's troposphere from an airplane
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Lightning is an atmospheric discharge of electricity accompanied by thunder, which occurs during thunderstorms and certain other natural conditions.
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The retreat of glaciers since 1850 of Aletsch Glacier in the Swiss Alps (situation in 1979, 1991 and 2002), due to global warming
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Another view of the Aletsch Glacier in the Swiss Alps, which because of global warming has been decreasing
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Worldwide climate classifications map -
A rainbow is an optical and meteorological phenomenon that causes a spectrum of light to appear in the sky when the Sun shines onto droplets of moisture in the Earth's atmosphere.
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There are many plant species on the planet.
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An example of the many animal species on the Earth
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Rainforests often have a great deal of biodiversity with many plant and animal species. This is the Gambia River in Senegal's Niokolo-Koba National Park.
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Old-growth forest and a creek on Larch Mountain, in the U.S. state of Oregon
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Map of terrestrial biomes classified by vegetation
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Chloroplasts conduct photosynthesis and are found in plant cells and other eukaryotic organisms. These are chloroplasts visible in the cells of Plagiomnium affine — many-fruited thyme-moss.
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A conifer forest in the Swiss Alps (National Park)
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The Ahklun Mountains and the Togiak Wilderness within the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge in the U.S. state of Alaska
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A view of wilderness in Estonia
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Before flue-gas desulfurization was installed, the air-polluting emissions from this power plant in New Mexico contained excessive amounts of sulfur dioxide.
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Amazon rainforest in Brazil. The tropical rainforests of South America contain the largest diversity of species on Earth, including some that have evolved within the past few hundred thousand years.
See also
In Spanish: Medio ambiente natural para niños
