Understanding Environmental Concepts: Land Degradation, Pollution, and Sustainability
Understanding Environmental Concepts
The OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) supports the generation of environmental indicators to help countries improve their environmental performance.
Environmental goods are tangible benefits of nature (water, timber, soil, air) that we benefit from directly.
Environmental resources are common biophysical systems that support social life.
Land degradation is the loss of function and ecosystem services, caused by alterations from which the
Read MoreEarth’s Features: Climate, Relief, and More
The Earth is one of the eight planets orbiting the sun. It receives light and heat necessary to form joint vida.el the solar system, a small element of the Milky Way, a galaxy consists of hundreds of millions of stars (the universe).
Spring equinox: March 21st. Summer solstice: June 21st. Autumn equinox: September 23rd. Winter solstice: December 22nd. Translational motion: It has a duration of 365 days, 6h and 9min (a year.) Land to be no angle, the quantity of hours of sunlight varies throughout
Fossils: Understanding Earth’s Past Life
Fossils
A fossil is any remains of a living organism or its activity that lived in another era and has reached our days transformed into a rock. This generally includes remains such as shells, eggs, leaves, or traces.
Fossilization Process
- An organism dies and is covered by sediments.
- The soft parts rot, but the harder parts remain long enough for the outer surface to be imprinted in the sediment.
- Sometimes, these hard parts are mineralized and are well preserved.
- The hard parts are dissolved, and the
Natural Resources, Ecosystems, and Environmental Challenges
Natural Resources
Life on this planet depends upon a large number of things and services provided by nature, which are known as natural resources. Thus, water, air, soil, minerals, coal, forests, crops, and wildlife are all examples of natural resources.
Renewable Resources
These are resources that can be replenished naturally within a human lifespan, such as solar energy, wind energy, water, and biomass.
Non-Renewable Resources
These are resources that exist in finite quantities and cannot be replenished
Read MoreUnderstanding the Iberian Plateau: Geography and Climate
The Iberian Plateau
The main unit is emphasized in Spanish geography and covers 45% of the surface. During the downhill movement, it is broken into two blocks: a northern sub-plateau with an altitude of 800-850 m surrounded by mountains, and a southern sub-plateau with an altitude of 500-700 m, consisting of two separated Alpine Toledo regions.
Mountain Ridges
Galicia-Massif: Lions of 200 square miles of mountainside and share of Galicia, Asturias Western Sierra, Montes de Toledo, Sierra Cabrera, and
Read MorePlant Life: Deciduous Forests, Mediterranean Flora, and Mountain Vegetation
Plant Life Across Diverse Regions
Deciduous Forests: Galicia to the Pyrenees
- Deciduous Forest: Dense, tall trees with flat, deciduous leaves. Often monospecific, dominated by oak and beech.
- Man-made Forests: Chestnut, pine, and eucalyptus plantations.
- Atlantic Scrub (Landa): Replaces degraded deciduous forests, characterized by gorse and heather.
- Marcescent Forest: Formed by oaks. Semi-deciduous leaves that dry in the fall but remain until late winter.
Mediterranean Region Vegetation
Found in the Mediterranean
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