Environmental History
Carsten Hobohm
Abstract Landscapes and ecosystems are composed of biota, including humans and
their abiotic environment, and reflect evolution, historical events, and ecological
conditions. Not only does the physical environment control human culture and
behaviour (environmental determinism) but social behaviour and perception also
have natural and cultural roots, and influence the direction and success of processes,
conditions and measures in the landscape.
Meanwhile, all ecosystems and many natural attributes of biodiversity are
affected by human activities and chemical products. The terms culture, landscape
and environment are linked with different relationships between the physical environment and human life. The short timeline presented here exemplifies natural
conditions of culture and human influence on nature.
Global environmental history shows an increasing trend in the spectrum of
resources used as well as in the intensity of resource use by humans. The human
population is still growing, accompanied by hunger crises, death and migration.
These trends are still continuing today, even though one day they will inevitably
reach a maximum or changeover point, and although many local and regional
attempts in the past have already shown recycling, reduction, disclaimer, and cultural
perspectives which show means of reversing the trend.
History to date does not show any globally effective package of measures to
protect the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, pedosphere or biosphere. Environmental programmes have regularly been more successful at local to national, and
sometimes at supranational scales.
Issues of water quality, quantity, availability, drought, severe floods, tsunamis,
the damage and reconstruction of ecosystems and diseases linked to the environment
have been and will most likely continue to be the greatest environmental problems
facing humans, and humans pose the greatest problem for biodiversity and
ecosystems.
C. Hobohm (*)
Department of Ecology and Environmental Education, University of Flensburg (EUF),
Flensburg, Germany
e-mail: hobohm@uni-flensburg.de
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
C. Hobohm (ed.), Perspectives for Biodiversity and Ecosystems, Environmental
Challenges and Solutions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57710-0_1
3
Carsten Hobohm
Abstract Landscapes and ecosystems are composed of biota, including humans and
their abiotic environment, and reflect evolution, historical events, and ecological
conditions. Not only does the physical environment control human culture and
behaviour (environmental determinism) but social behaviour and perception also
have natural and cultural roots, and influence the direction and success of processes,
conditions and measures in the landscape.
Meanwhile, all ecosystems and many natural attributes of biodiversity are
affected by human activities and chemical products. The terms culture, landscape
and environment are linked with different relationships between the physical environment and human life. The short timeline presented here exemplifies natural
conditions of culture and human influence on nature.
Global environmental history shows an increasing trend in the spectrum of
resources used as well as in the intensity of resource use by humans. The human
population is still growing, accompanied by hunger crises, death and migration.
These trends are still continuing today, even though one day they will inevitably
reach a maximum or changeover point, and although many local and regional
attempts in the past have already shown recycling, reduction, disclaimer, and cultural
perspectives which show means of reversing the trend.
History to date does not show any globally effective package of measures to
protect the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, pedosphere or biosphere. Environmental programmes have regularly been more successful at local to national, and
sometimes at supranational scales.
Issues of water quality, quantity, availability, drought, severe floods, tsunamis,
the damage and reconstruction of ecosystems and diseases linked to the environment
have been and will most likely continue to be the greatest environmental problems
facing humans, and humans pose the greatest problem for biodiversity and
ecosystems.
C. Hobohm (*)
Department of Ecology and Environmental Education, University of Flensburg (EUF),
Flensburg, Germany
e-mail: hobohm@uni-flensburg.de
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
C. Hobohm (ed.), Perspectives for Biodiversity and Ecosystems, Environmental
Challenges and Solutions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57710-0_1
3