What are they for ?  Where are they ?  Man and nature Some difficult words

What makes up a landscape?

To survive, man has needs. He needs food, shelter, and warmth, and to be able to travel around. So he uses the resources of the natural environment. In the societies of old, or in tribes which are still isolated today, man takes the resources he finds in his environment (harvesting, hunting, fishing). When his needs become so great that nature can no longer provide for them, man transforms nature (farming, deforestation, etc.). This is the point at which man may threaten the balance of nature. In effect, it is difficult to transform an environment without running the risk of destroying certain elements. Let us take an example:

A human population increases rapidly and considerably. To feed it, more food must be produced. New lands are therefore sought for farming. If there is not enough, forests are cut down to become fields, to use the wood for heating, or for buildings. The natural environment changes.

In effect, by cutting down a forest, we destroy the habitat (living space) of certain animal species. These species are adapted to life in the forest. To survive, they are therefore forced to seek refuge in neighbouring forests. By cutting down the forests, they may become too small for all species to feed on. Therefore, by destroying their habitat, we threaten their existence. In addition, the disappearance of forests can be dangerous for mankind. Sometimes it causes landslides in mountain areas or flooding in the plains. In effect, the forests protect the soil from erosion and slow down the flow of rainwater.

Man changes the natural environment. This explains many of our current ecological problems. The more pressure man applies, the less space is left for nature. This is why, if we want to continue to develop while allowing all the species to live, we need to learn to behave in a different way. Let's think about the consequences of our actions. In this way we can avoid creating a further problem while trying to resolve another one.