Physical and Human Geography

Human Geography

Human geography is concerned with the distribution and networks of people and cultures on Earth’s surface.

Physical Geography

Physical geography looks at the natural processes of the Earth, such as climate and plate tectonics.

Areas of physical geography include:

Geomorphology: the shape of the Earth’s surface and how it came about
Hydrology: the Earth’s water
Glaciology: glaciers and ice sheets
Biogeography: species, how they are distributed and why
Climatology: the climate
Pedology: soils

Palaeogeography: how the continents have moved over time
Coastal geography: how the ocean and land affect each other
Oceanography: the oceans and seas
Quaternary science: the geography of the last 2.6 million years, including the last ice age
Landscape ecology: how the landscape affects things like the distribution of plants and animals
Geomatics: gathering, storing and processing geographic information – for example, making maps

Ecosystems

An ecosystem is a geographic area where plants, animals, and other organisms, as well as weather and landscapes, work together to form a bubble of life.

Rainforest ecosystems

The tropical rainforest biome has four main characteristics:

very high annual rainfall (wettest ecosystems)
high average temperatures (receives direct sunlight)
nutrient-poor soil (due to heavy rains)
high levels of biodiversity (species richness).

What Is Deforestation?

Deforestation is the clearing, destroying, or otherwise removal of trees through deliberate, natural, or accidental means. It can occur in any area densely populated by trees and other plant life, but the majority of it is currently happening in the Amazon rainforest.