c. Cultural environment means any condition both material or object and non-material ones produced by human through its activity and creativity. Cultural environment
includes, among others, building, equipment, weapons, and clothes. In addition, cultural environment also covers value system, norms, institutions, regulation, political system,
arts, and economic system. Quality standard for cultural environment can be said well if the environment can provide with life comfort. Social system and value can guarantee
security and welfare to human as member of society and individual. A. Self-Active Exercise
Observe your environment. How is its quality of the environment including biophysical, socio-economic, and cultural aspects?
B. Ecological Limitation Source: www.perso.easynet.fr
Figure 4.3 Ernest Haeckel
The term ecology was initially introduced by a German biologist, Ernest Haeckel. According to Haeckel, ecology is derived from oikos meaning household and logos
meaning knowledge. Thus, ecology means a kind of knowledge on dynamically mutual relationship between organisms and their households or environments. At the same time,
according to Miller, ecology is knowledge on mutual relationship among organisms and organisms and environment where they live. If we talk about ecology, we will talk about
term ecosystem.
Ecosystem means an intact unity system covering all elements of environment influencing each other. Elements of environment include, among others, human
resources, bio-resources, non-bio-resources, and artificial resources. Ecosystem will function if it has energy flow and material recycle. Energy flow means transfer of energy
in food chain. It starts from the first chain or producer to consumer and ends to decomposer. If products of decomposing are in form of mineral elements returned to
producer, material cycle will be formed. In chain of energy flow, plant is consumed by rat, rat is consumed to snake, snake is consumed by bird, bird is consumed by wolf, wolf
is consumed by tiger, and finally, tiger is hunted by human. Pair of plant-rat is inter- species relationship of prey and predator. Pair of rat-snake, rat is prey and snake is
predator. For each pair, prey is consumed by predator, but it is never extinct. =============
For example, plant and rat. Although the plants seem to be finished, their roots will produce new plants. Rats are consumed by snakes, however, there will be some rats left
so that they will grow and survive. Such event happens along food chain. A constant condition with plants and animals where they are not extinct and still survive is called
equilibrium or homeostasis. Homeostasis peak means limit of carrying capacity for any ecosystem. Carrying capacity means any natural capacity of ecosystem to survive and
grow. In case ecosystem’s carrying capacity gets inputs in form of knowledge and technology, accommodating capacity will be created.
Any population continuously growing and exceeding its carrying capacity will press down the carrying capacity. Too high pressure on carrying capacity causes reduces in
carrying capacity to support life so that number of population decreases. Based on above description, it is clear that the role of environment to life can not be forced. If carrying
capacity is exceeded, environmental damages will happen. Limitation of carrying capacity is called ecological limitation.
Such ecological limitation will be more perceived along with population growth and decrease in natural resources. Therefore, to anticipate ecological limitation, following
efforts should be made:
1. To keep environmental preservation and to make environment productive for human beings;
2. To save natural resources so that they will not be quickly finished through the creation of sophisticated and energy-saving technology;
3. Development planning with environmental conception.
C. Elements of Environment Elements or components of environment basically consist of:
