Anthrosphere

THE ANTHROSPHERE

The anthrosphere may be defined as that part of the environment made or modified by humans and used for their activities. Of course, there are some ambiguities associated with that definition. Clearly, a factory building used for manufacture is part of the anthrosphere as is an ocean-going ship used to ship goods made in the factory.

 The ocean on which the ship moves belongs to the hydrosphere, but it is clearly used by humans. A pier constructed on the ocean shore and used to load the ship is part of the anthrosphere, but it is closely associated with the hydrosphere.

 During most of its time on Earth, humankind made little impact on the planet, and its small, widely scattered anthrospheric artifacts—simple huts or tents for dwellings, narrow trails worn across the land for movement, clearings in forests to grow some food—rested lightly on the land with virtually no impact.

 However, with increasing effect as the industrial revolution developed, and especially during the last century, humans have built structures and modified the other environmental spheres, especially the geosphere, such that it is necessary to consider the anthrosphere as a separate area with pronounced, sometimes overwhelming influence on the environment as a whole.

Components of the Anthrosphere

For example, the hydrosphere consists of oceans, streams, groundwater, ice in polar icecaps, and other components. The anthrosphere, too, consists of a number of different parts. 

These may be categorized by considering where humans live; how they move; how they make or provide the things or services they need or want; how they produce food, fiber, and wood; how they obtain, distribute, and use energy; how they communicate; how they extract and process nonrenewable minerals; and how they collect, treat, and dispose of wastes. 

With these factors in mind, it is possible to divide the anthrosphere into the following categories:

• Structures used for dwellings

• Structures used for manufacturing, commerce, education, and other activities

• Utilities, including water, fuel, and electricity distribution systems, and waste distribution systems, such as sewers

• Structures used for transportation, including roads, railroads, airports, and waterways constructed or modified for water transport

• Structures and other parts of the environment modified for food production, such as fields used for growing crops and water systems used to irrigate the fields

• Machines of various kinds, including automobiles, farm machinery, and airplanes

• Structures and devices used for communications, such as telephone lines or radio transmitter towers

• Structures, such as mines or oil wells, associated with extractive industries From the list given above it is obvious that the anthrosphere is very complex with an enormous potential to affect the environment. Prior to addressing these

environmental effects, several categories of the anthrosphere will be discussed in more detail.


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