Environment is a general term that refers to the whole environment together with its properties such as land, air, water, land and snow and so on. The natural environment encompasses all living things and nonliving things occurring naturally, which means in this case no artificial, man made substances are involved. The word is most commonly used to describe the Earth or parts of the Earth. It is also used in philosophy and science and in marketing to promote products and services associated with the natural environment. It also refers to those processes or products that affect or are affected by the natural environment.

Different people have different views about the natural and the man made environments. Some people believe that humans should respect nature, but there are many people that believe in man’s supremacy to control and manage the environment for the benefit of future generations. In most areas, the environments of rivers are carefully studied and protected so as to allow for natural and living things to survive. Some areas however have made it illegal to remove invasive species from the riverbeds. This is a controversial issue because the natural environments of rivers are essential to human life.

A word environment is used to refer to a set of surroundings, including the physical surroundings, resources, human systems and the biological environment. Environment refers to the sum total of all the elements and properties that exist in any given system and in any given habitat. The sum of all the environment in a system is referred to the biosphere or ecosystem. The word ecosystem refers to a system where different organisms exist together in a symbiotic relationship. It also includes the distribution of energy and the concentration of nutrients in a habitat.