The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or

some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species.[1] The
concept of the natural environment can be distinguished by components:
Complete ecological units that function as natural systems ithout massive human intervention!
including all vegetation! microorganisms! soil! roc"s! atmosphere! and natural phenomena that
occur ithin their boundaries
#niversal natural resources and physical phenomena that lac" clear-cut boundaries! such as air!
ater! and climate! as ell as energy! radiation! electric charge! and magnetism! not originating
from human activity
The natural environment is contrasted ith the built environment! hich comprises the areas and
components that are strongly influenced by humans. $ geographical area is regarded as a natural
environment.
It is difficult to find absolutely natural environments! and it is common that the naturalness varies in a
continuum! from ideally 1%%& natural in one e'treme to %& natural in the other. (ore precisely! e
can consider the different aspects or components of an environment! and see that their degree of
naturalness is not uniform.[)] If! for instance! e ta"e an agricultural field! and consider the
mineralogic composition and the structure of its soil! e ill find that hereas the first is *uite similar
to that of an undisturbed forest soil! the structure is *uite different.
Natural environment is often used as a synonym for habitat. +or instance! hen e say that the natural
environment of giraffes is the savanna.
$tmosphere
The atmosphere of the Earth serves as a "ey factor in sustaining the planetary ecosystem. The thin layer
of gases that envelops the Earth is held in place by the planet,s gravity. -ry air consists of ./&
nitrogen! )1& o'ygen! 1& argon and other inert gases! such as carbon dio'ide. The remaining gases
are often referred to as trace gases![10] among hich are the greenhouse gases such as ater vapor!
carbon dio'ide! methane! nitrous o'ide! and o1one. +iltered air includes trace amounts of many other
chemical compounds. $ir also contains a variable amount of ater vapor and suspensions of ater
droplets and ice crystals seen as clouds. (any natural substances may be present in tiny amounts in an
unfiltered air sample! including dust! pollen and spores! sea spray! volcanic ash! and meteoroids.
2arious industrial pollutants also may be present! such as chlorine 3elementary or in compounds4!
fluorine compounds! elemental mercury! and sulphur compounds such as sulphur dio'ide [56
)
].
The o1one layer of the Earth,s atmosphere plays an important role in depleting the amount of ultraviolet
3#24 radiation that reaches the surface. $s -7$ is readily damaged by #2 light! this serves to protect
life at the surface. The atmosphere also retains heat during the night! thereby reducing the daily
temperature e'tremes.