Topic 1.5

In descriptions of interaction between people and the environment, the term “environmental determinism” implies that

• the physical environment exclusively shapes humans and their actions

• humans by their actions and technologies alter the physical environment to suit their needs

• determination of environmental limitations is a primary task of geographers

• capitalist economies do not contribute to global environmental degradation

• there exists no interacting relationship between people and their surrounding physical environment

Which of the following describes the perspective of environmental determinism?

• A twentieth-century idea that human cultures are imprinted on the landscape in different forms of land use and architecture

• A contemporary ecological view that human activity is affecting the global environment toward a negative outcome

• A former scientific viewpoint stating that factors within the physical geography of a region shape the local population’s culture and behaviors

• A theory that humans hold the ability to modify Earth’s physical geography to meet the resource needs of a society

• A belief system based on an ideology that humans have dominion over Earth and its natural resources

According to the theory of environmental determinism, which of the following areas would have the most productive settlements?

• Tropical regions

• Temperate regions

• Mountainous regions

• Arctic regions

• Arid regions

Which of the following concepts could best be explained by the theory of possibilism?

• Regional differences between the internal structures of cities

• Changes in population growth rates over time

• Limitations on agricultural crops based on climate

• Political patterns seen in election maps

• Modification of landscapes by human cultures

All of the terms listed below could be used to illustrate what concept?

Window screens

Green roofs

Photovoltaics

Breezeways

Pilings

• Folk cultures responding to physical geography

• Diffusion of cultural traits from Asia

• Architectural adaptations to the natural environment

• Elements of cultural identity

• Innovation without diffusion

Which of the following global trends best exemplifies the concept of sustainability?

• An increase in the use of agricultural pesticides, because farms using agricultural chemicals produce more food.

• An increase in the use of electric vehicles, because their reduced emissions result in less environmental pollution.

• A decrease in the amount of polar sea ice, because it opens more sea lanes for shipping.

• An increase in the number of people living in coastal areas, because residents will feel more connected to nature.

• A decrease in the practice of slash-and-burn agriculture, because large irrigated farms produce food more efficiently.