Environmental stress
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Environmental stress describes stimuli, events or situations occurring in an environment that affect a person, group of people or an entire ecosystem . These stimuli do not occur under normal conditions, but rather represent an exceptional situation, so to speak. Every living being can be under environmental stress, from humans to animals to plants. When stressed , the organism is under a higher load than under normal circumstances. The acting load can be coped with by adapting or changing the environment. The stressful situation can have both positive and negative effects on the organism.
Environmental stressors
In environmental stressors is factors that can act from the outside on a system. Basically, it is possible to differentiate between two different types - natural and anthropogenic factors. The natural stressors include, for example, cold or heat or various natural events such as storms, earthquakes or floods. Anthropogenic stressors include, for example, climate change caused by humans or the clearing of forests, which, for example, can cause animals to suffer from environmental stress. A clear classification into natural or anthropogenic is not always possible, so fires can arise both from natural factors (e.g. due to the dryness of lush vegetation) and from humans (e.g. due to insufficiently suppressed cigarette butts).
Environmental stressors on people
There are several stressors that can affect people. In addition to the social and mental stressors and those of one's own body, there are also environmental stressors that affect people. For humans, environmental stressors include, for example, the ambient temperature. Heat or cold can put stress on the human body, which can lead to a stressful situation. A higher stress on the cardiovascular system is possible. Weather fluctuations can also be viewed as stress factors and influence people. There are also air stressors, so to speak, which can affect human health. This includes, for example, air pollution from traffic, industry or from power plants and fires. Air pollution also changes the intensity of solar radiation, which in turn affects people. The consequences of environmental stressors can be psychological as well as physical in nature and depend on its nature. If a stress factor occurs frequently, there may also be a weaker reaction to it, which, however, can have additional consequences.
Environmental stressors on plants
In order for plants to grow and multiply, certain environmental conditions are necessary that favor these processes. If its natural environment is disturbed by any parameters, the plant is under stress and there may be impairments in terms of growth or reproduction. The consequence of this is, for example, a crop failure or a reduction in the quality of the plant. The environmental stressors for plants include, for example, viruses or fungi, as well as parasites and symbionts . Heat, drought, cold or polluted soils are also considered stress factors for plants. Dogs can also be seen as stress triggers for plants in terms of pollen distribution. In order to stay alive despite the changed circumstances, plants adapt to the new circumstances. Thus, they can withstand the changes and become more resistant.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Environmental stress . Spektrum.de - Accessed June 4, 2015
- ↑ Malgorzata Swietlik: Basic concepts of environmental psychology: stressors (climate, heat, cold, smells, pollutants)
- ↑ Development of a forest fire Website of the National Platform for Natural Hazards PLANAT
- ↑ Stress: Stressors (stress triggers, stress factors) Website of the health portal Onmeda
- ↑ Thilo Eisenhardt: Man and Environment - The effects of the environment on man
- ↑ Biotic stresses website pflanzenforschung.de