HUME 125

• Human ecology is a transdisciplinary science focusing on human-environmental interactions by tracing effects through ecosystems and human society to anticipate long-range environmental effects of human activities
• Human ecological systems involve the interaction of the human social system with the ecosystem, with components like the human factor, environment (including human-behavioral, human-constructed, and natural environment), and interactions occurring significantly in a spectrum of total environmental conditions
• Urie Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory focuses on how the environment influences the individual and the effects the individual has on the environment
• Human-environment interactions happen in the natural ecosystem, emphasizing the existence and influence of human-environment interaction
• Space can be absolute (empty space) or relative (affecting the things it contains), with concepts like 'place' (naturalized physical spaces through patterns, behavior, and communications) and 'scale' (representation of any area defined by social processes) being important in spatial history
• Space refers to location, while place refers to the occupation of that location; place emerges as a particular form of space created through naming and associated activities and imaginings
• Scale provides the location and range of objects in a space or place, with components like grain (finest component that can be differentiated up close) and extent (range at which a relevant object can be distinguished from a fixed vantage point)
• Social boundaries in space include intimate, personal, social, and public zones, each used for different types of communication and interactions
• Intimate space (0-1.5 feet) is reserved for close people, breaching this space can be comforting or annoying depending on the context
• Personal space (1.5–4 feet) is for friends, close acquaintances, and significant others, with subzones for different levels of interpersonal closeness
• Social space (4–12 feet) is for professional or casual interactions, preferred in many professional settings to reduce suspicion of impropriety
• The social system is dependent on the ecosystem for resources like food, water, and air, while the ecosystem relies on the social system for resource management and conservation

  
• The two systems are interdependent and must be managed sustainably for the well-being of both humans and the environment
• Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Theory is relevant to understanding human ecosystems and spatial relationships
• GIS (Geographic Information Systems) can be used to study historical aspects of cities by combining different layers of information
• A raster GIS dataset shows the grain (minimum resolution) and extent (scope or domain) of the data, with the minimum patch size being the smallest area represented as a separate polygon or cell
• Edward T. Hall's concept of personal space defines the area surrounding a person as their own territory, varying in size depending on the individual and situation
• In the concept of space and its use, territoriality involves an innate drive to take up and defend spaces, with primary, secondary, and public territories being distinguished
• Basic spatial elements in the concept of space and its use include paths, edges, districts, nodes, and landmarks, which are interconnected in the environmental image of a city
• The elements of paths, edges, districts, nodes, and landmarks are the raw material of the environmental image at the city scale, patterned together to provide a satisfying form
• The relationship of space with social, economic, and environmental aspects is crucial in understanding human-environment interactions
• Urbanization raises issues like resource use, social services provision, individual and family conditions, and food access and provision
• Spatial divide and social distancing also present resource use issues, social services provision, individual and family conditions, and food access and provision
• Land conversion and the presence of an island of trash raise resource use issues, social services provision, individual and family conditions, and food access and provision