ABSTRACT
The protection of soils and the maintenance of their fertility are essential factors in the survival of civilisations and settlements. Man is influenced by many of the same hereditary and environmental factors that affect other species. The UK experts list of 35 is offered as a representation for the Mauritius situation of essential concepts for environmental education. In the event a list of 84 concepts was prepared and sent to a panel of experts in the UK and Mauritius. Man's activities and technologies influence considerably the natural environment and may affect its capacity to sustain life, including human life. A clear difference exists between the natural needs of man and those wants and desires artificially created by advertising and social pressures. A vegetation cover is important for the balance of nature and for the conservation of soil, besides being an exploitable natural resource.
