ABSTRACT
Ecological and anthropogenic history donate two influences of a biological nature; ecological controls focus on soils, vegetation (flora) and animals (fauna), whilst anthropogenic history includes the influences of human beings on all parts of the physical landscape, both now and in the past. Processes in physical geography, like rock weathering, usually involve the movements of energy and/or matter through a series of interconnected subsystems. Throughout its history, physical geography has undergone several revolutions in either concepts and/or methodologies. Geomorphology, probably always the premier branch of physical geography, witnessed major ‘paradigm shifts’ in the nineteenth century. Modern physical geography recognizes that many different physical systems can coexist and interact in the real world. Studying and modelling the Earth as a whole, or studying and modelling a single river meander, are both common scales of study in modern physical geography. Field observations provided the basis for many working hypotheses generated by early physical geographers.
