Cultural Ecology — Cultural ecology is the study of the adaptation of human societies or populations to their environments, emphasizing the arrangements of technique, economy, and social organization through which culture mediates the experience of the natural world. Diachronic Study — A diachronic study is one that includes an historical or evolutionary time dimension. Ecosystem Approach/Model — This is an approach used by some ecological anthropologists that focuses on physical components. Moran (1990:3) claims that this view uses the physical environment as the basis around which evolving species and adaptive responses are examined. The ecosystem approach had played a central role within ecological anthropology. Environmental Determinism — A deterministic approach assigns one factor as the dominant influence in explanations. Environmental determinism is based on the assumption that cultural and natural areas are coterminous, because culture represents an adaptation to the particular environment. Therefore, environmental factors determine human social and cultural behaviors. The study that includes an historical or evolutionary time dimension is called