Word for "have an effect over surroundings"

Question

Is there one word for "having an effect/impact/influence over the surroundings/environment"?
For example: "20th century was ____, which may have resulted in changes to earth's soil microorganisms"
I considered the word influential, but it doesn't seems to be specifically about the surroundings/environment.
The kind of impact can be either positive or negative, I'm looking for the technical ability to change one's environment.
Another example: "while most animals have indirect effect on their environment, beavers are ____, with their engineering abilities"
Perhaps the word I'm looking for might be a term from Biology,
or a term from Mechanics, like an object's potential of exerting force, doing an action which results in an effect over something else.
Thank you
(Sorry for any English mistakes)

Electron Ninja · Answer

Good question.
I don't really think there is 'one' specific word you can utilise to define something which impacts an environment. If you are specifically talking about the change that the 20th Century has had on the environment, you could use a word such as 'alter', 'modified', 'metamorphosed', 'transformed' or 'transmuted'.
Also I don't think your sentence example really works. Maybe a better example would be 'The 20th Century has markedly altered the earth's microorganism composition in soil.'
All the best

user405662 · Answer

I presume you're looking for an adjective here. Taking a cue from Electron Ninja's answer, I offer transformative.

causing or able to cause an important and lasting change in someone or something

Even if students end up in different fields, the skills learned in the mechatronics program are transformative, instructor Sheldon Ingersoll said.
— Emily Donaldson, Dallas News, 30 May 2021
[Merriam-Webster]

Word for "have an effect over surroundings"

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