CHAPTER 6: HUMANS IN THE BIOSPHERE

Changing Landscapes

EFFECTS OF HUMAN ACTIVITY

Agriculture Monoculture

Idea of planting a single crop year after year Problems:

Pollutes the soil and water (How?) Wastes fossil fuels Drains the soil of nutrients

EFFECTS OF HUMAN ACTIVITY

Housing Problems:

Increase in population density leads to more waste If not treated properly, land, air, and water pollution Divides environment

Destroys animals habitats

EFFECTS OF HUMAN ACTIVITY

Industrial Growth Problems:

Depletion of fossil fuels Needed for machines to conduct work

Environmental harms Dumping of toxic waste

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Renewable Resource Resources that can be replaced or produced in a healthy ecosystem

Must be done in reasonable amount of time

Examples?

Nonrenewable Resource Resources that can’t be produced by a natural process in a reasonable amount of time

Examples?

CHAPTER 6: HUMANS IN THE BIOSPHERE

Using Resources Wisely

SOIL RESOURCES Erosion

Desertification Losing soil due to over farming, drought, or climate change Example

Dust Bowl 1930’s All 3 problems occurred at the same time Soil could be found hundreds of miles off coast of New York

Deforestation Destruction of forests Problems:

Tree roots help hold soil together and nutrients Removing trees causes these things to be lost

SOIL RESOURCES

Methods of sustainability 1. Leave behind roots and stems in soil 2. Crop rotations

Planting different crops each season Helps maintain nutrient levels in soil

3. Contour Plowing Plant crops across the slopes of land instead of down the slope Reduces the amount of water runoff

4. Cut down mature trees only

FRESHWATER RESOURCES

Water Pollution Point source

Exact location of water pollution Caused by an oil spill or factory dumping

Non-point source Water pollution that occurs due to dumping in a different location

Caused by runoff into water sources Biological Magnification

Can be linked to snowball effect As you move up through the trophic levels, higher concentrations of substances can be found in organisms

ATMOSPHERIC RESOURCES Air Pollution

Smog Chemical reaction of air pollutants Result from car exhausts and factory chemicals

Acid Rain Results from air pollution caught up in clouds Rain caused destruction to plants Pollutants can ruin the soil as well

Greenhouse Gases Gases occur naturally Pollution causes for increase of them which causes higher

temperatures Particulates: Ash and Dust (Harmful if swallowed)

CHAPTER 6: HUMANS IN THE BIOSPHERE

Biodiversity

TYPES OF BIODIVERSITY Biodiversity: Total variety of organisms in the biosphere 1. Ecosystem diversity

Different ecosystems in the biosphere Can be thought of as the different biomes

2. Species diversity Number of species on the planet 1.8 million discovered already 30 million undiscovered

3. Genetic diversity All forms of genetic information in each species

USES OF BIODIVERSITY Medicine

Used to treat disease A large number of plants in rain forest have been tested against types of cancer

Agriculture Domestic plants have wild relatives We can use genes from each plant to create pest resistant plants or better plants

THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY

Altered Habitats Fragmentation

Splitting of an ecosystem When cities built in ecosystems

Creates competition Can lead to extinction of species

Hunting Over hunting can lead to endangered species Endangered species struggle to do their job in environment

THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY Introduction of new species

Bringing in of a new species can create unbalance Leads to other species leaving and destruction of ecosystem

Pollution Lowers biodiversity Poor conditions leads to lower birthrates

Climate Change Species adapted to a specific climate and environment When climate changes, survival becomes difficult

CONSERVATION

Zoos Allows for humans to save species Introducing captive breeding

Enlarge population through breeding in zoos Release in wild slowly

National Parks Protect areas of land from deforestation Gives species habitats that have been lost