14-16yrs - human impacts on the environment - classroom presentation

7/28/2019 14-16yrs - Human Impacts on the Environment - Classroom Presentation

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Human Impacts on theEnvironment
http://www.arkive.org/siamang/symphalangus-syndactylus/image-G37279.htmlhttp://cdn2.arkive.org/media/81/81C500F1-35DA-4763-9D20-6915F5DDD002/Presentation.Large/Polar-bear-jumping-between-ice-flows.jpghttp://cdn2.arkive.org/media/E4/E4CAD953-E625-44B3-AA22-06766EA57208/Presentation.Large/Fisherman-holding-dorsal-fin-cut-from-scalloped-hammerhead.jpghttp://www.arkive.org/black-rhinoceros/diceros-bicornis/image-G122061.htmlhttp://www.arkive.org/hawksbill-turtle/eretmochelys-imbricata/image-G58769.htmlhttp://www.arkive.org/brazil-nut-tree/bertholletia-excelsa/image-G37613.html


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What is an endangered species?

A species that is at risk ofextinction.

Species with a small or declining population, or a very small range.

Some species are so endangered that they could disappear

completely within our lifetimes.

Tiger Golden frog Grandidiers baobab
http://cdn1.arkive.org/media/08/086520D1-AD0B-4109-A165-55E01B521506/Presentation.Large/Avenue-of-Grandidiers-baobab-trees.jpghttp://cdn2.arkive.org/media/89/89F1FCD9-AB9F-464A-A420-669533CF7BF3/Presentation.Large/Golden-frog-on-leaf-side-view.jpghttp://cdn1.arkive.org/media/29/292BF57E-B56D-4A9A-A267-0FE45DF9336D/Presentation.Large/Bengal-tiger-portrait.jpg


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Why are species endangered?

Often as a direct result ofhuman activity. Some of the most common

threats include:

Habitat loss

Hunting and poaching

Invasive species

Climate change

Collection and the pet trade

Pollution Golden-crowned sifaka
http://www.arkive.org/golden-crowned-sifaka/propithecus-tattersalli/image-G1723.html


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Case Study: The Power of PlasticWhy is plastic such a problem?

Around 275,000 tonnes of plastic are usedeach year in the UK alone.

Thats about 15 million bottles per day.

Globally, we make around 265 million tonnes

of plastic each year.

Plastic (generally) isnt biodegradable and

can take up to 500 years to decompose.

White stork


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The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Waste has become trapped by

rotating ocean currents

Thought to cover an area around

twice the size of France

Plastic varies in size from household

objects to tiny particles

Estimates suggest that in this area,

plastic particles outnumber plankton6:1

Not only affecting species at sea,

also washing ashore.

American coot


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How is this affecting species?

Example: Green turtle

Currently considered an

Endangered species

Doesnt start to reproduce

until 26 to 40 years of age

Returns to breed only once

every two to five years

The female hauls out onto the

beach at night and digs a large

nest with the back flippers Green turtle
http://cdn1.arkive.org/media/23/2336B31B-6869-4533-B0B0-737B913A635D/Presentation.Large/Green-turtle-ventral-view.jpg


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Typical nesting habitat

should look like this:

But is increasinglylooking more like this:
http://cdn2.arkive.org/media/99/998E4DD6-99A7-4F16-B487-BA7D3BAC170B/Presentation.Large/Female-green-turtle-trying-to-find-a-suitable-site-to-lay-eggs-among-the-debris-on-a-nesting-beach.jpghttp://cdn1.arkive.org/media/77/77434FB4-4F2C-40BB-BAAF-3333B740D7EA/Presentation.Large/Green-turtle-digging-nest-with-flippers.jpg


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Film: Hawaii A Message in the Waves

The Laysan albatross breeds mainly

on the northwestern Hawaiian

islands.

It spends nearly all of its life at sea,

only returning to land to breed.

It feeds mainly on squid and fish

which it skims from the surface ofthe water, or catches by shallow

diving.Laysan albatross
http://cdn2.arkive.org/media/F7/F737BC10-172F-48E9-8B6B-294206D6B6C2/Presentation.Large/Laysan-albatross-pair-with-chick-in-nest.jpg


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Video: Hawaii: Message in the Waves


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Measuring impacts

For scientists working in conservation, being able to measure and

quantify our human impact on the environment is really important.

Living indicators Non-living indicators

Number of chicks successfully

fledging each season

Chick mortality rates

Total population size trend

Quantity of plastic inside the

albatross boluses

Quantity of plastic on the beach

Quantity of plastic inside the

stomachs of the dead albatrosses


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The Power of Film

The Guardian (UK) 28th April 2007

http://www.guardian.co.uk/

BBC News (UK) 29th April 2007

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/http://www.guardian.co.uk/


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What can we do?

Help clean up participate in a litter pick or beach clean up

Reduce your use of plastic products

Reuse plastic bags and other plastic products where possible

Dispose of your plastic waste properly, always recycle where

possible

REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE!


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Your Task

Choose a different human impact topic (not plastics) and pick aspecies affected by it which you would like to research.

Using ARKive and other web resources, find as much information as

you can about how your chosen species is affected by human impacts

on the environment.

Make a PowerPoint presentation introducing your species, explaining

why it is threatened and describing how you could measure the impact

humans are having on this species.

Illustrate your presentation using photographs and films from the

ARKive website.


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Possible Topics

Habitat loss and

deforestation

Hunting and

poaching Invasive species

Collection / pet tradeClimate change

Golden-crowned sifaka Black rhinoceros Kakapo

Polar bear Siamang
http://cdn2.arkive.org/media/FA/FA13C088-9531-47F6-B689-8AF86F32239E/Presentation.Large/A-captive-siamang-bares-its-teeth-behind-cage.jpghttp://cdn2.arkive.org/media/81/81C500F1-35DA-4763-9D20-6915F5DDD002/Presentation.Large/Polar-bear-jumping-between-ice-flows.jpghttp://cdn1.arkive.org/media/56/5692B0B2-7BCE-40CB-BB19-D48B085CF32E/Presentation.Large/Kakapo-walking.jpghttp://www.arkive.org/black-rhinoceros/diceros-bicornis/image-G122061.htmlhttp://www.arkive.org/golden-crowned-sifaka/propithecus-tattersalli/image-G1723.html

14-16yrs - human impacts on the environment - classroom presentation

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