chapter 6: humans in the biosphere
DESCRIPTION
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 - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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