Emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides react with water vapor in the atmosphere to create sulfuric and nitric acids

Natural sources like volcanoes, forest fires and lightning strikes also add to the man-made pollution. SO2 and NOx become acids when they enter the atmosphere and react with water vapor.

Acid Rain

Scientists express the acidity of acid rain using the pH scale. The scale defines a solution's acidity, neutrality or alkalinity based on its concentration of hydrogen ions. Acids have a high concentration of hydrogen ions and a low pH.

Acid rain has a pH of 5.0 or less. Most acid deposition ranges from pH 4.3 to 5.0 -- somewhere between the acidity of orange juice and black coffee.

Global warming

The greenhouse effect happens because of certain naturally occurring substances in the atmosphere. Unfortunately, since the Industrial Revolution, humans have been pouring huge amounts of those substances into the air.

Today, human activities are pumping huge amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere, resulting in an overall increase in carbon dioxide concentrations

BiodiversityWhy is it so important?

Man’s ImpactWhat are some of the ways man

impacts the environment?

In what ways do these things change the ecosystem?

Biodiversity Index

Determines the health of an ecosystemNumber of species total number of organisms = biodiversity index

8 different species 37 total organisms = .21

12 different species 18 total organisms = .66

The higher the number the healthier the ecosystem!!

Unhealthy .01 ………………………………….. .99 healthy