Human Impact on Ecosystems

AlgaeWaste-water

Bio-magnification

Nitrogen cycle

Air Pollution Exotic Species

100 100 100 100 100 100

200 200 200 200 200 200

300 300 300 300 300 300

400 400 400 400 400 400

500 500 500 500 500 500

All the marbles

Algae100

What is the trophic level of Algae?

-producer

Algae200

How do algae and bacteria clean water?

-bacteria breaks waste and dead things into nutrients- Algae absorbs nutrients and grows.

Algae300

• How does algae support food webs (two ways)?

• -makes oxygen• -base of food web (things eat it)

Algae400

• What are some human activities that trigger a change in the eutrophication cycle.

• -Activities that add nutrients to surface water (fertilizer, farm waste, golf courses).

Algae500

• When human trigger an algae bloom, what happens next?

• Bloom! Too much dead algae!

• Aerobic bacteria uses all O2

• Fish other organisms die (no O2)

• Anaerobic bacteria makes water toxic!

Wastewater100

• Stage I Aeration and Mixing:

- O2 mixed in to keep Aerobic bacteria

- Eating the waste/ solids suspended

Wastewater200

• Stage II Aeration and Settling:

• - O2 mixed in for bacteria to eat waste

• Surface mixed so solids drop out• Solids dried/landfilled

Wastewater300

• Stage III Lagoon • What’s left to clean?

• - UV kills pathogens• - Bacteria still active• - solids settle• Nutrients are left to clean out!

Wastewater400

• Stage IV Farming:

• - plants take out nutrients• - soil traps solids• - bacteria eats solids• Water collected by drain pipes/sent

to Muskegon River

Wastewater500

• What happens if we don’t treat wastewater?

• - cultural eutrophication• - human health problems• - ecosystem destruction

Biomagnification100

• The type of chemicals that build up in food webs. Give an example.

• - fat soluble chemicals• - DDT/PCB/heavy metals

Biomagnification200

• Fish are an important part of our diet.

• Why?

• - omega 3 fatty acids (proper brain development)

Biomagnification300

• Chemicals enter the aquatic food web through _________________.

• - Phytoplankton (producers) as they filter water.

Biomagnification400

• What level of the food chain has the highest chemicals and related problems?

• - top organisms (birds of prey/humans)

Biomagnification500

• Explain how biomagnification works.

• -chemicals enter the food chain and build up. Every time an organism eats, all of the chemicals stay in the organism. Toxicity increases over time and up the chain.

Biogeochemical cycles100

• Define biogeochemical cycle and give an example.

• - chemicals that cycle through soil, water, air and life.

• Ex: Nitrogen, phosphorus, Carbon, etc.

Biogeochemical cycle200

• The most complex form of nitrogen.

• - protein in tissues of organisms (N-based)

Biogeochemical cycles300

• The “fixed” form of nitrogen that functions a fertilizer.

• - Nitrate (NO3)

Biogeochemical cycles400

• The form of nitrogen that is waste/toxic.

• - Ammonia (NH3)

Biogeochemical cycles500

• The high protein plant that has nitrogen “Fixed” in roots. Explain the symbiotic relationship.

• - bacteria convert N2 to NO3 so unlimited fertilizer (protein for plant)

• - bacteria gets sugar from plant

Exotics100

• The percentage of exotics that cause problems and why?

• - 10% b/c they overpopulate• (no predator/parasite/disease).

Exotics200

• Great Lakes exotics got here by ___________________.

• - ship ballast water

Exotics300

• Zebra mussels are pushing out native clams b/c…

• - they share a niche and Zebra’s lack a predator.

Exotics400

• Exotic plants out compete and replace food plants. Give two examples/explain.

• - purple loosestrife – chokes good plants.

• - Garlic mustard – uses chemicals in soil to drive out other species.

Exotics500

• In the Great Lakes, the ecosystem is being disrupted. What part has taken the biggest hit and why is it important?

• - Plankton /zooplankton is eaten by all fish when they are young. It has been affected by zebra mussels and the exotic plankton. Asian carp could end it

Air Pollution100

• The Greenhouse Effect is natural and supports life on the planet. If we are causing a temperature increase, then it is called _________________.

• - Global Warming

Air Pollution200

• What are four of the greenhouse gases?

• How do they function?

• - CO2 , H2O vapor, CH4 , O3 .

• - Radiation is converted to heat by vibrations of bonds of gases.

Air Pollution300

• What greenhouse gas absorbs the harmful UV radiation? What human- produced groups of chemicals are destroying it?

• - O3 (ozone)

• - CFC’s (Chlorofluorocarbons)

Air Pollution400

Which human activities causes acid rain?What is the mechanism and definition of

acid rain?

- Burning fossil fuels (coal power, gas cars).

- N and S oxides (impurities in coal) Rain w/ pH <5

Air Pollution500

• What are the processes that are part of the Carbon Cycle?

• - Respiration, photosynthesis, combustion, decomposition, etc.