What influences (positive and negative), do humans have on the environment?

Make a list On the left side list the

positive andOn the right the negative

But first, what are we trying to save?

Natural resourcesthe natural wealth of a country, consisting of land, forests, mineral deposits, water, etc

WatershedA drainage basin or river catchment, meaning the region of land whose water drains into a specified body of water  

Positive:Laws to protect the land and organisms

Recoveryreturn to an original state; "the recovery of the forest after the fire was surprisingly rapid”

Conservation groups to fight for those laws

Conservationthe preservation and careful management of the environment and of natural resources   

Recycling -the nature’s way

Recycle to treat or process (used or waste materials) so as to make suitable for reuse

Succession the gradual re-growth or development of a community of organisms over time

Pioneer species the first organisms to grow in an area undergoing ecological succession

Going Green

RenewableRelating to or being a commodity or resource, such as solar energy or firewood, that is inexhaustible or replaceable by new growth.  NonrenewableRelating to a natural resource, such as petroleum or a mineral ore, that cannot be replaced once it has been extracted or procured.

Negative:

Water, air and land pollution

PollutionThe act or process of polluting or the state of being polluted, especially the contamination of soil, water, or the atmosphere by the discharge of harmful substances. PollutantsA substance or condition that contaminates air, water, or soil.

Cutting down the rain forest and over-cutting trees

DeforestationThe cutting down and removal of all or most of the trees in a forested area. Deforestation can erode soils, contribute to desertification and the pollution of waterways, and decrease biodiversity through the destruction of habitat.

Over-killing species of organisms

ThreatenedAt risk of becoming endangered. Used of a plant or an animal. To indicate danger or harm EndangeredTo expose to harm or danger; imperil. To threaten with extinction.  Extinction the act or process of becoming extinct; a coming to an end or dying out; no longer in existence; "the extinction of a species"

Over farming

•soil erosion•pests and the problems involved in controlling them•depleted soil•Over-fertilizer - water supply

Destroying wetlands

Wetlands are not just swamps: they also include marshes, peat bogs, river deltas, mangroves, tundra, lagoons and river flood plains.

The world's wetlands, threatened by development, dehydration and climate change, could release a planet-warming "carbon bomb" if they are destroyed, ecological scientists said on Sunday.

Alien species – an organism that is imported into a non-native area by human for a reason or by accident

Examples would the following:Mud cat - is one of the largest members of the catfish family and its introduction is the most biologically harmful of all fish introductions in North America as it predates heavily on native fish. Native to the warm water streams and rivers of the Mississippi River basin, it has been introduced east of the Appalachian Mountains and into several western states. Mud cat prefers the slow moving water of large rivers and lakes and can be spread by unintentional stock contamination of channel catfish shipments, but in most cases, it has been intentionally stocked.

Bulls-eye Snakehead is an extremely voracious predator and has the potential to disturb functioning native ecosystems. It is native to parts of tropical Africa and Asia, and in recent years, Snakehead has been reported in the eastern U.S. where it was introduced via illegal aquarium release.

Guppy - is a small benthopelagic fish native to Brazil, Guyana, Venezuela and the Caribbean Islands. It is a popular aquarium species and is also commonly used in genetics research. In the past Guppies was widely introduced for mosquito control but there have been rare to non-existing measurable effects on mosquito populations. It can occupy a wide range of aquatic habitats and is a threat to native cyprinids and killifishes. It is a carrier of exotic parasites and is believed to play a role in the decline of several threatened and endangered species. 

 

And then there is the American Chestnut Tree

and the problems on the The Galapago Islands

And Australia

Over- population – human and others

Population density - a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. Equilibrium - a state of rest or balance due to the equal action of opposing forces. Exponential growth - a constant rate of growth applied to a continuously growing base over a period of time  

Limiting factorsAbiotic and biotic factors which determine the types and numbers of organisms of a species in an ecosystem. It is things that prevent a population from growing any larger; like the availability of food, water, competition for resources, prey, predation, parasitism, disease and the directly or indirectly affect an organism in its environment.

Predator/prey curve - The amount of prey/predator will determine the amount of predator/prey in an specific area and time