How Do Humans Impact Their Environment? How Do Physical Environments Influence Human Activities?

Desert

 Clothing: Long, loose robes. Keeps them cool & protects them from the sun & sand  Land Use: Nomadic herding (camels, goats, cattle, sheep)  Housing: portable tents. Everything they own can fit on 1-2 camels

Desert  Popular Activities: camel racing, sand boarding & camel dancing  Getting Water: drill for underground water or travel long distance to get it

River In A Desert

River in a Desert Tools to bring water from river to soil/fields: Shaduf – pole with bucket that dips into the river,

River in a Desert dam (wall across water to stop & control it), canals (man- made streams)

River in a Desert Hydroelectric Dam- controls the flow of the water: not too much & not too little. Generates electricity through water power

Monsoon Season

 Crops: Tea & Rice, which require lots of water  Houses on stilts so when it floods, their belongings are safe & dry

Monsoon Season  Rickshaw-– person pulling/peddling a cart  No cars/buses because streets are too flooded

Mountain

 Terraced Farming: creating flat areas on mountain slopes for farming, irrigate with water from mountain streams

Mountain  Human Body Adaptations: In Himalayas, people have thicker blood which requires less oxygen. In S. America, people have larger lungs to get more oxygen out of the thin air  Housing: thick walled, made of stone or brick to keep them warm

Mountain  Clothing: Warm wool  Food: crops that can grow at high elevations - quinoa, potatoes

Arctic Tundra

Artic Tundra  Housing:  Houses off the ground (on stilts) so the warmth of the house doesn’t melt into the permafrost and sink

Arctic Tundra  Igloos (houses made of ice blocks)

Arctic Tundra  Clothing: covered, heavy winter clothes, animal skins/fur  Popular Activities: dog sledding & ice fishing

Arctic Tundra  Land Use: Hunting & Gathering caribou (reindeer), polar bear

Water Humans need water to live and grow food. Humans have invented several techniques for managing water supplies such as building reservoirs and canals for irrigating crops and ensuring a constant supply of water.

Examples The Aral Sea Colorado River Aswan High Dam

The Aral Sea The Aral Sea is located in Central Asia between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Since the 1960s it has been shrinking due to over irrigation. It is now 20% of its original size. The Soviets used the diverted water to irrigate cotton fields.

The Aral Sea The shrinking of the Aral Sea has caused: A.The collapse of the local fishing industry. B.Increase in respiratory illnesses due to wind stirring up dust of exposed seabed. C.Extinction of plants and animals.

The Aral Sea

The Nile River The Nile River is an excellent example of how humans can impact the environment through irrigation. The r iver starts in the Lake Tana & Lake Victoria and empties into the Mediterranean Sea. Fa rmers take water to irrigate crops. People have also built several dams on the river, the most famous is the Aswan High Dam.

The Aswan High Dam The Aswan High Dam was built on the Nile River between

Aswan High Dam (Benefits) A.The dam provides around 15% of Egypt’s electricity. B.The dam has stopped the Nile River from flooding every year. C.The dam created Lake Nasser, which provides water for irrigation and local use.

Aswan High Dam (Negatives) A.Around 90,000 people had to move along with ancient artifacts. B.The dam blocks nutrient rich silt from being deposited on farmland and farmers have to use artificial fertilizers. C.Poor irrigation practices have led to an increase of salt in surrounding farmland. D.Fish stocks in the Mediterranean have depleted because the dam blocks nutrients from entering the sea.

Changing Landscapes Humans change the landscape of the earth in order to farm or raise animals.

Examples Agricultural Terracing Polders Deforestation Desertification

Agricultural Terracing People practice agricultural terracing in mountainous areas in order to make flat land to farm on.

Think! Look at a map and try to think of some countries or areas where people may practice agricultural terracing. A. The Andes Mountains in South America B. The Himalaya Mountains in Asia

Agricultural Terraces in Peru

Cultivation of Rice in Terraces in China

Deforestation Deforestation is when humans cut down trees faster than they can grow back.

Deforestation A few causes of deforestation are: A.Forest land is cleared for farming or human settlement. B.Forests are cut down and the timber is sold. C.Slash and burn farming in tropical areas.

Slash and Burn Farming Slash and burn farming is a farming method used in tropical areas such as Brazil, Africa, and Southeast Asia. Farmers cut down the forest and burn the trees in order to fertilize the soil. After a few years the land becomes infertile and farmers must repeat the process.

Deforestation Much of the world has been deforested including Europe and many parts of the United States. Areas that are becoming rapidly deforested right now are mainly rainforests such as the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil.

Desertification Desertification is an expansion of arid conditions into a non-arid environment. Basically, desertification is when a desert gets bigger due to natural and human causes.

Desertification The fringes of deserts are very fragile environments. If there is a long period of no rain such as a drought this area may turn into a desert. People can also cause desertification by cutting down trees near deserts or herding animals such as cattle, sheep, and goats.

Desertification Desertification occurs near deserts. The region directly south of the Sahara Desert in Africa is called the Sahel. This area has suffered from rapid desertification due to over grazing, droughts, and poor water management practices.

Map of Western Africa showing Sahel

Pollution Humans cause air, water, soil, and nuclear pollution that harm the environment.

Air Pollution Air pollution is mostly caused by the burning of fossil fuels; oil, coal, and natural gas. Areas with many coal burning power plants, factories, and cars can experience acid rain.

Acid Rain A few areas that have acid rain are the Northeast United States and Canada, the Black Forest region in Germany, and China. Acid rain can kill vegetation and fish in streams and lakes over a period of time.

Water Pollution Water pollution is caused by: A.Runoff that contains pesticides and fertilizers B.Waste from heavy industry that contains metals and chemicals C.Raw sewage D.Oil spills and waste from ships

Water Pollution A few areas that have severe water pollution are: A.Most of the rivers in Europe B.The Ganges River in India

Nuclear Pollution Radioactive waste from nuclear power plants must be stored in very safe areas otherwise it can contaminate the water and soil Another example of nuclear pollution is when the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the former Soviet Union exploded causing radioactive waste to contaminate the air and soil

Chernobyl In 1986, one of the reactors at the nuclear power plant exploded causing a cloud of radioactive material that drifted and fell over parts of Russia and Europe. Over 300,000 people were forced to evacuate the nearby city of Pripyat and today the city is abandoned.

The Lost City A lot of interesting photos of the city of Pripyat, a city near the power plant, which is abandoned to this day.