Human Impact on Land, Air and Water Resources

Land is a natural resource since it is something from Earth that living things use to meet their needs Clean water and air are important to maintain life on Earth

Farming To feed people, farmers grow crops Pro Con Provides food for animals Some organic farms don’t use harmful chemicals, use biological pest control, and crop rotation instead of tilling Con Chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides can harm the environment Takes up a lot of space

Wood Trees are cut down for lumber, fuel, and paper Con Less vegetation may cause higher CO2 levels Deforestation leads to soil erosion and loss of habitat

Development Highways, parking lots, building infrastructures Con Paving prevents water from soaking into soil and refilling underwater ground supplies Takes up space and loss of habitat

Landfills Areas where garbage is deposited and covered with soil Con Takes up space, as they fill up, new ones must be built Some materials are harmful to soil/water supply and some don’t decompose

Water Pollution Sediment-largest source of water pollution. It makes water cloudy, blocks sunlight getting to plants and interferes with organisms living in the water Pesticides-destroys pests but harms other living things Fertilizers- add too much nitrogen and phosphorus to water sources causing algae to multiply which then use up oxygen that fish and other organisms need to survive Heated water- released from factories that can also reduce oxygen available for organisms to survive and also alters temperature which may harm organisms Oil and Sewage Leaks- contaminate water supplies and harm wildlife

Air Pollution Smog- urban pollution caused by cars, factories, and power plants Acid Rain- when compounds released from factories rises into the air, it can mix with water to create acid rain, which corrodes structures Natural Events- materials from ash, dust, gases can cause health problems

Management Nature Preserves- land set aside to protect it from environmental problems caused by human Recycling- using materials again by converting used materials into new and useful products Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act regulates emissions, energy productions, industrial wastes, and pollutions Individuals can conserve water use, reduce driving, and change their lifestyles to help prevent pollution