HUMAN IMPACT ON ECOSYSTEMS Chapter 6 Day 1

Human Ecological Footprint Map Humans have influenced 83% of Earth’s surface based on population, travel routes, land use, and lights Ecological footprint is the measurement of how much land, water and natural resources a person, city, country or humanity as a whole requires to produce the resource it consumes

What is an environmentally sustainable society?  An environmentally sustainable society meets the basic resources of its people without degrading or depleting the natural capital that supplies these resources. Imagine you win $1 million dollars in the lottery. Natural Capital= Natural RESOURCES + Natural SERVICES

Is it a necessity to live in an environmentally sustainable society?  Humans use the equivalent of 1.5 planets to provide the resources we use and absorb our waste.  By 2030 we’ll need two Earth’s to support us.  We are turning resources into waste faster than waste can be turned back into resources.  Puts us in global ecological overshoot, depleting the very resources on which human life and biodiversity depend.

Think About It renew 1.What does renew mean? renewable 2.What does renewable mean? nonrenewable 3.What does nonrenewable mean? resource 4.What does resource mean? renewable resource 5.What is a renewable resource? nonrenewable resource 6.What is a nonrenewable resource?

What are the types of resources?  A resource is anything obtained from the environment to meet our needs and wants.  Renewable: Resources that can be replenished through natural processes (water cycle, trees, and others)  Nonrenewable: Exist in a fixed quantity (fossil fuels, minerals)  Resources renewed by natural processes are sustainable if we do not use them faster than they are replenished.  Sustainable yield is the highest rate at which a renewable resource can be used indefinitely.  Environmental degradation occurs when we exceed a renewable resource’s natural replacement rate

Energy Resources Sources Renewable Energy Sources Solar Energy Wind Energy Biofuel Hydropower Geothermal Non-Renewable Energy Sources Fossil Fuels – Coal – Natural Gas – Oil

Where do pollutants come from and what are their effect?  Pollutants are chemicals that cause harm to people or other organisms.  Natural (volcanic eruptions)  Anthropogenic (burning fossil fuels)  Pollutant have three types of unwanted effects 1. Disrupt or degrade life-support systems 2. Damage wildlife, human health, and property 3. Nuisance

What are some causes of environmental problems?  Rapid population growth  Unsustainable resource use  Poverty  Not including the environmental costs of economic goods and services in their market prices

HUMAN IMPACT ON ECOSYSTEMS Topic 5 Day 2

What are the key environmental problems? Major Environmental Problems Air Pollution Biodiversity Depletion Water Pollution Waste Production Food Supply Problems

Air Pollution  Global climate change  Increase greenhouse gasses  Sea level rise  Stratospheric ozone depletion  CFC’s from aerosols and coolants  Urban air pollution  Cities with high rates of fossil fuel combustion  Smog  Acid deposition  Acidic gasses dissolve in rain droplets  corrosive  Outdoor and indoor pollutants  Chemical sprays  Particulate matter

Acid Precipitation Corrosive effects of acid rain * Corrosion: destroying or degrading by chemical reaction

Clear Up Confusion! Ozone Depletion The ozone layer protects earth from sun’s harmful radiation Depletion caused by pollution of chemicals emitted containing chlorine and bromine Nothing to do with amount of green house gases or temperature Ozone depletion = SKIN CANCER ! Global Warming The effect of warmer global climates due to increasing green house gases Involves increases in the chemicals CO2, Methane, and water vapor in atmosphere Nothing to do with the ozone layer or suns harmful radiation Global warming= HOT EARTH Ozone Depletion is NOT the same as Green House Effect and Global Warming 2 different Problems caused by 2 different things

Biodiversity Depletion  Habitat destruction  Deforestation  Urbanization  Land development  Habitat degradation  Resource extraction  waste dumping  Species Introductions  Extinction  Extinction rate is up to 30,000 species per year. That's three per hour!!!

Water Pollution  Acid rain from soluble, acidic atmosphere gases  Bio magnification- increasing accumulation of toxic chemicals up the trophic levels  Oil Spills  Algal blooms from eutrophication  Nutrient overload in a water source  Causes decreased oxygen levels in water

Food Supply Problems  Overgrazing  Wetland loss and degradation  Overfishing  Coastal pollution  Soil erosion  Water shortages  Groundwater depletion  Poor nutrition

Food Supply Problems: Biomagnification Biomagnification: – The accumulated build up of harmful toxins as energy is transferred up through a food chain. – Example: Mercury levels in aquatic organisms – The organisms MOST affected are those at the top of the food chain Who could that be???

1 ppm 3 ppm 4 ppm 4.75 ppm 5.3 ppm

Waste Production  Solid waste  Hazardous waste  Landfills

Soil Pollution Use of fertilizers and pesticides has many environmentally harmful effects Fertilizers in the soil erode into water supply and cause Algal blooms – Results in oxygen depletion of aquatic ecosystems Pesticides – can cause health issues to organisms and to humans Deforestation and agricultural development – Land and soil degradation – Erosion via run-off – desertification