1. Human impact on environment

2. Humans affect regional and global environments through…
Agriculture
Development
Industry
WHICH IMPACTS THE QUALITY OF EARTH’S NATURAL REOURCES (SOIL, WATER, AND ATMOSPHERE)

3. Agriculture
Monoculture- practice of clearing large areas of land to plant a single highly productive crop year after year
PROS
ENABLES EFFICIENT SOWING, TENDING, AND HARVESTING OF CROPS USING MACHINES
PROVIDING FOOD FOR 7 BILLION PEOPLE
CONS
FRESH WATER AND FERTILE SOIL IMPACT
FERTILIZER PRODUCTION AND FARM MACHINERY ALSO CONSUME LARGE AMOUNTS OF FOSSIL FUELS

4. DEVELOPMENT
The growth of cities and suburbs is tied to the high standard of living that Americans enjoy
BUT has environmental effects
Dense human communities produce lots of waste which can affect air, water, and soil resources
Development consumes farmland and divides natural habitats into fragments

5. Industrial growth
Provide us with the conveniences of life homes, clothes, cars, phones, etc.
BUT, they require a lot of energy to produce and power
Burning fossil fuels– coal, oil, and natural gas
Discards wastes directly into the air, water, and soil

6. Sustainable development: provides for human needs WHILE preserving the ecosystem that produce natural resources
Renewable resources
Nonrenewable resources
Can be produced or replaced by a HEALTHY ecosystem
Trees
Water
Air
Not always renewable
Natural processes cannot replenish them within a RESONABLE amount of time
Fossil Fuels
Coal
Oil
Natural gas

8. Using resources wisely
Soil, water, air

9. soil Desertification Deforestation
Soil erosion
Soil use & sustainability
Desertification
Deforestation
Affect soil quality supports agriculture and forestry
Minimize soil erosion through careful management of both agriculture & forestry
Most dangerous when completely bare
Keeping roots and stems from previous years crops
Crop rotation
Contour plowing
Selectively harvesting MATURE trees

10. Water Water Quality & Sustainability Water pollution
Primary sources are industrial and agricultural chemicals, residential sewage, and nonpoint sources
Biological magnification- pollutant (DDT, mercury) is picked up by an organism and is not broken down by organism. Instead collects and increases as it moves down the food chain
Flushing your toilet large amount of sewage can stimulate algal blooms
Oxygen poor areas called DEAD ZONES
Protect natural water cycle
Protecting plants and forests
Watershed conservation
Pollution control
Sewage treatment
Water conservation
Drip irrigation
Turning off faucet when brushing teeth

11. atmosphere Very difficult Doesn’t “belong” to anyone
Air pollution
Air Quality & Sustainability
Common forms include: smog, acid rain, greenhouse gases, and particulates
Ozone high in the atmosphere is good but not to breathe in
Acid rain nitrogen and sulfur combine with water vapor in the air to form acids that erode buildings and kills plants when it falls
Carbon Dioxide Excess in atmosphere from burning fossil fuels lead to global warming and climate change
Very difficult
Doesn’t “belong” to anyone
Automobile emission standards and clean- air regulations
Example: unleaded gasoline from previous leaded gasoline has increased air, soil, and water quality in the U.S.

12. Biodiversity: total of all genetically based variation in all organisms in the biosphere
Types
Threats
Ecosystem- variety of habitats, communities, and processes in the biosphere
Species- number of different species in the biosphere, or in an area
Genetic- sum total of all different forms of genetic information carried by a particular species
Habitat fragmentation- leaving habitat “islands”
Hunting and demand for wildlife products
Introduced species
Pollution
Climate change

13. Conserving biodiversity
Protecting individual species
Preserving habitats and ecosystems
Ecological hot spot-significant numbers of species and habitats are endangered
Considering local interests
Ecotourism