1. Humans and the Environment

2. Humans as a Unique Species
6 Basic Human Questions:
Where did we come from?
Why are we here?
What is our purpose?
What is our responsibility to each other?
What is our responsibility to the Planet?
What happens when we die?

3. The Earth: The only place habitable by humans Limited space
Limited resources

4. Resources: anything that necessary or useful to humans
Two Types:

5. 1. Renewable: replenishes itself in a timely manner through natural cycles
Ex. Wood, water, soil, wind

6. 2. Nonrenewable: cannot replenish itself within a human generation
Ex. Oil, coal, natural gas

7. Competition: when one or more individuals defend or use a resource; excluding others
2 Types: 1. Intraspecific: between members of the same species 2. Interspecific: between members of different species

11. Dispersal: Leaving a stressful ecosystem for a better ecosystem

14. Competitive Exclusion:
Competition which leads to the local extinction of a species -only exhibited in labs and with people vs. nature

15. Our Impact on the Environment

16. 1. Increasing Human Population
-more pressure on resources -more people in limited space -habitat fragmentation

17. 2. Invasive Species: non-natives with no predators/competitors
- populations grow unchecked
Decrease biodiversity
Synonyms: alien, exotic, biological pollutant

26. 3. Loss of Biodiversity Entering Earth’s 6th mass Extinction
Decreasing human benefits
Loss of natural heritage

29. 4. Damage to Ozone Triatomic oxygen Protects us from UV rays
Destroyed by chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

30. 5. Global Climate Change Increase in average global temperature
Caused by burning fossil fuels; other human activities
Greenhouse Gases:
Carbon dioxide
Methane
Nitrogen
Water Vapor

31. 6. Habitat Fragmentation/Destruction
- The number one threat to biodiversity - Loss of many natural ecosystems and related services Ex. Ohio’s wetlands (90% lost) -Tropical Rainforest (over 50% lost)

32. Wetlands Services Flood control
Filter out toxins before entering primary waterways (kidneys)
Protect biodiversity
Recreation (fishing, hunting, boating)

33. Rainforest Importance
Highest level of biodiversity of any ecosystem (52%)
Many medicines (vincristine, vinblastine)
“Lungs” of the planet (produce O2 and use CO2)
Sink for unwanted carbon dioxide
Many food sources

34. 7. Pollution: any undesirable condition in air, soil, or water
-Several important types

35. A. Agricultural
-Nitrogen and Phosphorus: common in fertilizers, manure -causes Eutrophication: Oxygen depletion -algae blooms -algae dies -pulls oxygen from water -causes a “dead zone”

36. B. Air
-coal: sulfur dioxides; nitrogen oxides cause acid rain -fossil fuels: carbon dioxide – GCC and smog -all cause human health concerns

37. Biogeochemical Cycles
-Bio = life -geo= earth -chemical = matter -Life sustaining chemicals

38. Nitrogen Cycle Necessary for plant growth
Put into soil/water by animal waste, fertilizer, decomposition, lightning
Process accelerated by human activity (agriculture)

39. Water Cycle Life sustaining process
Water evaporates, condenses, and falls back to Earth
Humans overuse water beyond rates of replenishment
is covered in water; 1% is usable

40. Carbon Cycle Used by plants to synthesize glucose
Stored in plants, ground, atmosphere and ocean
Highly accelerated due to burning fossil fuels
Causes GCC, acidification of soil and ocean