1. Carrying Capacity
The maximum number of organisms an ecosystem can hold.
Think of an ecosystem as a bucket that can only hold so much.

2. How many fish can an aquarium hold?
What does it depend on?

3. These things depend on limiting factors.
What are limiting factors?

5. Population Size Population = birth rate - death rate
birth rate = how fast a population reproduces death rate = how fast a population dies
Population = birth rate - death rate
if birth rate > death rate then population grows or increases
if birth rate < death rate then population shrinks or declines

6. Human Population Growth
Fun Fact:
Demographers estimate that, in the decade of the 1990’s, the Atlanta metro (driving distance) area grew in population faster than any other area in the history of human civilization.
Human Population Growth

7. How does population growth affect our resources?

8. Human Impacts
Urban development (humans building stuff) has caused deforestation, logging, draining wetlands, habitat fragmentation & destruction.
Various forms of Pollution like chemical spills
Hunting & farming are both unnatural limiting factors.
Harvesting, mining, & drilling take away natural resources.
Invasive Species
Global Warming

9. Human Impact Examples:
Category
What humans need
What humans do
What happens
Impact on the environment
Energy
coal
burning coal
SO2 released into air
creates acid rain
Food
cheap food
concentrated animal farms
excessive manure runoff
eutrophication
Space
homes & malls
draining wetlands
reduces buffer zones
increases flooding & pollution
Beauty
green yards
too many water sprinklers
excessive water use
fresh water shortages

10. Conventional farming: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3P5tmkjHa8

11. Jane Goodall is a British primatologist (someone who studies primates) and conservationist (someone who works to help preserve habitats and species).

12. What does it mean to live sustainably?
To live in a way that natural resources (food, water, sources of energy, etc.) are not depleted or permanently damaged.

13. How can we live more sustainably?
Can be replenished or replaced in short amount of time.
Once used up, they are gone for millions of years.

14. How can we live more sustainably?
Conservation is the preservation, protection, and restoration of the natural environment.

15. How can we live more sustainably?

16. How can we live more sustainably?
Reduce
Reuse
Recycle
Use, or consume less of a product or material.
Find a new purpose for a product or material.
Convert a waste product into a usable material.
Example:
Buy less soda in aluminum cans. Make your own soda or drink tap water.
Repurpose an aluminum can to make a planter or a pencil holder. This prevents the need to use more materials.
Recycling 1 aluminum can saves enough energy to power a television for 3 hours.

17. Sustainable farming: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqbOU07ZI2k

19. What is a carbon footprint?
Amount of CO2 emitted (released) due to the consumption of fossil fuels by a particular person or group.

20. What is an ecological footprint?
One human’s total impact on the biosphere. Measured in area of wilderness (land, water, & air) consumed.

21. How large is your ecological footprint?
Go to the following website and use your CMS student address to access the Ecological Footprint Calculator:
Once you receive your calculation, make sure to explore the “Solutions” page!
After you’ve read the solutions, summarize three of them on your paper.