1. Ecological Concerns

2. Global Warming An increase in temperatures around the world
Caused by adding CO2 and other gases such as methane to the air from burning fossil fuels; removal of trees keeps CO2 from being taken from the air
As a result, heat can’t escape

3. It is predicted if global warming continues, polar ice caps will melt, causing flooding
Storms and other weather disturbances will become more common
Serious droughts will occur

4. Ozone Depletion
Composed of O3 molecules
Absorbs ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun
Discovered as a hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica

5. A similar ozone hole has appeared over the Arctic, which has grown so large to expose the northern part of the U.S.

8. Caused by chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
Used in aerosol cans, in the manufacture of plastics, and coolants in refrigerators and air conditioners

9. Most countries
have banned
the use of CFCs

10. Acid Rain Caused from burning fossil fuels
Acidic gases are given off which contain nitrogen and sulfur; when they combine with water vapor, they form drops of nitric or sulfuric acid

11. When it rains (or sleets, snows, etc), the water has an acidic pH
The acid builds up in the soil, causing damage to plants and runs off into rivers

13. Mount Mitchell, NC

14. NATURAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESSES INFLUENCE ECOSYSTEMS

15. Logistic vs Exponential Growth

16. carrying capacity is the maximum population size an ecosystem can support
population sizes are dependent on limiting factors, such as space, food, sunlight, oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen in soil, etc.

17. HUMAN POPULATION GROWTH
Has grown exponentially

18. Increasing Populations Affect…
Amount of clean water (lack of clean drinking water is the major cause of death world wide)
Increase of waste
Soil lost when it is cleared for agriculture
Demand for land has led to deforestation, which contributes to global warming
Pollution of the environment (can lead to bioaccumulation)
Food shortages
Spread of diseases

19. Bioaccumulation can lead to biological magnification (concentrations of chemical such as pesticides and fertilizers, increase from lower to higher levels of a food chain)

20. NC Example – Waste Lagoons on Hog Farms
There are approximately 7 million hogs on industrial farms in NC, most in eastern NC which is a flood-prone coastal plain. Industrial farms raise thousands of animals in a small space, producing TONS of waste. The waste is stored in lagoons, but may run-off, leak or spill into surface water with rainfall. The sewage in the surface water leads to high levels of disease-causing bacteria such as E. coli, oxygen-depleting organic matter, and hormones/antibiotics used in feed Also, nitrogen run-off from the waste may contribute to outbreaks of Pfisteria, a single-celled alga that produces a deadly neurotoxin. Massive fish kills have resulted, along with health problems in fishermen and others exposed

21. HUMAN POPULATION GRAPHS – AGE STRUCTURES (OR POPULATION PYRAMIDS)

22. One of the tools that demographers use to understand population is the age structure diagram
This diagram shows the distribution by
ages of females and males within a certain
population, along with percentages of
people in different age categories
Notice the percentage of children on the different graphs that can be used to determine rapid, slow, or no growth

23. QUESTIONS
Countries showing rapid growth show the majority of the population in which age group(s)?
For a country to have zero population growth, such as Italy, how many children would each couple have?

24. ANSWERS
Countries showing rapid growth have high birth rates and low death rates, so the majority of people would be children.
Each couple would have 2 children for zero population growth. One child to replace each parent when they die.

25. TECHNOLOGY
Technology can help solve problems, but also contributes to pollution of air, soil, and water
Sustainable agriculture aims to conserve soil so it can be reused
Farm equipment consumes nonrenewable resources (oil, gas) and causes air pollution

26. Chemicals are added to soil for agriculture (fertilizer, pesticides, etc.)
Man-made chemicals contribute to environmental problems, such as CFCs that deplete the ozone
Outdated equipment (old computers, cell phones, etc.) have to disposed of
Modern transportation causes an increase of use of gas and oil and creates air pollution

27. Transportation also causes acid precipitation
Nuclear power doesn’t create pollution, but wastes have to be disposed of
Some resources are renewable and can be replaced almost as quickly as they are used (trees used for paper), but some are nonrenewable and can not be replaced (metals, minerals, coal, oil)