1. Human Impact on the Biosphere
Humans depend on the Earth’s products and have altered the Earth’s landscape since their evolution.

2. Hunting and Gathering likely caused some extinctions

3. Agriculture allowed for population growth & civilizations

4. Industrial Growth and Urban Development -created pollution and used a lot of energy

5. Resource Management
Resources- environmental goods or services: water, air, land, forests
renewable- regenerate within a short period of time (100 years)

6. Resource Management
non-renewable- cannot be replenished quickly by natural processes

7. For the Future Sustainable Development
- ways to use resources without depleting/ degrading them so they are available for future generations
ex: fast growing wood like bamboo and use of beneficial insects

8. Human Impact
Keep in mind that the greater the biodiversity, the healthier the ecosystem is.

9. Habitat Destruction- a decrease in the quality or quantity of natural areas.

10. Habitat Destruction
Pesticides - chemicals that poison pests may cause the pests to become resistant to the poison or may enter water supplies and become biologically magnified (bioaccumulation or biomagnification)
ex. DDT

11. DDT was used to kill mosquitoes along with other insects
It softened the egg shells of birds

12. Human Impact
Acid Rain- the combustion of fossil fuels creates nitrogen and sulfur compounds released into the air; they combine with water to form acid rain

13. Acid Rain – pH levels

14. Acid Rain - distribution

15. Some Effects of Acid Rain

16. Deforestation
loss of forests may lead to extinctions, habitat fragmentation, soil erosion and desertification

17. Deforestation
fragmentation – animal habitats are divided unnaturally

18. Deforestation
migration corridor – animals pass under the highway

19. Invasive/Exotic Species
apparently harmless plants and animals that humans transport into an ecosystem; they have no natural predators and the native species have no defenses

20. Mongoose
brought to Hawaii to take care of the rats that were introduced (mongoose are diurnal and rats nocturnal)

21. Zebra mussel
introduced to the Great Lakes by ocean-going ships; they are native to Eurasia so have no predators; clog pipes and outcompete native species

22. Africanized Honeybee
African and South American bees were hybridized to increase honey production; these hybrids are more aggressive and have a shorter growth period

23. Lionfish
Native to the Western Pacific Ocean it was released into the Atlantic during Hurricane Andrew; impacting the fishing industry by eating native species and their young

24. Kudzu
Originally brought from Asia for landscaping; has no natural predators and just continues to grow

25. Humans & Climate Change
Greenhouse Effect- the Earth’s atmosphere contains gasses (CO2, H2O, CH4) that trap some of the incoming solar heat; this creates a stable temperature on the planet.

26. Global Warming climate records show a slight warming trend
melting ice caps are a result of this.

27. Global Warming
A possible source of this change is the carbon dioxide increases from deforestation and emissions from fossil fuels.

28. Ozone Layer Depletion
Caused by CFCs

29. Thickness of Ozone Layer