1. Human Impact on the Environment

2. How is the human population impacting the Earth? The growing human population is exerting pressure on Earth’s natural resources We are using the non renewable resources at a faster rate than can be created Renewable resources are being used, but not at the same rate as non renewable.

3. Types of Resources Renewable: replaced by natural processes Ex: plants/crops, water

4. Types of Resources Nonrenewable: only available in limited amounts and take a long time to form. Formed from carbon forms ofdead organisms Ex: Metals, minerals, topsoil, fossil fuels Coal Fossil fuels

5. Types of Pollution Pollution: contamination of soil, water, air Industrialization- a major source of pollution.

6. Types of Pollution Air Pollution: Primary cause is burning of fossil fuels for electricity Other contributors- cars, heating homes, planes Particulates-solid particles of soot Smog-smoke, gases, fog

7. Air Pollution Causes Acid Rain Pollutants from factories and cars release and mix with oxygen and nitrogen in the air to form sulfur and nitric oxides  converts into sulfuric and nitric acid  results in acid rain when precipitation occurs pH of rain changes from slightly acidic (6.5) to below 6.

8. Results of Acid Rain Upsets the environmental conditions that living things are in within water environments Can result in death of organisms that require a highly specific environment to thrive in

9. Air Pollution From Excess Carbon Dioxide Greenhouse effect- natural warming of the Earth due to carbon dioxide being trapped within Earth Most of the greenhouse gases leave but in excess they build up and warm up the Earth Increased Carbon Dioxide from increased burning of fossil fuel leads to global warming- Earth becomes warmer over time due to change in carbon dioxide level

11. Air Pollution Due To Excess CFC’s Ozone layer- prevents lethal doses of UV radiation from reaching earth Thinning of ozone caused by release of CFC’s (chlorofluorocarbons) from aerosol cans, and cooling refridgerants into the atmosphere. Can lead to higher rates of skin cancer because of excess UV radiation.

12. Water Pollution –Non-point pollution- from many sources and not easily identifiable Example- homes, lawns, highways, pesticides, fertilizers. When fertilizer and pesticides are used on plants the excess can runoff into water systems and change water environment for organisms.

13. Impacts of Pollutants in Ecology Biomagnification – as pollutants move up a food chain, its concentration increases

14. Results of Biomagnification As the pollutant or toxin is taken into an organisms body it enter its cells As higher order organisms obtain energy from lower order organisms, the pollutant/toxin is passed on and magnified due to the organisms usually increasing in size moving up a food chain/web. Results in overall magnification of the toxin through the chain or web

15. The Gulf Oil Spill Disaster http://planetgreen.discovery.com/videos/di saster-in-the-gulf-the-oil-spill- environmental-impact.htmlhttp://planetgreen.discovery.com/videos/di saster-in-the-gulf-the-oil-spill- environmental-impact.html

16. What can be done? Three R’s of conservation

17. Human Impact Effects on Plants and Animal Life Biodiversity- the variety of life in an area Most diverse areas of the world are tropical rainforests Biodiversity is being lost due to human actions like deforestation, overhunting, overfishing, introducing a species

18. How do we negatively impact biodiversity? Deforestation: clearing of trees for open land space  loss of animal habitat and niches Overhunting/overfishing  interrupt predator prey relationships by influencing population dynamics Introduced Species: when we introduce a new species that does not have a natural predator  overpopulation of that new species occurs. May take over other organisms niche, habitat, food resource

19. Effects of An Introduced Species

20. Importance of biodiversity –Loss of species may have consequences for others living things (e.g.food chains and webs are disrupted)

21. Plant and Animal Responses To A Changing Biosphere Plants  tropism and normal adaptation responses may be altered due to drastic environmental changes Animals  Normal animal behavior may be altered due to drastic environmental changes

22. PLANT RESPONSES & ADAPTATIONS: Tropism: Plant’s response to its environment Geotropism- Response to gravity; roots down, stems up Phototropism- Response to light; sunflower “heads” turning toward sun Thigmotropism- Response to touch; vine climbing trellis Hydrotropism- the way a plant grows in response to water

24. PLANT RESPONSES & ADAPTATIONS: Auxins- Hormones regulate tropisms Gibberellin- causes plant growth Abscisic acid- inhibits plant growth

25. Normal Plant Responses and Adaptations Plant Adaptations: Dormant in drought Deciduous trees- Drop leaves in winter Thick bark to protect from fire Flexible branches of conifers to bend with ice and snow Cuticle- waxy coating on needles (leaves) “hitchhiker” seeds, some blow in wind, float, etc to disperse seeds bright colors and fragrance in flowers to attract pollinators nutrient exclusion – some plants aren’t worth eating (no nutritional value) These adaptations may be challenged due to a changing biosphere

26. Normal Animal Behavior: Inherited or innate behavior- automatic responses, reflexes, and instincts Ex: courtship, spider web, nest building, response to heat, blinking Territorial behavior-: aggression, defend/ mark territory, efficient use of resources, decreases competition

27. Animal Behavior: Migration: instinctive, seasonal movement; affected by hormones, length of day, changing environmental conditions, geographical clues, use of magnetic field Hibernation and Estivation: Long term vs short term lowered metabolism, –stimulus – winter vs shorter periods of drought or lack of food

28. Animal Behavior: Learned Behavior: Habituation (deer feeding in yards), imprinting (turtles and salmon returning to birthplace to reproduce/spawn)

29. Animal Behavior Adaptations for defense: Mechanical defenses: physical structures like claws, teeth, sharp tusks, stingers, shells

30. Animal Behavior Camouflage: blend with environment –cryptic coloration- same color or pattern as background –Disruptive coloration- color patterns disguise silhouette, ex- herd of zebra –Countershading two-toned, Ex- fish dark on top, light on bottom

31. Animal Behavior Schools and Herds- big group confuses predators

32. Animal Behaviors Chemical Defenses: neurotoxins, poisons, venom, poisonous fish; bombardier beetles, wasps and bee stings, plants foul tasting chemicals

33. The Overall Bottom Line Our actions not only affects our species, but all other factors (biotic/abiotic) that are on Earth. The more damage we do to our biosphere (Earth) by our actions, the longer it will take for it to be fixed. Actions must be taken now so that we save what we have on Earth.