Human Impact on the Environment

Improvements in agriculture health and

medicine have produced a dramatic rise
in the human population

Humans are using up the earths

resources, including fossil fuels.

Burning fossil fuels produces carbon dioxide

and other greenhouse gases
carbon dioxide traps
heat in the atmosphere
and causes the
temperature of the
earth to rise. (Global
Warming)

Ozone- Why does it matter?

The ozone is a layer of gases around the earth
that protects the earths surface from too
many UV rays from the sun.
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are chemicals that
are found in aerosols and other pollutants.
CFCs contribute to ozone depletion.

Deforestation

people are chopping

down forests to
provide timber or
space for agriculture

Deforestation causes several problems

1. Less trees means less carbon dioxide
absorbed by plants for photosynthesis
2. Many animal and plant habitats are destroyed
causing extinction of species

Problems with Fertilizers on Farms:

If too much
fertilizer is added
and it then rains,
the fertilizer runs
into rivers and lakes
This causes the
algae populations to
overgrow

Pesticides
Pesticides kill insects that will damage crops
They also kill harmless insects or can get
washed into rivers and pollute the water
Animals eat the plants and the pesticide ends
up in the food chain.

Biomagnification:
pesticide
concentration will
increase as you go
up the food chain
Top Predators are
most affected

What can we Do?

 Plant Trees http://

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