Maktab Rendah Sains MARA Beseri, Perlis

Dynamic &
Endangered
Ecosystem
Biology Folio

Lukman Hakim A. Rahman

4 Glorious | 2010
Acknowledgement

Alhamdulillah, with the strength, health and time given, I have successfully completed my assignment for
Biology.

I would like the thank Puan ??? for giving this task to me and also giving me full guidance and support to
help me complete this assignment. Without your help, I will surely fail to accomplish this task given.

Not forgotten to my family for plenty of help given since the start of this task. They had given support,
courage and will to accomplish this task. Without their motivation, I would be lost in trying to complete this task.

Last but not least, to my friends who pushed me into completing this task and for being together in
getting resources.

Thank you all for your kindness and gratitude.

Introduction

Human activities often affect the whole ecosystem. With great advancements in the medical field, modern
farming techniques and better infrastructure, the world’s population has grown to over 6 billion today.

Conflicts, therefore, arise between the need to meet the immediate human demands in the short term
and the need to protect and conserve ecosystems from long – term damage.

Many of the problems related to the environment are the result of human activities and human
interference with the ecosystems.

The negative effects of hasty, unplanned development and the mismanagement of the ecosystems result
in various environmental problems such as air and water pollution, the greenhouse effect, global warming and the
depletion of natural resources.

These problems bring about negative effects that increasingly threaten the economic resources, health
and survival of ecosystems.
1 – The impact of human activities on the ecosystem.

1.1 – Pollution
Pollution can be defined as any undesirable change in the physical, chemical or biological characteristics
of the natural environment. It is the result of harmful substances or energy released through human activities.

There are four types of pollution : air, water, thermal and noise poluution.

1.1.1 – Air Pollution

Burning of fossil fuels is the main source of air pollution. Fossil fuels are burnt in power stations using coal,
petroleum and natural gas, in domestic and industrial boilers, and in the internal combustion engines of vehicles.
When fossil fuels are burnt, the elements in the fossil fuels are oxidized, forming various air pollutants.
These include carbon dioxide (CO 2), sulphur dioxide (SO2), oxides of nitrogen (NO2 and NO) and fine particulate
matter.

Pollutants Sources Effects Solutions

 Incomplete
combustion of Health:
Carbon fossil fuels  Combines readily with haemoglobin and affects the
monoxide (CO)  The exhausts transport of oxygen to body cells
of vehicles  Impairs alertness, causes fatigue and headaches
 Factories

Health:
 Irritates the eyes
 Damages respiratory passages
 Combustion of
 Causes bronchitis
fossil fuels,
 Causes wheezing, a shortness of breath and coughing  Use low
particularly in
 Causes asmathic attacks sulphur
heat and
Climate: content fuels
power
Sulphur  Combines with rainwater to form acid rain  Clean up
generation
dioxide (SO2) emissions from
facilities.
Agriculture: power stations
 Volcanic gases
 Contributes to acid rain which damages photosynthetic and factories
 Large industrial
tissues with scrubbers.
boilers
 Acid rain lowers pH of soil, rivers and lakes
 Factories
Building:
 Acid rain corrodes iron, limestone and stonework, and
destroys buildings.

Oxides of  Vehicle Health: Clean up emissions

nitrogen exhausts  Irritate lungs, nose, throat and eyes from car exhausts
(NO and NO2)  Action of  Cause respiratory infections by installing
bacteria on  Cause bronchitis catalytic converters
fertilisers to turn oxides of
 Climate:
 Dissolved in rainwater to form acid rain
Agriculture:
 Combustion of  Contributes to acid rain which lowers pH of soil, making nitrogen into
fossil fuels it unsuitable for cultivation of crops harmless nitrogen
 Factories  Damages leaves and roots gas.
Buildings:
 Acid rain corrodes metal and destroy stonework on
buildings

 Combustion of
Health:
fossil fuels Use unleaded
Lead (Pb)  Retards mental development and damages the liver
 Vehicle petrol.
 Can result in coma or death
exhaust fumes

Health:
 Affects respiration
 Open burning
Carbon dioxide Reduce the use of
 Combustion of Climate:
(CO2) fossil fuels.
fossil fuels  Leads to greenhouse effect and global warming
 Results in an increase in the atmospheric temperature
 Climate changes

 Incomplete Health:
 More efficient
combustion of  Irritates the eyes, nose and lungs
burning of fuels
fossil fuels  Damage the respiratory passages and lungs
Fine in well-
 Exhaust fumes  Haze can cause conjunctivitis, sore throats, influenza,
particulate designed
 Quarries, asthma, and lead to bronchitis
matter furnaces
sawmills and  Dust from quarries, sawmills, and asbestos factories can
 Stop open
asbestos cause lung diseases
burning
factories  Haze leads to reduced visibility

Acid Rain

 Causes of acid rain

a. The combustion of fossil fuels (coal, air and gas) in power stations, factories, domestic
boilers and internal combustion engines releases large quantities of sulphur dioxide
(SO2) and oxides of nitrogen (NO and NO2).
b. Both sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen combine with water vapour in the
atmosphere to form sulphuric acid and nitric acid respectively.
c. Then they fall to earth as acid rain.
d. Rain is naturally acidic, with a pH of about 5.6. This acidity is due to the carbon dioxide
in the air, which dissolves in rain to form carbonic acid.
e. However, the pH of acid rain is less than 5.0.
 Effects of acid rain
a. Agriculture
 The soil becomes very acidic and unsuitable for the cultivation of crops.
 Acid rain causes the leaching of minerals such as potassium, calcium and
magnesium. This affects the growth of crops.
  Photosynthetic tissues are destroyed. Plant leaves turn yellow and fall off. The
roots are damaged and cannot absorb minerals.
b. Aquatic ecosystem
 Acid rain causes insoluble aluminium ions to accumulate in lakes and rivers. The
concentration of aluminium ions eventually reaches a toxic level which can kill
aquatic organisms such as fish and invertebrates.
 Increased acidity in the aquatic ecosystems also kills phytoplankton which
changes the food chain.
c. Health
 Acidic soil releases the ions of certain heavy metals such as cadmium, lead and
mercury which may contaminate the supply of drinking water.
d. Buildings
 Metal railings and bridges corrode.
 Limestone, stonework and marble monuments are eroded due to chemical
weathering.
 Acid rain can be reduced by
a. Cleaning up emissions from power stations and industrial plants with scrubbers. This
process involves the spraying of water to trap pollutants.
b. Cleaning up emissions from vehicle exhausts through the use of catalytic converters. The
pollutants react with one another in the catalytic converter to produce less harmful
products.
Air pollutant index

1. The air quality is measured by the air pollutant index (API).

2. This index is calculated based on the concentrations of several major air pollutants.
3. Air pollution levels are divided into five bands as shown below:
API Descriptor
0 – 50 Good
51 – 100 Moderate
101 – 200 Unhealthy
201 – 300 Very unhealthy
>300 Hazardous

4. When the API reading is between 201 – 300, there is a significant increase in respiratory
problems, such as wheezing and a shortness of breath in people with asthma. The health of
patients with heart and lung conditions worsens.

1.1.2 – Water pollution

1. Water sources are the most easily polluted as they are most affected by human activities.
2. Industrial, domestic and agricultural activities produce waste which pollutes water.

Sources Components/pollutants and their effects Solutions

Agricultural Nitrates and phosphates (in fertilisers) Control the use of fertilisers by
runoffs and  Excess nitrates and phosphates lead to eutrophication a. Applying only when crops are
waste from oil growing
palm and rubber b. Not applying in empty fields
processing mills c. Not spraying when there is a
forecast of rain
d. Not disposing of them into rivers
and ponds
e. Reducing the usage of excess
nitrates from fertilisers and
ammonia
Herbicide and pesticide residues  Use biodegradable pesticides
 Accumulation of pesticides and herbicides may have toxic  Use biological pest control
effects on organisms in the water and humans if the water is methods
used as drinking water.  Plant genetically modified crops
 The pesticide levels accumulate as they pass through the food that resist pest attacks.
chains.
 High concentration of pesticides may accumulate in the tissues
of final consumers which are mainly carnivores.
Untreated Suspended solids  Treat sewage before it enters
sewage  Reduced light penetration rivers.
 If suspended solids are biodegradable, they can be decomposed  Prevent farm slurry from
by microorganisms and this process requires a high demand for enetering rivers and ponds
oxygen.
Nitrates and phosphates
 Lead to eutrophication
Domestic waste Detergents  Use biodegradable detergents
 ‘Hard’ detergents create foam which reduces the supply of with low phosphate content.
oxygen to organisms living in water.
 ‘Soft’ detergents can also lead to eutrophication.
Animal waste Microorganisms such as bacteria and protozoa  Drink properly treated and
 Can cause water-borne diseases such as cholera. boiled water.
Effluents from  Heavy metals which is highly toxic.  Treat effluents before
industries  Oil, grease and suspended solids discharged
 Waste water that contains numerous contaminants  Take legal action
Underground Lead  Use copper pipes instead of lead
pipes  Lead is a highly toxic heavy metal pipes in plumbing.
 Can impair the mental ability

Eutrophication

Eutrophication is the artificial nutrient enrichment of an aquatic system with organic material or
inorganic nutrients, causing an excessive growth of aquatic plant life.

Eutrophication can be caused by:

a. The leaching of inorganic fertilisers, especially nitrates and phosphates, from agricultural lands.
b. The input of untreated sewage as well as discharge from sewage treatment plants
c. Run-offs containing animal wastes from pastures and farmlands into lakes, rivers or ponds.

1.1.3 – Thermal pollution

Causes of thermal pollution

 Hot water is discharged into nearby lakes and rivers from the effluents of industrial processes.
 The excess heat that is released into the environment leads to thermal pollution.
 Thermal pollution causes the temperature in a body of water to rise above the normal value.
The increase in temperature can be between 5 o C and 10o C.

Effects of thermal pollution

 Water temperature can affect the level of dissolved oxygen. When the temperature of water
increases, oxygen becomes less soluble in water.
 - For some species, a sudden increase in temperature can lead to instant death because many
aquatic species can only survive within a certain range of temperature.
- The death of these species may have a negative effect on the food chain, causing the entire
ecosystem to collapse.
 For other species, for example, algae, an increase in temperature actually encourages their rapid
growth which, in turn, leads to a higher oxygen demand (BOD) value.

Ways to prevent thermal pollution

 Control the amount of hot water discharged by industrial facilities.

 Control the amount of hot water or industrial effluents discharged into still or slow – moving rivers.
1.1.4 – Noise pollution

1. Noise from cars, motorcycles, aeroplanes, construction sites, agricultural and industrial machinery
can be a form of pollution.
2. The noise level of residential areas should not exceed 55 decibels (dB).
3. According to WHO, prolonged exposure to noise levels at or above 80 dB can lead to deafness.
4. Excessive exposure to high levels of noise is considered a health risk because it can lead to stress-
related problems.
5. Loud noise can cause an arousal response in which series of reactions occurs in the body. Adrenaline
is released into the bloodstream. A person’s heartbeat rate, blood pressure, and respiration rate are
likely to increase. The blood vessels constrict and the muscles become tense.
6. It is possible that constant exposure to noise can be harmful to health.

1.2 – Deforestation and its effects

The rapid destruction of woodlands or the removal of trees from forests is known as deforestation.
Every year, vast areas of forests are cleared to make way for agriculture and development. Tropical
rainforests have important ecological roles:
 Rainforests are the oldest ecosystem on Earth and house almost half of the flora and fauna of
the world.
 They contain many unique species which provide food, medicine and other biological products.
 Rainforests regulate climate by influencing wind, rainfall, humidity and temperature patterns.
 Rainforests are also called the “carbon sink” of the earth because they absorb vast amounts of
carbon dioxide during photosynthesis and at the same time release oxygen into the atmosphere.
 They also serve as water catchment areas.

Despite their importance, it has been estimated that more than 50 million acres of rainforests are
destroyed or seriously degraded every year. In general, deforestation results in:
 Soil erosion
 Flash floods
 Landslides
 Disruption to the carbon and nitrogen cycles
 Severe climatic changes
 The loss of biodiversity

1.2.1 – Soil erosion, landslides and flash floods

 Without proper development and planning, a land stripped of its vegetation is subject to soil
erosion. Soil erosion is the removal and thinning of the soil layer due to physical and climatic
processes, such as high rainfalls.
 The absence of plant root systems makes the soil structure unstable.
 When there are many heavy rains for a long period of time, the top layer of the soil crumbles and
this leads to landslides on steep hillsides.
 The eroded soil is then carried by moving water and deposited at the bottom of rivers.
 This, together with the depletion of water catchment areas, causes flash floods furing the rainy
seasons.
1.2.2 – The loss of biodiversity
Deforestation has a devastating effect on the biodiversity in tropical rainforests. The destruction of
millions of hectares of forests by human activities means:
 The removal of the bases of numerous food webs.
 The loss of habitats of many species of flora and fauna.
 The extinction of countless species and varieties of plants and animals. The extinction of flora
and fauna species reduces the biodiversity. Biodiversity can be a rich source of food and
priceless medicines to mankind.

1.2.3 – Climatic changes

 Deforestation disrupts the normal weather patterns, creating hotter, drier weather and causing
global climatic changes.
 The removal of trees reduces transpiration, rainfall and the rate at which plants absorb carbon
dioxide from the atmosphere during photosynthesis.
 This leads to an increase in the carbon dioxide level in the atmosphere. High level of carbon dioxide
prevent heat from escaping from the atmosphere. This is known as the greenhouse effect which is
believed to lead to global warming.
 Forest clearing and burning of wood result in air pollution and release more carbon dioxide into the
atmosphere.
 Burning of trees in the tropics adds about 25% more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

1.3 – The greenhouse effect

The greenhouse effect is an effect in the atmosphere as a result of the presence of certain gases, called
the greenhouse gases.

 Carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons (CFC), methane, nitrous oxide, low level ozone, and water
vapour make up the greenhouse gases.
 With the exception of CFCs, most of the greenhouse gases occur normally. However, all of them are
also the results of human activities.
 Scientists believe that the combustion of fossil fuels and other human activities are the primary
reasons for the increased concentration of atmospheric CO 2.
 As these gases increases, they trap more heat in the atmosphere and raising the average
temperature on earth.
 This overall rise in the average temperature of the atmosphere is known as global warming.