Section 6.1 & 6.

2
A changing Landscape
Human Population and Natural Resource Use
• With increased human population, we are using more
and more of the Earth’s natural resources.

• Two types of Resources are:

− Renewable resources : resources that can be
regenerated, regrown, or replaced.
Examples: fresh water, air, soil, trees, sunlight
− Nonrenewable resources – resources that cannot be
replenished by natural processes.
Examples: oil, coal, natural gas, old growth trees
Natural Resources
• Sustainable use – a way of using natural resources at a rate that does not deplete
them and cause long-term harm.

- Examples of Sustainable Use:

• Reusing paper and plastic supplies.

• Recycling paper, plastics, metals.

• Using solar or wind power for electricity.

• Riding a bike or walking.

• Buying locally grown foods and other local products

• Upgrade electronic devices less often and RECYCLE your phone!!!

• Turning off the water while you brush your teeth!

Soil and its Importance
• Many objects you use daily rely on soil
(your food, wood for construction,
paper).

• Healthy soil supports agriculture and

forests.

• Good topsoil allows water to drain and

retains moisture.

• Topsoil is a renweable resource if it is

managed properly, but it can be
damaged or lost.
Threats to soil resources
Soil erosion: the movement of soil by wind or water.
• Soil erosion is often worse when land is plowed and left barren
between plantings.
• When soil is eroded, organic matter and minerals that make it
fertile are often carried away with the soil.

Desertification – turning fertile land into deserts

• This happened in the Great Plains in the 1930s.
Threats to soil resources
• Deforestation – removal of all trees from land for
logging, agriculture, and grazing.
- In less than 40 years, we have destroyed over 50% of
our tropical forests.

• Effects of deforestation
- Severe soil erosion (esp. on mountainsides)
- Decreased rainfall and soil fertility
- Decrease in oxygen and
increase in carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere.
- Loss of habitat for wildlife.
What can we do?
• Leaving stems and roots from the previous year’s crop
in the ground or by growing a cover crop can help keep
soil in place.
• Rotating crops each year can help soil because different
crops take different nutrients from the soils.
• Only harvest some of the mature trees in a forest.
• Protect the quality of soil by limiting pollution and the
use of chemicals.
Water and its Importance
• Humans depend on fresh water and freshwater
ecosystems for drinking water, recreation, industry,
transportation, energy and waste disposal.
• Only 3% of the Earth’s water is fresh water and most
of it is locked in ice at the poles.
Threats to Water Resources
• When we burn fossil fuels, we
release nitrogen and sulfer
compounds into the air. When those
compounds combine with water
vapor in the air they form acid rain.
• Acid Rain has a lower pH than
normal rain (pH of 4-6).
• Effects of Acid Rain
• Destruction of forests
• Fish and other aquatic
organisms die
• Changes in water and soil pH
• These compounds are considered
pollutants which are harmful
materials that can enter the
biosphere through land, air, or
water.
What Can We Do?
Protect our natural water filters:
• Example: As water runs through wetlands,
plants absorb excess nutrients and filter out
certain pollutants so keeping our soils clean
will allow our water to stay clean as water
flows under ground and is filtered by the
rocks and soil.
Atmosphere (air) and its importance
For most if the Earth’s history, the quality of the Earth’s
atmosphere has been naturally maintained by the Earth’s
cycles of matter.

If these cycles become disrupted, or if we overload the

atmosphere with pollutants, the effects on its quality can
last a very long time.
Atmosphere (air) resources
We rely on the Oxygen in our
atmosphere for cell respiration.
The quality of our atmosphere
has direct effect on our health.

Ozone is a form of Oxygen that

is found in the upper
atmosphere. The ozone absorbs
harmful ultraviolet radiation
from the sun. Ozone also
protects our skin from damage
that can cause cancer.
Threats to Air Resources
• Ozone Depletion
Human activities have been partly
responsible for removing a layer of
ozone gas (O3) in our atmosphere.
- The ozone layer protects us from the
sun’s harmful UV radiation.
- Ozone depletion is caused by
chemicals used in aerosols, plastic
foams like styrofoam, and
refrigeration coolants.

• Effects of Ozone Depletion

Increase in global temperature
Increase in skin cancer rates.
Atmosphere (air) resources
The Greenhouse Effect – when gases in the atmosphere trap heat
energy and maintain the Earth’s temperature range.
Without these gases, the Earth would be about 30 degres Celcius
cooler than it is today.
Threats to Air Resources
Greenhouse Effect:
Because humans are releasing
greenhouse gases into the
atmosphere, more heat is being
trapped in our atmosphere and may
be causing global warming and
climate change.

• Effects of Climate Change

• Rise in sea levels
• More frequent severe storms
and weather disturbances.
• More frequent droughts and
floods.
• Changes in geographic
distribution of species.
Threats to Air Resources
• Air Pollution:
• Smog – a mixture of chemicals that occurs as a gray-brown
haze in the sky.

The U.S. alone releases 700,000 tons of air pollutants each day!
What Can We Do?
• Using wood stoves that are certified by Oregon (they add less
particles into the air!)
• Composting leaves instead of burning them!
• Planting trees and other plants.
• Driving a vehicle that uses less fuel…
• or better yet, BIKING or WALKING!
• Keeping our homes insulated so you save energy heating and
cooling it.
• Using organic fertilizers in our yards. Chemical fertilizers pollute
the air and water.