Republic of the Philippines

Department of
Education
Name: Date:
Year/ Section: Score:

Science 8
Fourth
Quarter Week
7

Lesson: How do Human Activities Affect the Ecosystem

MELC:_ Suggest ways to minimize human impact on the environment

Key Concepts:

Humans are the top consumers in many food pyramids. To increase food production, they use
methods that have an effect on food chains and food webs.

Learn about food pyramid with this presentation and answer the questions below.
Underline the correct answer from the given choices.

Questions: 1. To which group of organisms do you belong? (producer, consumer)

2. Which trophic level do you occupy? (1storder consumer, 2nd order consumer,)
3. Could the insecticides move to up the food pyramid and accumulate in the
body of the consumer. (Yes, No)

How do Human Activities Affect the Ecosystem?

Humans are the top consumers in many food pyramids. To increase food production, they
use methods that have an effect on food chains and food webs. Some of the farming practices
are described as follows:

 Monoculture. This is the cultivation of a single crop in large areas. Vast tracts of
land are converted to rice farms, sugar farms, and coconut farms. By limiting the

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cultivation of different kinds ofEducation
plants, people also deprive many animals of their
food
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Telephone No.: (043) 2887810 / Email Address:
 Republic of the Philippines
Department of
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and home. These animals, some of which feed on insect pests, move to other places.
Only the insect pests that eat the monocrop remain in the area. If uncontrolled, these
pests can totally wipe out the monocrop in a short time. Some soil microorganisms
depend on specific plants for food. Eliminating these plants is harmful to the
microorganisms. Since microorganisms are responsible for returning plant nutrients
to the soil, the cycling of nutrients for reuse of the plants is disturbed.

 Herbicides and Insecticides. Farmers spray their crops with insecticides to kill
insect pests, and with herbicides to kill weeds. However, the chemicals also destroy
other organisms, including beneficial insects and soil organisms which help in decay.

 Insecticides move up the food pyramid and accumulate in the body of organisms.
The smallest concentration of the chemical is at the base of the pyramid occupied by
producers. The amount increases towards the top. The greatest concentration is found
in the top consumers such as birds, mammals, and humans. Many insect pests
become resistant to chemicals. This may lead to the use of increased amounts of
pesticide.

 Chemical Fertilizers. Monocrops usually require large amounts of chemical

fertilizers. Continuous and uncontrolled use of chemical fertilizers may increase soil
acidity, thus destroying soil structure. Findings show that more fertilizers are needed
for the same amount of yield after years of monoculture. Fertilizers may run off
to rivers, ponds, and lakes. Accumulation of fertilizers may cause the death of these
bodies of water.

Fertilizers in the water will cause increased growth of algae and other water plants.
They cover the water’s surface and block the passage of oxygen. Thus, less oxygen is
dissolved in water. Furthermore, when algae and aquatic plants die, decay microorganisms use
oxygen. Dissolved oxygen becomes insufficient, causing fish and other aquatic animals to die.

To conserve the environment, some desirable practices are described below.

1. Grow a variety of crops instead of only one crop.
2. Use insects to fight other insects. This is known as biological control of insect pests.
3. Instead of chemical fertilizers, try organic farming using natural fertilizers for crops.
Some natural fertilizers are compost and animal manure.

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Sta. Isabel, Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro 5200

Telephone No.: (043) 2887810 / Email Address:
 Republic of the Philippines
Department of
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ACTIVITY 1: MATCH ME IF YOU CAN!

Match the descriptions to the correct illustrations by writing the corresponding letter inside
the box:

Farmers spray

their crops with

1 insecticides to kill

Cultivation of a
B
single crop in
B
large areas
2
2._

Farmers spray
C their crops with
herbicides to kill
weeds.
3._

Continuous and
D uncontrolled use
4._ of this may
4
increase soil
acidity

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Sta. Isabel, Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro 5200

Telephone No.: (043) 2887810 / Email Address:
 Republic of the Philippines
Department of
Education
ACTIVITY 2: I SPY SOMETHING BAD!
The pictures below are the evidences of threatening our environment, Separate the
bad practices from the good one by putting the numbers inside the trash bin below. Good
practices should be retained.

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12

TRASH
BIN

_
_

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Telephone No.: (043) 2887810 / Email Address:
 Republic of the Philippines
Department of
Education
ACTIVITY 3: FILL ME IF YOU CAN!

Direction: Identify the negative effect and its solution of the following farming practices from the
choices given then write your answer on the corresponding column.

Kill weeds including

Kill insect but destroy beneficial soil organisms
Disturbed the cycling
other organisms of nutrients for
reuse
FARMING PRACTICES
Grow variety of crops NEGATIVE Increase
EFFECTsoil acidity, Try SOLUTION
organic farming
Use insect to fight insect Biological control
destroying soil structure
Monoculture

Herbicide

Insecticide

Chemical fertilizer

ACTIVITY 4: DESCRIBE ME IF YOU CAN!

Describe one way by which the following practices may disrupt a food chain or
food web.

1. monoculture

2. use of insecticides

3. use of fertilizers

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Telephone No.: (043) 2887810 / Email Address:
 Republic of the Philippines
Department of
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Answer Key:

ACTIVITY 1
1. B
2. A
3. C
4. D

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Telephone No.: (043) 2887810 / Email Address:
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References Education
Philippines. Department of Education. 2013. Grade 8 Science Learner’s Module. First Edition.
Meralco Avenue, Pasig City

Philippines. Department of Education. 2013. Grade 8 Teacher’s Guide. First Edition. Meralco
Avenue, Pasig City

https://images.app.goo.gl/aoX9nNcy3M3zVrtr6

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%Finteng- storage.s3.amazonaws.com
%2Fimg%2Fiea%2FyrwQlng6NK%2Fsizes%2Fenvironment_md.jpg &imgrefurl=https%3A
%2F%Finterestingengineering.com%2F11-ways-humans-impact-the-
environment&tbnid=DUVyQ2WHln2N_M&vet=1&docid=fcbwCFNAhJhbFM&w=864&h=486
&hl=en-US&source=sh%2Fx%2Fim

https://images.app.goo.gl/UWkcd1Y685VLifQD9

https://images.app.goo.gl/Ch2h9v442ApyojDP8

https://images.app.gl/daxkqLghYwkR7WSS7

https://images.app.goo.gl/piQm1zcpqiBJ6H7A

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl+https%3A%2F%2Fimage.shutterstock.com%2Fimage-
vector%2Ftrash-bin-can-recycling-sign-600w- 1350912008.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F
%2Fwww.shutterstock.com%Fimage- vector%2Ftrash-bin-can-recycling-sign-icon-
1350912008&tbnid=1pb4eV2JQZ8z-
M&vet=1&docid+VoeBgtLv7Qbp7M&w=600&h=620&itg=1&source=sh%2Fx%2Fim

Prepared by:
Jerlyn J. Ferrancullo
Myla C. Menciano
Melinda L. Mongado

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Telephone No.: (043) 2887810 / Email Address:
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Department of
Education

Para sa mga katanugan o puna, sumulat o tumawag sa: Kagawaranng Edukasyon- Rehiyong MIMAROPA
Meralco Avenue, corner St.Paul Road, Pasig City, Phiilippines 1600 Telephone No. (02) 863-14070
Email Address:

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Telephone No.: (043) 2887810 / Email Address: