فاينال مشاكل وحلول الارض

3/23/2015
Biodiversity and Evolution
NR207. Planet Earth; Problems and Solutions 1 Ragheb Tahhan
3-1 What Is Biodiversity and Why Is It Important?
 Concept 3-1 The biodiversity found in genes, species,

ecosystems, and ecosystem processes is vital to
sustaining life on earth.
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Biodiversity Is a Crucial Part of the Earth’s Natural Capital (1)
 Species: set of individuals who can mate and

produce fertile offspring
 8 million to 100 million species
 1.9 million identified
 Unidentified are mostly in rain forests and oceans
Biodiversity Is a Crucial Part of the Earth’s Natural Capital (2)
 Species diversity
 Genetic diversity
 Ecosystem diversity
• Biomes: regions with distinct climates/species
 Functional diversity
 Biodiversity is an important part of natural capital

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Natural Capital: Major Components of the Earth’s Biodiversity

Fig. 3-1, p. 50
3-2 How Does the Earth’s Life Change Over Time?
 Concept 3-2 According to the scientific theory of

evolution through natural selection, populations
evolve when genes mutate and give some individuals
genetic traits that enhance their abilities to survive
and to produce offspring with these traits.
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Biological Evolution by Natural Selection

Explains How Life Changes over Time (1)
 Biological evolution: how earth’s life changes over

time through changes in the genetic characteristics
of populations
• Darwin: Origin of Species
 Natural selection: individuals with certain traits are

more likely to survive and reproduce under a certain
set of environmental conditions
 Huge body of evidence

Biological Evolution by Natural Selection

Explains How Life Changes over Time (2)
 Fossils
• Physical evidence of ancient organisms
• Reveal what their external structures looked like
 Fossil record: entire body of fossil evidence
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Evolution by Natural Selection Works through

Mutations and Adaptations (1)
 Populations evolve by becoming genetically different
 Genetic variations
• First step in biological evolution
• Occurs through mutations in reproductive cells
• Mutations: random changes in DNA molecules
Evolution by Natural Selection Works through

Mutations and Adaptations (2)
 When environmental conditions change, populations of a

species face three choices:
• Adapt (evolve)
• Migrate (if possible)
• Become extinct
 Natural selection: acts on individuals
• Second step in biological evolution
• Adaptation may lead to differential reproduction
• Genetic resistance: ability of one or more members of a
population to resist a chemical designed to kill it
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Evolution by Natural Selection

Fig. 3-2, p. 53
Adaptation through Natural Selection Has Limits
 Adaptive genetic traits must precede change in the

environmental conditions
 Reproductive capacity
• Species that reproduce rapidly and in large numbers
are better able to adapt
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Three Common Myths about Evolution through

Natural Selection
1. “Survival of the fittest” is not “survival of the

strongest”
2. Organisms do not develop traits out of need or

want
3. No grand plan of nature for perfect adaptation
Geologic Processes Affect Natural Selection
 Tectonic plates affect evolution and the location of life on

earth
• Locations of continents and oceans have shifted
• Species physically move, or adapt, or form new species
through natural selection
 Earthquakes
 Volcanic eruptions
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Climate Change and Catastrophes Affect

Natural Selection
 Ice ages followed by warming temperatures

 Collisions between the earth and large asteroids
• New species
• Extinctions
Science Focus: Earth Is Just Right

for Life to Thrive
 Temperature range: supports life
 Orbit size: moderate temperatures
 Liquid water: necessary for life
 Rotation speed: sun doesn’t overheat surface
 Size: gravity keeps atmosphere

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3-3 How Do Speciation, Extinction, and Human

Activities Affect Biodiversity?
 Concept 3-3 As environmental conditions change,

the balance between formation of new species and
extinction of existing species determines the earth’s
biodiversity.
How Do New Species Evolve?
 Speciation: one species splits into two or more

species
 Geographic isolation: happens first; physical

isolation of populations for a long period
 Reproductive isolation: mutations and natural

selection in geographically isolated populations lead
to inability to produce viable offspring when
members of two different populations mate
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Geographic Isolation Can Lead to Reproductive

Isolation

Fig. 3-3, p. 55
Extinction is Forever
 Extinction
• Biological extinction
• Local extinction
 Endemic species
• Found only in one area
• Particularly vulnerable
 Background extinction: typical low rate of extinction
 Mass extinction: 3-5 over 500 million years
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Science Focus: Changing the Genetic Traits of

Populations
 Artificial selection
• Use selective breeding/crossbreeding
 Genetic engineering, gene splicing
 Consider
• Ethics
• Morals
• Privacy issues
• Harmful effects
Modernity prefers uniformity?
NR207. Planet Earth; Problems and Solutions
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What Is Species Diversity and Why Is It Important?
 Concept 4-5 Species diversity is a major component

of biodiversity and tends to increase the
sustainability of ecosystems.
Species Diversity
• Species richness:
• The number of different species in a given area
• Species evenness:
• Relative abundance of each species
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Species Richness
 Tropical forests and coral reefs have the highest

species richness
 e.g., biologists found up to 1700 different beetle
species on a single tropical tree
 Species richness decreases as we move from equator
to poles
Variations in Species Richness and Species Evenness

Fig. 4-12, p. 93
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Species Richness and Ecosystem Health
 Scientists are currently trying to answer two

questions:
• Is plant productivity higher in species rich
communities?
• Does species richness enhance ecosystem stability?
 Current answers to both: yes!
 Species richness is like insurance.
 Optimal number of producers ~40 species
4-6 What Roles Do Species Play in an

Ecosystem?
 Concept 4-6A Each species plays a specific ecological

role called its niche.
 Concept 4-6B Any given species may play one or

more of five important roles—native, nonnative,
indicator, keystone, or foundation—in a particular
ecosystem.
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Each Species Plays a Unique Role

in Its Ecosystem
 Ecological niche, niche

• Pattern of living: everything that affects survival and
reproduction
• Water, space, sunlight, food, temperatures
 Generalist species
• Broad niche: wide range of tolerance
 Specialist species
• Narrow niche: narrow range of tolerance
Specialist Species and Generalist Species Niches

Fig. 4-13, p. 95
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Specialized Feeding Niches of Various Bird Species in

a Coastal Wetland
Species Can Play Five Major Roles within

Ecosystems
 Native species
 Nonnative species
 Indicator species
 Keystone species
 Foundation species
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Indicator Species Serve as Biological Smoke

Alarms
 Indicator species
• Provide early warning of damage to a community
• Can monitor environmental quality

• Trout
• Birds
• Butterflies
• Frogs
Keystone Species Play Critical Roles in Their

Ecosystems
• Keystone species: roles have a large effect on the

types and abundances of other species
• Pollinators
• Top predators
• Feed on and help regulate the population of other
species.
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Foundation Species Help to Form the Bases of

Ecosystems
 Create or enhance their habitats, which benefit

others
 Elephants
 Beavers
3-4 What Are Biomes and How Have Human

Activities Affected Them?
 Concept 3-4A Differences in average annual

precipitation and temperature lead to the formation
of tropical, temperate, and cold deserts, grasslands,
and forests and largely determine their locations.
 Concept 3-4B In many areas, human activities are

impairing ecological and economic services provided
by the earth’s deserts, grasslands, forests, and
mountains.
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Climate and Biomes
 Biome: large region with specific climate and

characteristic plant life
 Temperatures
 Precipitation amount and seasonality

 Latitude
 Altitude
The Earth’s Major Biomes
High mountains
Polar ice
Arctic tundra (cold grassland)
Temperate grassland
Tropical grassland (savanna)
Chaparral
Coniferous forest
Temperate deciduous forest
Temperate rain forest
Tropical rain forest
Tropical dry forest
Desert

Fig. 3-4, p. 57
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Natural Capital: Average Precipitation and

Average Temperature as Limiting Factors

Fig. 3-5, p. 58
Humans Have Disturbed Most of

the Earth’s Lands
 Deserts
 Grasslands
 Forests
 Mountains
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Major Human Impacts on Terrestrial

Ecosystems

Fig. 3-6, p. 59
3-5 What Are Aquatic Life Zones and How Have

Human Activities Affected Them?
 Concept 3-5A The key factors determining
biodiversity in aquatic systems are temperature,
dissolved oxygen content, availability of food and
availability of light and nutrients necessary for
photosynthesis.
 Concept 3-5B Human activities threaten aquatic

biodiversity and disrupt ecological and economic
services provided by saltwater and freshwater
systems.
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Most of the Earth Is Covered with Water (1)
 Saltwater covers 71% of the planet
 Freshwater covers 2% of the planet
The Ocean Planet

Fig. 3-7, p. 60
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 Aquatic life zones

• Saltwater: marine
• Oceans and estuaries
• Coastlands and shorelines
• Coral reefs
• Mangrove forests
• Freshwater
• Lakes
• Rivers and streams
• Inland wetlands
 Key factors determining types and numbers of

organisms
• Water temperature
• Dissolved oxygen content
• Availability of food
• Availability of light and nutrients for photosynthesis
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Major Ecological and Economic Services

Provided by Marine Systems

Fig. 3-8, p. 60
Human Activities Are Disrupting and Degrading

Marine Systems
 Major threats to marine systems

• Coastal development
• Overfishing
• Runoff of nonpoint source pollution
• Point source pollution
• Habitat destruction
• Introduction of invasive species
• Climate change from human activities
• Pollution of coastal wetlands and estuaries
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Major Human Impacts on Marine Ecosystems

and Coral Reefs

Fig. 3-10, p. 62
Why Are Freshwater Ecosystems Important?
 Standing (lentic) bodies of freshwater

• Lakes
• Ponds
• Inland wetlands
 Flowing (lotic) systems of freshwater

• Streams
• Rivers
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Natural Capital: Freshwater Systems

Fig. 3-11, p. 62
Human Activities Are Disrupting and Degrading

Freshwater Systems
 Impact of dams and canals on rivers
 Impact of flood control levees and dikes along rivers
 Impact of pollutants from cities and farms on rivers
 Impact of drained wetlands
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Three Big Ideas
1. Populations evolve when genes mutate and give

some individuals genetic traits that enhance their
abilities to survive and to produce offspring with
these traits (evolution through natural selection).
2. Human activities are decreasing the earth’s vital

biodiversity by causing the premature extinction of
species and by disrupting habitats needed for the
development of new species.
Three Big Ideas
3. Differences in climate, based mostly on long-term

differences in average temperature and
precipitation, largely determine the types and
locations of the earth’s terrestrial and aquatic
ecosystems, and human activities are degrading
and disrupting many of the ecological and
economic services provided by these systems.
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The Human population
4-5 What Factors Influence the Size of the

Human Population?
 Concept 4-5A Population size increases because of

births and immigration and decreases through
deaths and emigration.
 Concept 4-5B The average number of children born
to women in a population (total fertility rate) is the
key factor that determines population size.
 Concept 4-5C The numbers of males and females in
young, middle, and older age groups determine how
fast a population grows or declines.
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Human Population Growth Continues but It Is

Unevenly Distributed (1)
 Reasons for human population increase

• Movement into new habitats and climate zones
• Early and modern agriculture methods
• Control of infectious diseases through
• Sanitation systems
• Antibiotics
• Vaccines
• Health care
 Most population growth over last 100 years due to

drop in death rates
Crowded Street in China
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Human Population Growth Continues but It Is

Unevenly Distributed (2)
 Population growth in developing countries is

increasing 9 times faster than developed countries
 2050
• 95% of growth in developing countries
• 7.8-10.8 billion people
 Should the optimum sustainable population be

based on cultural carrying capacity?
Where Population Growth Occurred, 1950-2010
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Cultural carrying capacity
An optimum level that would allow most people to live with

reasonable comfort without impairing the ability of the
planet to sustain future generations.
Growth of bacteria in petri dish
 Say a bacterial strain doubles every minute

 You inoculated a petri-dish with a drop of
starter at 3:00 PM
 You noticed that the petri-dish was
completely filled with bacteria at exactly 4:00
PM.
 Estimate when the petri-dish was half full?
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Last Eight Minutes
3:53 3:54 3:55 3:56

3:57 3:58 3:59 4:00
100.0000%
90.0000%
80.0000%
70.0000%
60.0000%
50.0000%
40.0000%
30.0000%
20.0000%
10.0000%
0.0000%
3:00
NR207. Planet Earth; Problems and Solutions 3:15 3:30 3:45 4:00
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What does doubling mean?
34 Doubling means
32 adding more stuff
30
28 than you have had
26 in the entire prior
24
22 history of growth
Population
20
18 P (0.5%)
16
P (1%)
14
12 P (2%)
10
8
6
4
2
0
0 70 140 210 280 350 420
NR207. Planet Earth; Problems and Solutions Years
Yeast Growth in 10% Sugar Solution
Exponential growth
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Yeast Growth in 10% Sugar Solution
What made it stop and crash?
Exponential growth
Alcohol stops fermentation
 Wine making involves consumption of

sugar by yeast (fermentation)
 A natural by-product of fermentation is
alcohol
 13% alcohol concentration in water is
toxic to yeast
 Naturally fermented wine has less than
13% alcohol
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Environmental Resistance
Unhindered population growth is impossible because of
• Environmental factors become limiting:

• Space
• Light
• Food
• Water
• Air
• Exposure to too many
• Diseases
• Predators
• Competitions
• Pollutants
The maximum
population of a
species that a
habitat can
sustainably
support
indefinitely
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How Many People Can the Earth Support?
 Concept: We do not know how long we can continue

increasing the earth’s carrying capacity for humans
without seriously degrading the life-support system
that keeps us and many other species alive.
Are there too many of us?
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Exponential Growth
Population Time Line: 10,000 BC - 2042
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Girl Carrying Well Water in India

Fig. 6-8, p. 132
Burkina Faso Women Hauling Fuelwood

Fig. 6-20, p. 141
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Homeless Woman and Child in India

Fig. 6-21, p. 143
How Many People Can the Earth Support?
 Concept: We do not know how long we can continue

increasing the earth’s carrying capacity for humans
without seriously degrading the life-support system
that keeps us and many other species alive.
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The Five Most Populous Countries, 1950-2010
The Human Population Can Grow, Decline, or

Remain Fairly Stable
 Population change
• Births: fertility
• Deaths: mortality
• Migration
 Population change =
(births + immigration) – (deaths + emigration)
 Crude birth rate: # live births/1000/year
 Crude death rate: # deaths/1000/year

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Women Having Fewer Babies but Not Few Enough

to Stabilize the World’s Population
 Fertility rate
• number of children born to a woman during her
lifetime
 Replacement-level fertility rate
• Average number of children a couple must have to
replace themselves
• 2.1 in developed countries
• Up to 2.5 in developing countries
 Total fertility rate (TFR)
• Average number of children born to women in a
population
2010 Rate of Population Increase
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Total Fertility Rate
Total fertility rate, 1955-2010
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Case Study: The U.S. Population Is Growing

Rapidly
 Population still growing and not leveling off

• 76 million in 1900
• 310 million in 2010
 Drop in TFR in U.S.

• Rate of population growth has slowed
 Changes in lifestyle in the U.S. during the 20th

century
U.S. TFRs and birth rates 1917-2010
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20th Century Lifestyle Changes in the U.S.

Fig. 4-12, p. 81
Several Factors Affect Birth Rates and Fertility Rates

 Children as part of the labor force
 Cost of raising and educating children
 Availability of private and public pension
 Urbanization
 Educational and employment opportunities for women
 Average age of a woman at birth of first child
 Availability of legal abortions
 Availability of reliable birth control methods
 Religious beliefs, traditions, and cultural norms
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Child Laborers in India

Fig. 6-9, p. 133
Several Factors Affect Death Rates (1)
 Life expectancy
 Infant mortality rate

• Number of live births that die in first year
 Why are people living longer?

• Increased food supply and distribution
• Better nutrition
• Medical advances
• Improved sanitation
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Several Factors Affect Death Rates (2)
 U.S. is 54th in world for infant mortality rate
 U.S. infant mortality rate high due to

• Inadequate health care for poor women during
pregnancy and their infants
• Drug addiction among pregnant women
• High birth rate among teenagers
Infant Mortality Rates in 2010

Figure 13, Supplement 8
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Infant Mortality Rates, 1950-2010

Fig. 6-10, p. 134
Migration Affects an Area’s Population Size
 Economic improvement
 Religious freedom
 Political freedom
 Wars
 Environmental refugees
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Case Study: The United States: A Nation of

Immigrants
 Historical role of immigration in the U.S.
 Legal immigration
 Illegal immigration
 Controversy over immigration policy
Legal Immigration to the U.S. between 1820

and 2006
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A Population’s Age Structure Helps Us Make

Projections
 Age structure categories

• Prereproductive ages (0-14)
• Reproductive ages (15-44)
• Postreproductive ages (45 and older)
 Seniors are the fastest-growing age group
Generalized Population Age-Structure Diagrams
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Population Structure by Age and Sex in Developing and

Developed Countries
These differences in population age structure between

developed and developing countries show why almost all of
future human population growth will be in developing countries
Age structure
Even if the
replacement-level
fertility rate of 2.1
children per women
were magically achieved
globally tomorrow, the
world population would
keep growing for at
least another 50 years,
WHY?
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Case Study: The American Baby Boom
 79 million people, 36% of adults
 Affect politics and economics
 Now becoming senior citizens

• Graying of America
Tracking the Baby-Boom Generation in the

United States
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Populations Made Up of Mostly Older People

Can Decline Rapidly
 Slow decline
• Manageable
 Rapid decline
• Severe economic problems
• How pay for services for elderly
• Proportionally fewer young people working
• Labor shortages
• Severe social problems
Some Problems with Rapid Population Decline

Fig. 4-16, p. 85
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Populations Can Decline from a Rising Death

Rate: The AIDS Tragedy
 27 million killed: 1981-2009
 Many young adults die: loss of most productive

workers
 Sharp drop in life expectancy
 International community
• Reduce the spread of HIV through education and
health care
• Financial assistance and volunteers Ragheb Tahhan
NR207. Planet Earth; Problems and Solutions 51
Botswana Age Structure, With and Without AIDS
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4-6 How Can We Slow Human Population

Growth?
 Concept 4-6 We can slow human population growth

by reducing poverty, elevating the status of women,
and encouraging family planning.
As Countries Develop, Their Populations Tend

to Grow More Slowly
 Demographic transition
• First death rates decline
• Then birth rates decline
 Four stages
1. Preindustrial
2. Transitional
3. Industrial
4. Postindustrial
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Four Stages of the Demographic Transition

Fig. 4-17, p. 87
Empowering Women Can Slow Population

Growth
 Factors that decrease total fertility rates:

• Education
• Paying jobs
• Ability to control fertility
 Women
• Do most of the domestic work and child care
• Provide unpaid health care
• 2/3 of all work for 10% of world’s income
• Discriminated against legally and culturally
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Planning For Babies Works
 Family planning in less-developed countries

• Responsible for a 55% drop in TFRs
• Financial benefits: money spent on family planning
saves far more in health, education costs
 Two problems
1. 42% pregnancies unplanned, 26% end with abortion
2. Many couples do not have access to family planning
TFR in Bangladesh and U.S., 1800-2010
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Slum in India

Fig. 6-19, p. 141
Case Study: Slowing Population Growth in

China: A Success Story
 1.3 billion people
 Promotes one-child families

• Contraception, abortion, sterilization
 Fast-growing economy
 Serious resource and environmental problems
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Case Study: Slowing Population

Growth in India
 1.2 billion people, most populous country in 2015

 Problems
• Poverty
• Malnutrition
• Environmental degradation
 Bias toward having male children

 Poor couples want many children
 Only 48% of couples use family planning
Demographic Data for India and China
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It Is Possible to Reduce Population Growth
1. Access to family planning and reproductive health

care
2. Improve health care for pregnant women and
infants
3. Implement national population policies
4. Improve the status of women
5. Increase the involvement of men in child-rearing
6. Reduce poverty
7. Reduce unsustainable patterns of production and
consumption
Three Big Ideas
1. The human population is increasing rapidly and may

soon bump up against environmental limits.
2. Even if population growth were not a serious
problem, the increasing use of resources per person
is expanding the overall human ecological footprint
and putting a strain on the earth’s resources.
3. We can slow population growth by reducing
poverty through economic development, elevating
the status of women, and encouraging family
planning.
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Air Pollution, Climate Change, and

Ozone Depletion
Burning Fossil Fuels Causes Air Pollution
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Air Pollution in Shanghai, China
What Is the Nature of the Atmosphere?

 Concept: The two innermost layers of the
atmosphere are the troposphere, which supports life,
and the stratosphere, which contains the protective
ozone layer.
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The Atmosphere Consists of Several Layers (1)
 Atmospheric pressure
• Decreases with altitude
 Troposphere
• 75–80% of the earth’s air mass
• Closest to the earth's surface
• Chemical composition of air
• Rising and falling air currents: weather and climate
• Involved in chemical cycling
The Atmosphere Consists of Several Layers (2)
 Stratosphere
• Similar composition to the troposphere, with 2
exceptions
• Much less water
• O3, ozone layer
• Ozone layer
• Filters 95% of harmful UV radiation
• Allows us and other life to exist on land
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Natural Capital: The Earth’s Atmosphere Is a

Dynamic System with Four Layers
Atmospheric pressure (millibars)
0 200 400 600 800 1,000
120 75
Temperatur
11 e
0 65
10 Thermosphere
900 55
80
70 Mesosphere 45
(kilometers)
Altitude
60
(miles)
35
Altitude
50
Stratosphere
40 25
30 Pressure =
Ozone layer 15 1,000 millibars
20
at ground level
10 Troposphere 5
Pressure
(Sea 0
level) –80 –40 0 40 80 12
Temperature (˚C) 0
The Stratosphere Is Our Global Sunscreen
 Stratosphere
• Similar composition to the troposphere, with 2
exceptions
• Much less water
• O3, ozone layer, filters UV
• Location
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Earth Has Many Different Climates (1)
 Weather
 Climate
 Air circulation in lower atmosphere due to

• Uneven heating of the earth’s surface by the sun
• Rotation of the earth on its axis
• Properties of air, water, and land
Earth Has Many Different Climates (2)
 Ocean currents
• Prevailing winds
• Earth’s rotation
• Redistribution of heat from the sun
 Link between air circulation, ocean currents, and

biomes
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Natural Capital: Generalized Map of the Earth’s Current Climate Zones
Fig. 12-2, p. 245
Global Air Circulation
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Greenhouse Gases Warm the Lower Atmosphere
 Greenhouse gases
• H2O
• CO2
• CH4
• N2 O
 Greenhouse effect
Major Outdoor Pollution Problems
 Concept: Pollutants mix in the air to form industrial

smog, resulting mostly from burning coal, and
photochemical smog, caused by motor vehicle,
industrial, and power plant emissions.
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Air Pollution Comes from Natural and Human Sources (1)
 Air pollution
• Concentrations high enough to harm human health or
alter climate
 Natural sources
• Dust blown by wind
• Pollutants from wildfires and volcanoes
• Volatile organics released by plants
 Human sources: mostly in industrialized and/or

urban areas
• Stationary sources: power plants and industrial
facilities
• Mobile sources: motor vehicles
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 Primary pollutants
• Emitted directly into the air
 Secondary pollutants
• From reactions of primary pollutants
 Air quality improving in developed countries
 Less-developed countries face big problems

• Indoor pollution: big threat to the poor
Sources and Types of Air Pollutants
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Major Air Pollutants and Their Sources
Table 12-1, p. 246
Sunlight Plus Cars Equals Photochemical Smog
 Photochemical Smog
• Chemical composition
• Sources
 VOCs + NO2 + Heat + Sunlight yields

• Ground level O3 and other photochemical oxidants
• Aldehydes
• Other secondary pollutants
 Human health and environmental impact

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What Is Acid Deposition and why Is It a Problem?
 Concept: Acid deposition is mainly caused by

emissions from coal-burning power plants and motor
vehicles, and in some regions it threatens human
health, aquatic life and ecosystems, forests, and
man-made structures.
Acid Deposition Has a Number of Harmful Effects (1)
 Human health
• Respiratory disorders
• Toxins in fish
 Release of toxic metals
 Aquatic ecosystems affected

• Lowers pH and kills organisms
11
4/22/2015
Acid Deposition Has a Number of Harmful Effects (2)
 Leaching of soil nutrients
 Lower crop yields
 Forest damage
 Damage to buildings, statues, and monuments
Natural Capital Degradation: Acid Deposition
12
4/22/2015
Current and Possible Future Acid Rain Problem

Areas
Solutions: Acid Deposition
13
4/22/2015
Why Is Indoor Air Pollution a Major Problem?
 Concept: The most threatening indoor air pollutants

are smoke and soot from the burning of wood and
coal in cooking fires (mostly in less-developed
countries), cigarette smoke, and chemicals used in
building materials and in many consumer products.
Indoor Air Pollution Is a Serious Problem (1)
 Developing countries
• Indoor burning of wood, charcoal, dung, crop
residues, coal
• Poor suffer the greatest risk
14
4/22/2015
 Why?
• 11 of the common air pollutants higher inside than
outside
• Greater in vehicles than outside
• Health risks magnified: people spend 70–98% of their
time is indoors or in cars
 Who is at greatest risk from indoor air pollution?

• Children under 5 and the elderly
• Sick
• Pregnant women
• People with respiratory disorders or heart problems
• Smokers
• Factory workers
15
4/22/2015
 Four most dangerous indoor air pollutants

• Tobacco smoke
• Formaldehyde
• Radioactive radon-222 gas
• Very small particles
 Sources of these pollutants
 Human health risks
 Other possible indoor air pollutants

• Pesticide residue
• Pb particles
• Living organisms and their excrements
• E.g., Dust mites and cockroach droppings
• Airborne spores of molds and mildews
16
4/22/2015
Important Indoor Air Pollutants
Your Body’s Natural Defenses against Air

Pollution Can Be Overwhelmed
 Respiratory system protection from air pollutants

• Role of cilia, mucus, sneezing, and coughing
 Effect of smoking and prolonged air pollution

exposure
• Chronic bronchitis
• Emphysema
17
4/22/2015
Air Pollution Is a Big Killer
 2.4 million deaths per year world-wide

• Mostly in Asia; 750,000 in China
• 150,000 to 350,000 in the United States
• Role of coal-burning power plants
• Role of diesel-powered vehicles
Premature Deaths from Air Pollution in the U.S.
18
4/22/2015
How Should We Deal with Air Pollution?
 Concept 12-5 Legal, economic, and technological

tools can help to clean up air pollution, but the best
solution is to prevent it.
Case Study: Lead Can Be a Highly Toxic Pollutant (1)
 In air, water, soil, plants, animals
 Does not break down in the environment
 Human health and environmental impact

• Children most vulnerable
• Can cause death, mental retardation, paralysis
19
4/22/2015
Case Study: Lead Can Be a Highly Toxic Pollutant (2)
 Reduction of lead (Pb)

• Unleaded gasoline
• Unleaded paint
 Still problems
• 15-18 million children have brain damage
• Need global ban on lead in gasoline and paint
Solutions: Lead Poisoning, Prevention and Control
20
4/22/2015
There Are Many Ways to Reduce

Outdoor Air Pollution
 There are ways to deal with

• Stationary source air pollution
• Motor vehicle air pollution
• New cars have lower emissions
 Less-developed countries far behind developed

countries in implementing solutions
Solutions: Stationary Source Air Pollution
21
4/22/2015
Solutions: Motor Vehicle Air Pollution
Reducing Indoor Air Pollution Should Be a Priority
 Greater threat to human health than outdoor

pollution
 What can be done?

• Prevention
• Cleanup
22
4/22/2015
Solutions: Indoor Pollution
What Can You Do? Indoor Pollution
23
4/22/2015
Solutions: Air Pollution
Fig. 12-15, p. 257

24

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3/23/2015

Biodiversity and Evolution

NR207. Planet Earth; Problems and Solutions 1 Ragheb Tahhan

3-1 What Is Biodiversity and Why Is It Important?

 Concept 3-1 The biodiversity found in genes, species,

NR207. Planet Earth; Problems and Solutions 2 Ragheb Tahhan

Biodiversity Is a Crucial Part of the Earth’s Natural Capital (1)

 Species: set of individuals who can mate and

 8 million to 100 million species

 1.9 million identified

 Unidentified are mostly in rain forests and oceans

NR207. Planet Earth; Problems and Solutions 3 Ragheb Tahhan

Biodiversity Is a Crucial Part of the Earth’s Natural Capital (2)

 Biodiversity is an important part of natural capital

Natural Capital: Major Components of the Earth’s Biodiversity

NR207. Planet Earth; Problems and Solutions 5 Ragheb Tahhan

3-2 How Does the Earth’s Life Change Over Time?

 Concept 3-2 According to the scientific theory of

NR207. Planet Earth; Problems and Solutions 6 Ragheb Tahhan

Biological Evolution by Natural Selection

 Biological evolution: how earth’s life changes over

 Natural selection: individuals with certain traits are

 Huge body of evidence

Biological Evolution by Natural Selection

NR207. Planet Earth; Problems and Solutions 8 Ragheb Tahhan

Evolution by Natural Selection Works through

 Populations evolve by becoming genetically different

NR207. Planet Earth; Problems and Solutions 9 Ragheb Tahhan

Evolution by Natural Selection Works through

 When environmental conditions change, populations of a

NR207. Planet Earth; Problems and Solutions 10 Ragheb Tahhan

Evolution by Natural Selection

NR207. Planet Earth; Problems and Solutions 11 Ragheb Tahhan

Adaptation through Natural Selection Has Limits

 Adaptive genetic traits must precede change in the

NR207. Planet Earth; Problems and Solutions 12 Ragheb Tahhan

Three Common Myths about Evolution through

1. “Survival of the fittest” is not “survival of the

2. Organisms do not develop traits out of need or

3. No grand plan of nature for perfect adaptation

NR207. Planet Earth; Problems and Solutions 13 Ragheb Tahhan

Geologic Processes Affect Natural Selection

 Tectonic plates affect evolution and the location of life on

NR207. Planet Earth; Problems and Solutions 14 Ragheb Tahhan

Climate Change and Catastrophes Affect

 Ice ages followed by warming temperatures

NR207. Planet Earth; Problems and Solutions 15 Ragheb Tahhan

Science Focus: Earth Is Just Right

 Temperature range: supports life

 Orbit size: moderate temperatures

 Liquid water: necessary for life

 Rotation speed: sun doesn’t overheat surface

 Size: gravity keeps atmosphere

3-3 How Do Speciation, Extinction, and Human

 Concept 3-3 As environmental conditions change,

NR207. Planet Earth; Problems and Solutions 17 Ragheb Tahhan

How Do New Species Evolve?

 Speciation: one species splits into two or more

 Geographic isolation: happens first; physical

 Reproductive isolation: mutations and natural

Geographic Isolation Can Lead to Reproductive

NR207. Planet Earth; Problems and Solutions 19 Ragheb Tahhan

NR207. Planet Earth; Problems and Solutions 20 Ragheb Tahhan