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Module IV - Natural Resources – Mankind

Inquiry Statement - “Mankind is the predominate factor in the degradation of world
resources. It is of primordial importance that mankind understands this and puts in place
checks and balances that allow for a sustainable development of the planet.” “Pachamama
is unhappy”!
Inquiry Question - Why is the action of man primordial to the continued sustainable
evolution of the earth´s biosphere?
Key concept - Systems - structure and order in human, natural and built environments, dynamic or
static, simple or complex
Why and how does the biosphere of the Earth get classified?
https://www.britannica.com/science/biosphere
The biosphere's continuous functioning is based not just on the close connections among
the many species within local communities, but also on the looser but important
interactions of all species and groups throughout the world. Because populations have been
able to adapt to nearly any type of habitat on Earth through natural selection, the Earth is
coated with so many species and biological communities. Life-forms have developed that
can live in the deep depths, Antarctica's freezing temperatures, and geyser's near-boiling
temperatures. The greatest resource on Earth is the diversity of adaptations seen among
diverse populations and kinds of living beings. It is an incomparable wealth that has
accumulated over millions of years.

Related concept – Networks

Networks are interconnected groups or systems. Generally, they are made up of nodes or parts that
depend on each other. When one of these nodes or parts changes, the other parts are usually affected.
The individual parts of a network generally exist on a measurable hierarchical scale. In geography, the
concept of networks can be explored in a wide variety of sizes and levels of complexity. A network can
range from herbivore populations in a national park to all lakes, aquifers, rivers, and streams in the
Amazon basin. Likewise, networks can be explored at the level of world systems, with the interaction
between the center and the periphery. Geographers understand that most of the processes they study are
not isolated phenomena, but interconnected pieces of a larger network. Networks are intrinsically related
to the key concept of systems, and can occur in a wide spectrum of time, place and space, another of our
key concepts
Why and how is the biosphere interconnected?
https://www.britannica.com/science/biosphere

The biosphere encompasses all of the locations on the earth where life may be found. The
biosphere covers everything, from plants' deepest root systems to the bleak environment
of ocean bottoms, lush rain forests, and high mountaintops.
The Earth is described by scientists using spheres. The lithosphere is the solid surface layer
of the Earth. The atmosphere is a layer of air that exists above the lithosphere. Water on
the Earth's surface, in the ground, and in the air make up the hydrosphere.
Because life exists on land, in the air, and in the water, the biosphere covers all three
realms. Despite the biosphere extending around 20 kilometers (12 miles) from top to
bottom, almost all life exists between approximately 500 meters (1,640 feet) below the
ocean's surface and roughly 6 kilometers (3.75 miles) above sea level.
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Ecosystems can be further split into communities, which are smaller biotic entities.
Organisms in a stand of pine trees, on a coral reef, and in a cave, a valley, a lake, or a
stream are examples of communities. The living component of the community, the
organisms, is the most important concern; abiotic environmental elements are ignored.
A community is made up of different species populations. There may be numerous species
of insects, birds, and animals in a stand of pines, each with its own breeding unit but reliant
on the others for survival. Individuals, solitary functional units that may be identified as
organisms, make up a species. Beyond this, the biosphere's units are organ systems made
up of organs, tissues made up of cells, cells made up of molecules, and molecules made up
of atomic elements and energy. As a result, as you go higher from atoms and energy, you'll
see that each succeeding level has fewer units, larger and more intricate patterns.

Global Context - Fairness and development

Students will explore rights and responsibilities; the relationship between communities; the fact of sharing
finite resources with other people and other living beings; equal opportunities; peace and conflict
resolution.
Why is humanity so engaged with Earth´s deterioration and its stability?
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jan/15/rate-of-environmental-
degradation-puts-life-on-earth-at-risk-say-scientists

Humanity has been one of the primary drivers of global change, including climate change,
stratospheric ozone depletion, deforestation, biodiversity loss, acidification, pollution, and
desertification (see, for example, Turner et al. 1990).
The human aspects of global environmental change research focuses on the human drivers
of change, the effects of those changes on people and social groups, and how humans
adapt to such changes.
Industrialization and urbanization are two reasons, both of which are driven by human
needs and desires, such as the need for water, food, and shelter. Water and food shortages,
floods and droughts, health hazards, and resource disputes are among the consequences.
Adaptation, such as growing alternative crops, and even migration from regions most
impacted by environmental changes, as well as mitigation, such as decreasing gas emissions
into the atmosphere, are examples of responses to these changes.
People have a critical role in preserving the biosphere's energy flow. People, on the other
hand, can sometimes stifle the flow. When people destroy forests or burn fossil fuels like
coal and oil, for example, oxygen levels in the atmosphere drop and carbon dioxide levels
rise. Oil spills and industrial pollution pose a hazard to aquatic life. How people interact
with other living things inside the zone of life will determine the biosphere's destiny.
Daily, modern technology has lessened our need on the biosphere. However, it has resulted
in increasing resource exploitation. Rapid population expansion, agricultural modernization,
industry, and urbanisation have all resulted in a significant increase in water demand. This
indicates that water is scarce in some regions of the biosphere. Drought, dam construction,
irrigation, and population increase, for example, have caused the Hamoun Wetlands in Iran
to dry up. Biofuels, as an alternative to fossil fuels, are also economically utilized. As a
result, vast swaths of land are being removed to plant biofuel crops. As a result, local food
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and fuel costs will rise, and indigenous people living in the area may find it difficult to
obtain the resources they require to survive.