Humans and The Environment

Concept Map
Section 6-1

Human Activities
that have changed the biosphere include

Hunting and gathering

may have once caused

Agriculture
often relies on the methods of the

Industrial growth

Urban development

have resulted in

Extinctions of large animals

Green revolution
which increased

High standard of living

Increased pollution

Food supply

Pesticide use

Monoculture use

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Interest Grabber

Leaving Section 6-1a Mark on the World

Have you ever seen very old photographs of the town or city in which you now live? Has your area changed? Perhaps there are more buildings or roads than there were many years ago. Maybe your town or city has more trees and flowers now than it had years ago. Humans, like all organisms, have an effect on their environment.

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Earth is a kind of island Limited resources Nature must sustain the resources Human populations is growing The planet is not

 Demands on
Air Water Land Living things

 We must protect these resources What human activities do you think have an impact on the earths natural resources?
Hunting and gathering Agriculture Industry Urban development

 Recent study concluded that human activity uses as much energy as all of earths other multicellular species combined Humans are the most influential in changing the environments of the planet

 HUNTING AND GATHERING Hunting and gathering has been the primary means of human survival for most of human history Fished, gathered seeds, fruits, and nuts Lived in small groups

 Early man
Built dams burned grasslands to encourage growth of certain plants

 Some scientists hypothesize that humans are responsible for the mass extinction of
woolly mammoths giant ground sloths sabertooth cats\ cheetahs zebras yaks

Agriculture
Early humans learned how plants grew, which were edible, and which were good medicines They began to plant those that were important near their settlements 11,000 years ago, humans started farming (Agriculture)

Agriculture
Agriculture spread With dependable food supply, people started living in larger settlements towns and cities Domestication of Animals Over time, people started keeping herds of domesticated animals

 List 3 reasons people keep animals

Agriculture
Milk, meat, hides, wool, companionship, perform work Overgrazing changed grasslands ecosystems eroded soils, large demand on water Human population grew at an increasing rate.

Green Revolution
By 1950s food supply was straining Green Revolution to increase food supply, governments and scientists introduced new farming techniques to increase yields of crops (rice, wheat, corn) Relied on new, highly productive strains of crops

Green Revolution
Monoculture large fields plowed, and planted with a single crop year after year Irrigation, fertilization, and pesticides were relied on to sustain the crops Animal and human power was replaced with machine power Within 20 years, Mexican farmers increased production of wheat 10 times

Green Revolution
Problems have been introduced by the green revolution. Can you name a few? Depletion of water supplies Pollution of water by pesticides and fertilizers

Industrial growth and Urban Development

Wastes from manufacturing and energy production have been poured into the air, water, and soil Tied to high standard of living that we all enjoy

 The question is: How do we control the harmful effects of human activity on the environment?

Tragedy of the Commons

Resource is something that can be used to take care of a need When an environmental resource is owned by many people, or no one, but no one is responsible for it, it is called a common resource.

Tragedy of the Commons

The Tragedy of the Commons any resource open to everyone will eventually be destroyed because although everyone owns the resource, no one is responsible for it. Air, Water shared by many countries, but no one is responsible.

 Whaling if some countries attempt to protect whales, but others continue to hunt whales to extinction, what will eventually happen?

2 types of resources Renewable and Nonrenewable

Renewable resources can be regenerated (but not necessarily limitless)

Sunlight Fresh water A tree Fish

2 types of resources Renewable and Nonrenewable

Nonrenewable cannot be replenished by natural resources

Fossil fuels Coal Oil

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Section 6-2

1. Examine the list of natural resources shown below. Then, classify each natural resource as either renewable or nonrenewable. a. Wood b. Fossil fuels c. Aluminum d. Wool e. Gold

2. Describe the impact that the loss of nonrenewable resources would have on the environment.

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Interest Grabber
Section 6-2

Where Do Natural Resources Come From?

Natural resources are materials that are supplied by nature. A renewable resource is one that is replaceable. A nonrenewable resource is one that cannot be replenished by natural processes. Once a nonrenewable resource is used up, it is gone forever.

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Land Resources
Land is a resource Provides space for living, raw materials for building, and industry Important for soils crops grow on

Land Resources
Soil is a renewable resource that can be damaged by human activities Best fertile soil is a mixture of humus, sand, clay, and rock particles

 Most of the humus is in the top layers called Topsoil

Absorbs and retains moisture, but allows drainage Lots of nutrients Low in salts

 Different plants add and use different amounts of nutrients Plowing the land removes the roots that prevent erosion Erosion the wearing away of the surface soil by water and wind Combinations of farming, overgrazing, and drought can cause productive areas to become deserts Process is desertification

 Practices that can maintain the soil include

Contour plowing Planting crops that maintain the soil while primary crops are harvested rye for example Leaving roots and stems of previous years crops

Sustainable Agriculture
Section 6-4

Cover Crops Legumes, grasses, and other cover crops recycle soil nutrients, reduce fertilizer need, and prevent weed growth.

Controlled Grazing By managing graze periods and herd densities, farmers can improve nutrient cycling, increase the effectiveness of precipitation, and increase the carrying capacity of pastures. A B

Biological Pest Control The use of predators and parasites to control destructive insects minimizes pesticide use as well as crop damage

Contour Plowing Contour plowing reduces soil erosion from land runoff. On hilly areas, plowing is done across the hill rather than straight up and down.

Yr. 1 Yr. 2 Yr. 3

Crop Rotation Different crops use and replenish different nutrients. alfalfa By rotating crops, the loss corn alfalfa (plowed in) of important plant nutrients is decreased.
corn oats alfalfa oats alfalfa corn

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Forest Resources
Forests provide
Wood Paper Fuel Remove CO2 and add O2 Food Sore nutrients Moderate climate Limit soil erosion Protect fresh water supplies

Forest Resources
Deforestation Loss of forests Soil erosion topsoil and nutrients washed away Grazing and plowing after deforestation can add to problems Sustainable use strategies Harvesting mature trees selectively Plant, manage, harvest, and replant tree farms Geneticists breeding faster growing varieties

Ocean Resources
Food Fish catch has risen from 20 million tons/year to over 90 million tons / year As fish catches rose, fish stocks declined Overfishing Techniques to moderate include
Limits Aquaculture Temporary closing of areas to fishing

Growth of Fish Catch

Section 6-2

World Fish Catch

Amount of Fish per Person (kilograms)

World Fish Catch per Person

Total Catch (million tons)

Year

Year

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Air Resources
Air is a resource we breath it Smog smoke and fog Auto and industrial exhaust include Nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxides that are transformed into nitric and sulfuric acids Cause acid rain Pollutant a harmful material that can enter the biosphere through land, air, or water Acid rain can kill plants, and cause soil chemistry to change May release Hg, or other dissolved toxic elements

Figure 6-12 The Formation of Acid Rain

Section 6-2

Emissions to Atmosphere Nitrogen oxides Sulfur dioxide

Chemical Transformation Nitric acid Sulfuric acid Dry Fallout particulates, gases

Condensation

Precipitation Acid rain, fog, snow, and mist

Industry

Transportation

Ore smelting

Power generation

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Water Resources
Water is a resource Drinking, washing, watering crops, industry 71% of the earth is covered by water 97% of the water is sea water (salty) 2% more is frozen 1% of all water is liquid fresh water

Pollution
Wastes discarded (on purpose or not) can Seep into water supplies Sewage
Contains nitrogen and phosphorus Cause algal and bacterial growth Spread disease

Pollution
Wetlands such as swamps and estuaries can help to protect water supplies Purifies water as it passes through Holds soil in place

What Is Interest Grabber Biodiversity?

Biodiversity is the sum total of the variety of organisms in the biosphere. Sometimes humans can reduce biodiversity, which is considered a natural resource.

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Biodiversity
1.5 million species identified so far Food medicine painkillers, heart drugs, antibiotics industrial products

Species Diversity
Section 6-3

Insects
54.4%

Protists
4.2%

Other Animals Plants

18% 19.7%

Fungi
3.4%

Bacteria
0.3%

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Biodiversity
Human activity can reduce biodiversity May cause extinction

Biological magnification
Biological magnification toxins may be concentrated from one trophic level to the next. DDT is an example DDT is a pesticide that was used extensively DDT is not biodegradable Organisms do not eliminate it

Figure 6-16 Biological Magnification of DDT

Section 6-3

10,000,000
Fish-Eating Birds

Large Fish

1,000,000

Magnification of DDT Concentration

Small Fish 100,000

Zooplankton 10,000

Producers 1000

Water

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Biological magnification
Concentrates as herbivores eat plants sprayed with DDT, then carnivores eat the herbivores etc

Introduced species
Organisms transferred from one area to another that did not have them before Zebra Mussel, Phragmites, Japanese shore crab

Interest Grabber continued

Section 6-1

1. Choose an animal other than a human and describe at least two ways in which it may change its environment.

2. What events might have led to the changes that occurred in your town or city? 3. What positive effect have humans had on their environment? What negative effect have humans had on their environment?
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Interest Grabber continued

Section 6-3

1. List three ways in which other organisms have proved to be a benefit to humans. 2. Compare biodiversity with other natural resources, such as wood and fossil fuels. Do you think biodiversity is a renewable or a nonrenewable resource? Explain your answer. 3. What can be done to preserve the biodiversity of organisms?
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Interest Grabber

How Much Should It Cost?

You may have read that when something becomes hard to obtain, its price usually increases. Such is the case for materials like gold and diamonds, which are nonrenewable resources. Using similar thinking, some researchers believe that all the valuable services provided by a healthy ecosystem should be assigned a dollar value.
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Interest Grabber continued

Section 6-4

Rank the following items in order of their importance to you. Then, next to each item, write down how much you would be willing to pay for it. 1. Fresh, clean drinking water 2. Clean air to breathe 3. An endangered plant containing a substance that can cure cancer 4. Gas for your family car
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Section 6-4

Figure 6-22 Ecosystem Services

Solar energy Production of oxygen Storage and recycling of nutrients Regulation of climate Purification of water and air Storage and distribution of fresh water Food production Nursery habits for wildlife Detoxification of human and industrial waste Natural pest and disease control Management of soil erosion and runoff

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