Human Activities that

affect the Ecosystem

What is an Ecosystem?
• Ecosystem encompasses all living things (animals, plants and
microorganisms) and non-living things (earth, climate, soil, sun, weather,
and atmosphere). All these components make up the environment and they
are critical for the natural and normal functions of all the activities on the
planet. In short, they are the foundations of the ecosphere and influence the
health of all the system on earth.
Negative Ways/Various Human
Activities that Affect the Ecosystem
Agriculture
-with the ever increasing number of the world’s population, there is
similarly a soaring demand for sufficient food. The population growth
rate is hence driving the world to clear forests in order to create more
room for agriculture.
• Destruction of wildlife: Forests are critical habitats for wildlife and
as ecosystems supporting the intricate relationship between living
and non-living things.
• Global warning and climate change: Population growth influenced
deforestation is to blame for three billion tons of CO2 released into
the atmosphere each year which is equivalent to the destruction of
13 million hectares of land annually as put forward by Union of
Concerned Scientists. This rate of Deforestation affects the
ecosystem by raising global temperatures.
• Aquatic resources degradation: The injection of vast amounts of
phosphorous and nitrogen nutrients into natural soils, lands and water
system due to fertilizer use have created far reaching effects, altered
ecosystems, and rapidly expanded aquatic dead zones.
Plastic Production
-The invention of plastic has created one of the most problematic
pollution problem ever witnessed on the face of earth. Waste plastic is
everywhere on earth even in the oceans.
• Wildlife is most affected and some have even died after consuming
unusually great amounts of plastics.
Emission of Carbon Dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
-the emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases
namely methane and hydroflourcarbon (HFSs) are human
induced through combustion of fossil fuels and the use of man-
made products. In a bid to generate energy, the world has
continued to depend on carbon-rich fossil fuels namely gas, oil
and coal. As a result, global temperatures are in the rise
contributing to sea level rise and extreme weather events like
heat waves, flooding, tsunamis, and droughts. The sea level
rise and extreme weather events have in turn altered ocean and
land ecosystems, impacted food chains and biodiversity and
intensified desertification
Destruction of the reefs
-oceans reefs are the globe’s richest oceanic ecosystems but
human activities have led to their destruction by upsetting the
natural flow of nutrients and energy that support plant and
animal species in the marine world. Water pollution, climate
change, overfishing and acidification of marine waters are the
repercussions of human activities that have the destruction of
coral reefs.
Production of Black carbon
-Black carbon particles have been generated by human
activities for hundred years. Black carbon particles are
materials emitted into the atmosphere as smoke and are
produced from cooking with solid animal fuels, burning
firewood, diesel car exhausts, and the burning of trees. The
presence of these particles in the atmosphere creates a heat-
absorbing layer that gives rise to increased global temperatures,
thus compounding the global warming effect. Black carbon has
also changed weather patterns and reduced rainfall in West
Africa and South Asia according to various science reports.
 Draining streams/ rivers and destruction of critical fresh
water aquifer recharge areas
-various anthropogenic activities have heavily destroyed
fresh water supplies such as rivers, streams, and aquifers.
Intensive agriculture is a leading cause on the account of the
large amounts of chemical fertilizers, herbicides and other
agro-chemicals that find way into waterways.
Overhunting and overexploitation
-overhunting and overexploitation of natural resources
through activities like overfishing and mining have caused a
reduction in the number of varied plant and animal species. In
other words, the diverse existence of animal and plant species
in different habitats has been widely affected by overhunting
and overexploitation. These human activities do not give room
for the replenishment, growth, or new development of already
exploited or harvested products. Overhunting can cause
extinction, destroy natural and breading areas, and affects food
chains.