1. Chapter 6 Humans in the Biosphere
Lab Biology CP

2. Chapter 6: Humans in the Biosphere
6.1: A Changing Landscape
6.2: Using Resources Wisely
6.3: Biodiversity
6.4: Meeting Ecological Challenges

3. 6.1 A Changing landscape

4. The Effect of Human Activity
Humans affect the environment by:
1. Agriculture
2. Development
3. Industry
These impact the quality of:
Soil
Water
Atmosphere

5. 1. Agriculture Monoculture:
The practice of clearing large areas of land to plant a single highly productive crop year after year
Enables efficient sowing, tending, and harvesting of crops using machines
Fertilizer production and machinery consume large amounts of fossil fuels

6. 2. Development As cities get larger more waste is produced
Development consumes farmland and divides natural habitats into fragments

7. 3. Industry
Human society was transformed by the Industrial Revolution of the 1800’s
Modern conveniences (TV’s, computers, machinery, etc.) use ALOT of energy to produce power
Industries have traditionally discarded wastes from manufacturing and energy production directly into the air, water, and soil.

8. Sustainable Development
Ecosystem goods and services are the goods and services that are produced by ecosystems that benefit the human economy
Examples: water and wood
Sustainable development provides for human needs while preserving the ecosystem.

9. Renewable Resources Renewable Resources: Examples:
Any natural resource that is
recycled or replaced constantly
by nature
Examples:
1.) Sun
2.) oxygen
3.) rain
4.) paper

10. Nonrenewable Resources
Natural resources that are used up more quickly than they can be replaced by natural processes
Examples:
1.) petroleum or oil
2.) diamonds
3.) graphite
4.) metals

11. Fossil Fuels Fossil fuels: Examples:
Fuels formed in Earth’s crust over hundreds of millions of years
Examples:
1.) oil
gasoline
diesel
2.) coal
3.) natural gas

12. Alternatives to Fossil Fuels
Develop other sources of energy
Examples:
1.) water power to generate electricity
2.) wind power
3.) nuclear power
Splits uranium in a fission reaction
Produces steam that rotates turbine blades of electric generator
4.) geothermal energy
Energy contained in the Earth’s crust
5.) solar cells (batteries)

13. 6.2 using resources wisely

14. Soil Resources Soil supports agriculture and forestry
Erosion: movement of soil from one area to another
Problems:
Desertification: when farmland turns into desert from overgrazing and dry climate
Deforestation: loss of forests
Solutions:
Contour plowing
Leaving roots/stems of previous year’s crops

15. Freshwater Resources Pollutions sources: Surface Water Ocean Water
Fertilizers, mercury, algae
Ocean Water
Oil spills and dumping
Groundwater
Seeps underground and gets into the water table

16. Chemicals in the Water From industry and agriculture Examples:
PCB’s – since banned
Difficult to eliminate
DDT: pesticide
mercury
Biomagnification: occurs if a pollutant is picked up by an organism and is not broken down or eliminated from its body; it collects in body tissues and the concentration INCREASES at higher trophic levels

17. BIOMAGNIFICATION http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5P-UoKLxlA

18. Atmospheric Resources
Air Pollutants:
Soot and smoke
Acid Rain
Greenhouse gases
Carbon monoxide
Nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides (NOX and SOX)
Volcanic eruptions
Forest fires
Evaporation of paints/chemicals
Smog

19. Acid Precipitation Acid Precipitation has a pH below 5.6
Effects of Acid Precipitation:
1.) Death of trees
2.) Marine organism die
3.) Damages buildings/cars/structures/etc.

25. Greenhouse Effect Greenhouse Effect: Greenhouse Gases:
How heat is trapped in the atmosphere by certain atmospheric gases
Contributes to GLOBAL WARMING
Greenhouse Gases:
Carbon Dioxide CO2
Methane CH4
Nitrous Oxide N2O
Fluorinated gases (CFC’s, HCFC’s, etc.)

27. Ozone Depletion Symbol: O3 Protects us from UV radiation from the Sun
Ozone is being depleted by:
1.) refrigerants/cooling devices
2.) CFC’s
3.) pollution

29. Ozone depletion

31. Global Warming

32. Indoor Air Pollution Examples: Carbon Monoxide (CO) Radon (Ra)
Gas produced when natural gas or other fuels are burned
Can cause death
Radon (Ra)
2nd leading cause of lung cancer
Radioactive gas emitted by soil and gets into homes by cracks in the foundation

33. 6.3 biodiversity

34. What is Biodiversity?
The total of all the genetically based variation in all organisms in the biosphere
Types:
1. Ecosystem biodiversity
2. Species biodiversity
3. Genetic biodiversity

35. The Value of Biodiversity
Medicine
Chemicals in wild organisms treat disease
Agriculture
Wild crops carry genes we can use in genetic engineering
Ecosystem services

36. Threats to Biodiversity
Humans altering habitats
Hunting
Introducing invasive species
Releasing pollution into food webs
Contributing to climate change

37. How can we preserve biodiversity?
Protect species
Preserve habitats and ecosystems
Participate in conservation efforts
Ecological hot spot: a place where significant numbers of species and habitats are in danger of extinction

38. Ecological Hot Spots

39. 6.4 meeting ecological needs

40. Ecological Footprint
Describes the total area of functioning land and water ecosystems needed both to provide the resources an individual or population uses and to absorb and make harmless wastes that populations generate.

41. Principles of ecology that can guide us to a sustainable future
Recognizing a problem in the environment
Researching that problem to determine its cause
Using scientific understanding to change our behavior

42. Relative Footprints
U.S. has the greatest!!!