1. Human Impact on the Biosphere Packet Page 28 * Turn in HW article*

2. Why do humans impact the environment?
Humans have a large impact on the environment and the organisms we share it with.
This is due to our
Increasing population size.
Increasing use of both renewable and non-renewable resources.

3. The Carbon Cycle
Cycling of carbon through the environment mainly in the form of CO2 and carbohydrates.
Photosynthesis is the main process that removes carbon from the atmosphere.
Cellular respiration is the main process that releases carbon into the atmosphere.

4. What processes remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere?
Photosynthesis by land and aquatic autotrophs
Precipitation onto land & ocean
Ocean is the main regulator because carbon dioxide dissolves easily in it.

5. What processes release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere?
Cellular respiration by autotrophs & heterotrophs.
Decomposition of organisms
Volcanic activity
Human activities - mining, cutting and burning forests, and burning fossil fuels

6. What stores carbon dioxide?
Limestone (calcium carbonate) rock
Decomposition of organisms and their conversion into fossil fuels
Diffusion of carbon into the ocean

7. The Carbon Cycle

8. Human Activity and the Carbon Cycle
Human activity is releasing CO2 and other related forms of carbon into the atmosphere at a much faster rate then they are absorbed.
This is due to:
Clear-cutting and burning forests for housing and farming
Burning fossil fuels
These activities have resulted in a global climate change .

9. What is the Greenhouse Effect?
The greenhouse effect is the rise in temperature due to certain gases in the atmosphere (water vapor, carbon dioxide, & methane (CH4) in particular) trapping out-going heat energy.
Without these gases, heat would escape back into space and Earth’s average temperature would be about 60ºF colder.
Because of how they warm our world, these gases are referred to as greenhouse gases.

11. So then what is Global Warming?
The Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming are NOT the same thing!!!
Global Warming is the increase in the average measured temperature of the Earth's near-surface air and oceans.
Global Warming affects the Greenhouse Effect.
Greenhouse Effect = GOOD
Global Warming = BAD

12. http://www. darlington. gov

13. What are the Possible Effects of Global Warming?
These include:
Flooding of coastal areas.
Increased spreading of disease.
Drought across inland areas.

14. How are humans creating acid rain?
The burning of fossil fuels also releases nitrogen and sulfur compounds into the atmosphere.
These compounds combine with water vapor in the air to produce acids.
The acids then migrate for miles and fall as acid rain.

16. Effects of Acid Rain
Causes acidification of lakes and streams which affects aquatic ecosystems.
Contributes to the damage of trees/plants by acidification of soils.
In addition, acid rain accelerates the breakdown of building materials, paints, statues, and sculptures that are part of our cultural heritage.

20. The Ozone Layer
The ozone layer (O3), found in the stratosphere, protects us from UV light.
UV light causes cancer, eye damage, and can damage plant tissue.

21. The hole in the ozone layer – South Pole
There is currently a large hole in the ozone layer over Antartica.

22. What Destroys the Ozone Layer?
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s) are broken apart by UV light. This causes a chain of chemical reactions that results in ozone being broken apart.
CFC’s were used in aerosol cans, and as coolants in freezers and air conditioners. They are now banned, but some are still used in less developed areas.
Even with decreased use of CFC’s it will take another 50 years before the hole in the ozone layer begins to shrink and disappear.

23. Biological Bioaccumulation/Magnification
Biological Bioaccumulation (magnification) occurs when a substance or toxin such as pesticides build up in animal tissue as you move up a food chain.

24. Biological Accumulation

25. What are some examples of how humans assist in bioaccumulation?
DDT was used in Borneo to kill mosquitoes. Lizards ate the mosquitoes. Cats ate the lizards. Cats began dying.
With no cats, the rat population grew.
Rats began spreading disease.
They came up with an interesting solution…..

26. Parachuting Cats

27. DDT in the United States
DDT was used to kill mosquitoes.
DDT bioaccumulated and was found in high levels in the bald eagle.
DDT caused the birds to lay eggs with pores in their shells.
When the parent birds sat on the eggs, the eggs broke.
Our national bird almost went extinct.

28. DDT in the United States
DDT is still in the environment despite the fact that the last time it was sprayed was over 20 years ago.

29. How do humans threaten biodiversity?
There are 4 basic ways that human actions threaten biodiversity:
Introducing non-native species (invasive species)
Hunting organisms to extinction
Introducing toxins into the environment
Habitat destruction

30. Invasive species in NC
Plants and animals brought into an area form other places can become invasive species. Invasive species can multiply quickly if there are no parasites or predators to control their numbers. For example: Kudzu was first introduced to the United States as an ornamental plant, but it quickly became an invasive species in much of the Southeastern U.S.

31. Biodiversity is important because…….

32. Many medicines come from nature
We get digitalis, a heart medication, from foxglove.
We get Taxol, the cancer fighting chemical, from Pacific yew.

33. Imagine the possible undiscovered medical miracles that could be hiding in the areas/species that have not been studied yet.

34. We get genetic diversity
Most crop plants have wild relatives with useful traits.
We will visit this “library” when we need genes to improve our crop plants.

35. Ecosystems are more stable
Ecosystems with more
organisms are more
stable (or homeostatic).

36. Summary Humans Affect the Biosphere in 4 Essential Ways:
Global Climate Change and Acid Rain
The Ozone Layer
Biological Magnification /Bioaccumulation
Threatening Biodiversity

37. Are your actions sustainable?
What can you do to help?
Are your actions sustainable?

38. References

39. References

40. Human Activity and the Carbon Cycle
Human activity is releasing CO2 and other related forms of carbon into the atmosphere at a much faster rate then they are absorbed.
This is due to:
Clear-cutting and burning forests for housing and farming
Burning fossil fuels
These activities have resulted in a global climate change .

41. What is the Greenhouse Effect?
The greenhouse effect is the rise in temperature due to certain gases in the atmosphere (water vapor, carbon dioxide, & methane (CH4) in particular) trapping out-going heat energy.
Without these gases, heat would escape back into space and Earth’s average temperature would be about 60ºF colder.
Because of how they warm our world, these gases are referred to as greenhouse gases.

42. So then what is Global Warming?
The Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming are NOT the same thing!!!
Global Warming is the increase in the average measured temperature of the Earth's near-surface air and oceans.
Global Warming affects the Greenhouse Effect.
Greenhouse Effect = GOOD
Global Warming = BAD

43. http://www. darlington. gov

44. What are the Possible Effects of Global Warming?
These include:
Flooding of coastal areas.
Increased spreading of disease.
Drought across inland areas.

45. How are humans creating acid rain?
The burning of fossil fuels also releases nitrogen and sulfur compounds into the atmosphere.
These compounds combine with water vapor in the air to produce acids.
The acids then migrate for miles and fall as acid rain.

47. Effects of Acid Rain
Causes acidification of lakes and streams which affects aquatic ecosystems.
Contributes to the damage of trees/plants by acidification of soils.
In addition, acid rain accelerates the breakdown of building materials, paints, statues, and sculptures that are part of our cultural heritage.

49. The Ozone Layer
The ozone layer (O3), found in the stratosphere, protects us from UV light.
UV light causes cancer, eye damage, and can damage plant tissue.

50. The hole in the ozone layer – South Pole
There is currently a large hole in the ozone layer over Antartica.

51. What Destroys the Ozone Layer?
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s) are broken apart by UV light. This causes a chain of chemical reactions that results in ozone being broken apart.
CFC’s were used in aerosol cans, and as coolants in freezers and air conditioners. They are now banned, but some are still used in less developed areas.
Even with decreased use of CFC’s it will take another 50 years before the hole in the ozone layer begins to shrink and disappear.