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Sustainable Development: Managing Resources for a Balanced Ecosystem

Explore human impact on the environment, sustainable development, renewable & nonrenewable resources, fossil fuels, and biodiversity. Learn about soil erosion, water pollution, atmospheric issues, greenhouse effect, and biodiversity conservation efforts in managing our biosphere.

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Sustainable Development: Managing Resources for a Balanced Ecosystem

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  1. Chapter 6Humans 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. 6.1A 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. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGr2gPRnaaU&feature=fvw

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

  10. Nonrenewable Resources • 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: • 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. 6.2using 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 • 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 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRqAS4Eow-c

  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.

  20. Greenhouse Effect • Greenhouse Effect: • 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.)

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

  22. Ozone depletion 1980-2004

  23. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXV6ppONgUk

  24. Global Warming http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGIllMbG22Y

  25. Indoor Air Pollution • Examples: • Carbon Monoxide (CO) • 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 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSCOnFLTzGQ

  26. 6.3biodiversity

  27. 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

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

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

  30. 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

  31. Ecological Hot Spots

  32. 6.4meeting ecological needs

  33. 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. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHfEoIyTLiY

  34. 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

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

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