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Humans in the Biosphere

Humans in the Biosphere. PFHS Biology – Chapter 6. Things Change. Hunting and gathering Hunted, fished, gathered fruits, nuts, berries, seeds, etc Nomadic Few demands upon the environment and allowed resupply. Things Change. Agriculture Domesticated plants and animals and grew supplies

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Humans in the Biosphere

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  1. Humans in the Biosphere PFHS Biology – Chapter 6

  2. Things Change • Hunting and gathering • Hunted, fished, gathered fruits, nuts, berries, seeds, etc • Nomadic • Few demands upon the environment and allowed resupply

  3. Things Change • Agriculture • Domesticated plants and animals and grew supplies • Stayed in 1 place • Stable/predictable food supply • Larger stable settlements • Elements of civilization • Government, laws • writing

  4. Things Change • Green revolution • Equipment/machinery • Improved seed and techniques • Fertilizers and pesticides • Doubled food production in 50 years • Less manpower = death of rural areas

  5. Things Change • Industrial Revolution • Mechanization and factories • Urbanization to provide workforce • Reliance on fossil fuels • Overcrowding/ Pollution • Demands on the environment • Evils of society ?

  6. Resources • Renewable – regenerated or replenished faster than used • Water, wood fiber, cattle, windpower

  7. Resources • Non-renewable – cannot be replenished by natural processes or is so slow as to eliminate it as usable • Fossil fuels, minerals, metals

  8. Sustainable Development • Human activities can affect the quality and supply of renewable resources such as land, forests, fisheries, air, and fresh water • Development must provide for our needs while maintaining ecosystem goods and services that are renewable

  9. Land Resources • Space for communities • Raw materials for industry • Soil for agriculture • Dangers • Erosion • desertification

  10. Forest Resources • Important products – lumber, paper, furniture, fuel, food, etc. • Oxygen/carbon balance • Diversity of habitats • Moderate climate • Limit soil erosion • Protect fresh water supplies

  11. Forest Resources • Management • Sustainable management practices • Plant/grow/harvest/grow/harvest/plant cycles • Dangers • Deforestation – removing forest permanently for other uses (or no use at all) • Fire – destruction of uses, may lead to deforestation • See previous page

  12. The most forested of the Rocky Mt. states

  13. Fishery Resources • Invaluable food source • Overfishing/pollutionhas damaged it • Commercial use has developed limits • Aquaculture is becoming popular, but has its own problems/dangers

  14. Air Resources • Do we actually have to discuss the importance of this resource?

  15. Air Resources • Dangers • Pollutant – a substance where it doesn’t belong • Natural • Man made • Smog – smoke+fog, a polluting haze • Acid rain – pollutants dissolved into the atmospheric water vapor, falls, DAMAGES • The list of pollution types is endless

  16. Freshwater Resources • Another one that really needs no explanation

  17. Water Uses

  18. Biodiversity • Variety in living things • One of our greatest natural resources • Foods, industrial products, medicines provided by a variety of organisms • Some future life-saving substances may come from organisms that have not been discovered yet • Watch the video “The Medicine Man” with Elaine Bracco and Sean Connery

  19. Threats to Biodiversity • Extinction – permanent disappearance of a species • Endangered species – declining in a way that extinction is a definite possibility • Threatened species – suffering a dangerous decline in numbers • Human activity is a major threat • Hunting, fishing, pollution, introduction of foreign species, and alteration of habitat

  20. Introduced species • Little known threat • Become invasive species that reproduce rapidly because they no longer have their “natural controls” from their original environment • Successfully outcompete the native species

  21. Conserving Biodiversity • Today, conservation efforts focus on protecting entire ecosystems as well as single species. That ensuresthat the natural habitats and the interactions of many different species are preserved at the same time. • The biggest challenge – time and $$$

  22. Biggest Concerns • Ozone depletion – leading to more UV exposure…..which leads to skin cancers, eye damage, plant damage, and reduced resistance to disease • Can we make the switch to non-CFC substances? • Will the ozone repair itself?

  23. Biggest Concerns • Global Warming – a rise in the Earth’s average temperature • It is both natural and manmade: • Natural cycles of sun and earth • Enhanced greenhouse effect from man’s activities

  24. The End……… of this presentation

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