CHAPTER 9 : ENDANGERED ECOSYSTEM

9.1 HUMAN ACTIVITIES THAT ENDANGERED AN ECOSYSTEM

THE IMPACT OF HUMAN ACTIVITIES

DEFORESTATION
THE RAPID DESTRUCTION OF WOODLANDS OR THE REMOVAL OF TREES FROM FORESTS. TROPICAL RAINFORESTS HAVE IMPORTANT ECOLOGICAL ROLES : 1 . THE OLDEST ECOSYSTEM IN EARTH AND HOUSE OF FLORA AND FAUNA 2. CONTAIN UNIQUE SPECIES PROVIDE FOOD,MEDICINE & BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTS 3. PLANTS PROVIDE PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS (ACCORDING NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE 70% PLANTS USEFUL FOR CANCER) 4. REGULATE CLIMATE BY INFLUENCING WIND, RAINFALL,HUMIDITY AND TEMPERATURE PATTERNS.
5. RAINFORESTS (CARBON SINK ) THEY ABSORB VAST AMOUNTS OF CARBON DIOXIDE DURING PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND AT THE SAME TIME RELEASE OXYGEN INTO THE ATMOSPHERE AND SERVE AS WATER CATCHMENT AREAS. 6. 50 MILLION ACRES OF RAINFORESTS ARE DESTROYED OR SERIOSLY DEGRADED EVERY YEAR. 7. DEFORESTATION RESULTS TO : = SOIL EROSION = FLASH FLOODS = LANDSLIDES = DISTRUPTION TO THE CARBON AND NITROGEN CYCLES = SEVERE CLIMATIC CHANGES = THE LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY

DEFORESTATION

DEFORESTATION CAUSES SOIL EROSION, LANDSLIDES AND FLASH FLOODS

WITHOUT PROPER DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING , A LAND STRIPPED OF ITS VEGETATION IS SUBJECT TO SOIL EROSION. THE ABSENCE OF PLANT ROOT SYSTEMS MAKE S THE SOIL STUCTURE UNSTABLE. WHEN HEAVY RAINS FOR A LONG PERIOD TOP LAYER OF THE SOIL CRUMBLES AND THIS LEADS TO LANDSLIDES ON STEEP HILLSIDES. THE ERODED SOIL - CARRIED BY MOVING WATER AND DEPOSITED AT THE BOTTOM OF RIVERS. THIS, TOGETHER WITH DEPLETION OF WATER CATCHMENT AREAS ,CAUSES FLASH FLOODS DURING THE RAINY SEASONS. SOIL EROSON CAUSES THE LAND TO BE DEPLETED OF MINERALS AND NATURAL RESOURCES , MAKING THE LAND INTERFILE.

LANDSLIDES

FLASH FLOODS

DEFORESTATION RESULTS IN THE LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY

THE REMOVAL OF THE BASES OF NUMEROUS FOOD WEBS. THE LOSS OF HABITATS OF MANY SPECIES OF FLORA AND FAUNA. THE EXTINCTION OF COUNTLESS SPECIES AND VARIETIES OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS AND CAN REDUCES THE BIODIVERSITY (SOURCE OF FOOD AND PRICELESS MEDICINE TO MANKIND).

DEFORESTATION DISRUPTS THE CARBON AND NITROGEN CYCLES

THE REMOVAL OF PLANTS DISTRUPTS THE NATURAL CYCLE OF NUTRIENTS. THE LEVEL OF ATMOSPHERIC CARBON DIOXIDE RISES AS LESS CARBON DIOXIDE IN THE AIR IS REMOVED BY PLANTS DURING PHOTOSYNTHESIS.THE LEVEL OF ATMOSPHERIC OXYGEN DROPS AS LESS OXYGEN IS RELEASED B PLANTS DURING PHOSYNTHESIS. THE RECYCLING OF NITRATES AND OTHER IONS SLOW DOWN. TREE ROOTS BIND SOIL PARTICLES TOGETHER,AND THE TREE CANOPY REDUCES THE FORCE OF RAIN BEATING DOWN ON THE SOIL.DEFORESTATION CAUSES THE LOSS OF NUTRIENTS THROUGH LEACHING AND RUN-OFFS.

DEFORESTATION CAUSES CLIMATIC CHANGES

DISTRUPTS THE NORMAL WEATHER PATTERNS ,CREATING HOTTER,DRIER WEATHER AND CAUSING GLOBAL CLIMATIC CHANGES. REMOVAL TREES REDUCES TRANSPIRATION,RAINFALL AND THE RATE AT WHICH PLANTS ABSORB CARBON DIOXIDE FROM THE ATMOSPHERE DURING PHOTOSYNTHESIS. GREENHOUSE EFFECT AN INCREASE IN THE CARBON DIOXIDE LEVEL IN THE ATMOSPHERE.HIGH LEVELS OF CARBON DIOXIDE PREVENT HEAT FROM ESCAPING FROM THE ATMOSPHERE. FOREST CLEARING AND BURNING OF WOOD RESULT IN AIR POLLUTION AND RELEASE MORE CARBO DIOXIDE INTO THE ATMOSHERE. BURNING OF TREES IN THE TROPICS ADDS ABOUT 25% MORE CARBON DIOXIDE TO THE ATMOSPHERE.

>THE END..