Human Impact on the

Biosphere
By: Alex Caruso and Brian Wisniewski

The Long Reach

Humans have a very large influence on the entire biosphere
o Hunting (competition for resources)
o Industrialization (pollution)
o Expansion (loss of habitat)
These influences and their effect range from the Equator to the Northern and
Southern Poles
o Polar bears
High levels of mercury due to trophic magnification, starting at fish and
birds
loss of hunting ground, hunting on dangerous sea
o Huge loss of rainforest in South America due to expansion
We, as a species, need to learn about our environment in order to protect it.

The Extinction Crisis

Extinction is a natural process, and 99% of all species have become extinct, However;
Mass extinctions (when large amounts of species die of) are different and have
only occurred five times in Earths history due to:
Major Geological or celestial events
Evolution of various species that affect atmosphere
A sixth mass extinction is under way
100-1000x the normal rate of extinction
Human assisted
Over hunting
Polluting
Aggressive expansion
The World Conservation Union is keeping track of the extinct species
800 extinctions have been documented since 1500 A.D.

Currently Threatened Species

An endangered species faces extinction in its range if;

That threatened species is close to being endangered
Some endangered species are
Panda
White Abalone
Ivory Billed Woodpecker*
Thought to be extinct, but some evidence suggests otherwise
Texas Blind Salamander
Species decline can be caused by many things including:
Over hunting, habitat loss, invasive species.
Unknown losses
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) manages endangered
species management
Does not monitor bacterial losses

Harmful Land Practices

Desertification
The conversion of ecosystems into deserts due to:
Deforestation
Over farming
Loss of plant roots, causing soil to be loss and tossed up
Has extremely detrimental effects:
Loss of ecosystem (Including most organisms)
Flooding
Landslides
Detrimental health effect on organisms (From dust in lungs to transporting bacteria)
Affects global climate change
Deforestation releases carbon into atmosphere
Loss of plants causes loss in the rate which carbon is filtered out of the atmosphere
Soil water retention and farming are also threatened

Toxic Pollutants

Pollutants are chemicals or other materials that are released into the environment in greater
than normal amounts
Many are synthetic
CO2, CO (Carbon monoxide), Oil run off, nitrogen oxides
If in the atmosphere, these pollutants can cause acid rain
Acid rain is 10x as acidic as normal rain
Damages ecosystems
Prevents fish eggs from hatching, kills adults
Burns leaves, alters the composition of the soil
Nutrient loss
Expose metals to plants
Weakens trees
Biological magnification
Due to energy transfer (Previous chapter) toxins build with each trophic level
within organisms fatty tissues (Remember the polar bears?)
Also applies to pesticides and the species that consume insects
Trash & Waste
Many sea creatures may mistake small bits of garbage for food

Ozone Depletion and Pollution

The Ozone layer resides between 17-27 Km high in the atmosphere
Composed of O3
Absorbs ultraviolet radiation from the sun
Protects every single living thing on the planet from radiation
poisoning and cancer
The concept of Ozone Depletion had not been adopted until the 1970s
An Ozone hole appeared above the antarctic
This was due to chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which inadvertently
destroy the Ozone Layer
They were internationally banned in 1987
Near ground Ozone is bad (Mkay)
Irritant to eyes and lungs, and interferes with plant growth
Created burning fossil fuels exposed to sunlight (Heat speeds reaction)

Effects of Climate Change

Ongoing climate change is affecting ecosystems around the world

Average temperatures are increasing
Rising temperatures = Rising sea water
20 cm rise in sea water since 1900
Seawater salinity is changing
Smaller concentrations of salt in bodies of water relative to the Northern and Southern
Poles, and higher concentrations in bodies of water along the Equator
This negatively affects sea animals native to these regions
Saltwater is more acidic than any other type of water
Harming sea life by lessening calcium carbonate available and the obvious effects of
acid
Widespread effects on biological systems include:
Many species depend on temperature changes for cues when to procreate/release seeds
Only some species can catch up to these cues, and those who symbiotically depend on
each other may face endangerment
Coral reefs already stressed
Humans also will be effected
An increase in heat death is predicted
The rate of the spread of infectious diseases has also increased
evidenced by El Nino events

Conservation Biology
Biodiversity is measured at three levels

Diversity within species, species diversity, and ecosystem diversity

All three are threatened

Conservation Biology surveys and maintains all three levels

Also try to convince humanity to value the environment ( Some countries have smaller
mission statements)

Conservation Biologists identify biodiversity hotspots

Investment in the future (not for our childrens children us in twenty years)

Plants filtrate atmosphere, provide oxygen and hold soil in place

Bacteria get rid of environmental waste

Genetic diversity protects crops from diseases

Define ecoregions (Regions defined by climate, geography and biodiversity)
867 regions total

Try to figure out how to balance human comfort with ecosystem health

Often involves preservation reserves

Reserves often stimulate local economy with tourism

Ecological restoration is designed to re-establish destroyed ecosystems

Example: Marshes

HUGE wells of bio diversity and economic treasure troves of tourists

But these are often threatened by oil production and erosion

Major Restoration projects underway in Louisiana

Reducing Negative Impacts

The health of the planet depends on humanity

We must promote sustainability within the environment and in our life styles
Must reduce energy usage and wasted material goods
Globalisation has a little to blame for our material lifestyles
Allows for easier exchange of goods
We may never have seen where the resources come from, but that doesn't reduce their
impact on the environment
Material goods must be recycled/reused
Most if not all are made with metals and plastics, all non-renewable, but recyclable
We must be aware of the impacts of everything
From the effects of oil consumption (Acid rain, drives most economies) and recovery
to hydroelectric dams (clean energy, expensive and prevents salmon from breeding)
As a species, we must reduce our impact on the world around us
By choosing the eco-friendly options and trying to minimize use of energy and
material goods
As a society, we must adjust to supporting the environment
Through mass personal sacrifice and collaboration, we may save our species from
extinction (At least we can wipe out each rather than nature doing it for us)

Citations
Dodo Bird Illustration
davidreilly.com
Panda Bear Picture
bearsoftheworld.net
Mammoth Illustration
thestudio.uiowa.edu
Desertification Picture
ies.jrc.ec.europa.eu
Ozone Depletion Pictures
prezi.com
Polar Bear Image
telegraph.co.uk
Conservation Biology Picture
rebeccajarvis.info