Effects of human activity on the ecosystem

Biology Study Notes GCE Study Buddy

Impact of Humans
Humans pose a huge threat to lives of animals, plants and
their environment

Our impact is so great due to:

- technologies that change the world so quickly

- population increase
- consumption of natural resources, and waste

Deforestation
Reasons
Urban development land has to be cleared for building

houses, roads, factories etc Cultivation land for growing crops Grazing large open grasslands needed for grazing by cattle, sheep, horses, etc Timber wood needed for construction, paper industry, fuel Fibres plants are useful sources of fibres for producing synthetic textiles

Damaging effects of deforestation

Soil erosion
Forests important in soil stability The leafy canopy of the tress in tropical rainforests protects the

soil from the impact of falling rain The roots hold soil and water, and release water gradually to the soil below and to the nearby streams and likes With trees removed, the soil is exposed directly to the force of the rain Topsoil, the most fertile layer, gets washed away during heavy rain especially on steep slopes When the whole of the topsoil is washed down sheet erosion Without the trees forming a shelter belt, the soil is also exposed to wind erosion

Damaging effects of deforestation

Flooding
Eroded soil may be deposited in rivers and streams
blocking flow of water Rainwater is not retained and released slowly as trees have been removed The water levels in rivers rise rapidly Water flows inland causing floods

Damaging effects of deforestation

Desertification
Sunlight falls directly onto the soil and water evaporates directly

from the soil which then hardens With the topsoil eroded, plant life cannot be supported Other organisms which depend directly or indirectly upon plants for food, also disappear land becomes barren The destruction of land leading to desert-like conditions is called desertification Desertification results in Loss of habitats Extinction of many species of organisms Loss of robust wild species of plants that may be useful in
treating diseases The delicate balance between oxygen and carbon dioxide becomes upset Climatic changes

Climatic changes due to desertification

In the forest, rainwater is retained and absorbed by the
roots of trees

The water is lost during transpiration The relative humidity of the air around the forest is high

The water vapour eventually condenses and

precipitates as rain

When the trees are cleared, the area becomes dry and
warm, and annual rainfall decreases

Pollution
Air pollution
Results mainly from incomplete burning of fuels such as
coal, oil petrol and wood The gaseous pollutants may be due to human activities or natural occurrences such as biological decay, forest fires or volcanic eruptions

Air Pollutants
Sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides
From burning of fossil fuels coal, oil, natural gases Sulphur dioxide at high concentrations has damaging effects on
both plants and animals Sulphur dioxide penetrates the leaves through the stomata this damages the leaves and kills the plants In humans, sulphur dioxide irritates and damages the sensitive lining of the eyes, air passages and lungs Acid rain: sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen react with oxygen and rainwater directly to form sulphuric acid and nitric acid respectively Causes death of fish in lakes and rivers Acid rain dissolves aluminium salts in the soil and washes them
into rivers and lakes poisonous to fishes

Air Pollutants
Smog
Main component is sulphur dioxide Smog is a mixture of smoke and fog Happens when a layer of warm air lies like a lid on top of
cool air the cool air together with pollutants such as smoke and sulphur dioxide is prevented from escaping They accumulate in the stagnant air until they reach such high concentrations as to produce lethal results

Air Pollutants
Lead
May be present in the air, water and the food we eat Lead poisoning occurs when lead accumulates in the
body over long periods High concentrations of lead in the body may cause cramps, loss of control of the hands and feet, and even coma

Air Pollutants
Carbon monoxide
Main source is from exhaust of motor vehicles Carbon monoxide combines with haemoglobin in the red
blood cells to form carboxyharmoglobin This reduces the capacity of the blood to transport oxygen round the body May be fatal in high concentrations

Air Pollutants
Carbon dioxide
Burning of organic compounds releases carbon dioxide
into the air Industrialization and increasing car population results in carbon dioxide being released in increasing concentrations into the atmosphere The gas forms a layer over the earths surface retaining the heat radiating from the earths surface greenhouse effect The result may be global warming

Global Warming
Earths atmosphere is an insulating layer - It lets the
Suns heat in but also stops some going out

Increase in carbon dioxide due to:

1) Deforestation (loss in photosynthesis) 2) Combustion of fossil fuels

Increase in methane due to:

1) livestock farming

2) rotting plant material

3) drilling for oil and gas

Air Pollutants
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
Non-toxic, unreactive chemicals Used as aerosol propellants, as cooling agents in
refrigerators and air conditioners, and in foam packaging Ozone is a gas that forms a layer over the earth. It absorbs much of the UV rays from sunlight When CFCs are released into the atmosphere from aerosols, etc, they break down the ozone layer, allowing more UV light penetrate into the earth increases risk of skin cancer

Ways of reducing air pollution

Use catalytic converters in cars

Less use of cars

Use filters or scrubbers on chimneys to remove sulphur
dioxide

Use non-fossil fuels in factories or less use of fossil fuels

especially near more densely populated areas

Use alkalis to neutralize acidic waste products from factories

before they are released to the environment

Use ozone-friendly products to prevent ozone depletion

Water pollution
Waste materials dumped into rivers and streams

Sewage
Untreated sewage discharged into rivers and lakes contains
bacteria Sewage is a good source of food for bacteria Bacteria grow and multiply rapidly using up oxygen in the water Other organisms, including fishes, die due to lack of oxygen Anaerobic bacteria then continue breaking down the organic wastes releasing foul-smelling gases like hydrogen sulphide and ammonia Untreated sewage may contain bacteria that cause diseases like cholera and typhoid

Water pollution
Inorganic wastes
Poisonous metals such as mercury, arsenic and cadmium Contaminates fish, seafood which are then consumed by
humans

Water pollution
Fertilisers containing plant nutrients are sprayed onto fields
so that plants can grow faster and boost crop yields. Contain nitrates and phosphates which are useful nutrients for
the growth of algae and plants

Rain means may wash nutrients from the fields and into
rivers and lakes (this is called run-off).

Eutrophication (hyper-nutrition from fertiliser pollution)

occurs
Profuse growth and multiplication of algae and green plants occur Algae grows fast using up lots of oxygen and blocking sunlight Plants begin to die providing food for microbes Microbes increase the competition for oxygen Water becomes de-oxygenated causing aquatic life to die

Water pollution
Pesticides
used to kill insects and other crop damaging micro-organisms can effect
the food chain Pesticides can be absorbed by small aquatic animals Fish each the animals, which have eaten pesticide Birds eat the fish

Insecticides
Used to kill insects Some insecticides eg DDT (dichloro-diphenyl trichloroethane) are non
biodegradable means that cannot be broken down by bacteria Insecticides may be carried by rainwater into streams, rivers and lakes In high concentrations, they may poison fish or animals that drink the polluted water or feed on the contaminated fish DDT is insoluble in water It is not excreted but instead is stored in the fatty tissues of animals accumulates in the bodies of consumer results in the insecticide being passed along food chains, increasing in concentration in the bodies of organisms along the trophic levels

Water pollution
Herbicides
Used to kill weeds Certain herbicides eg 2:4:5T, contain an impurity called
dioxin which is harmful to human beings When it is washed by rainwater into streams and rivers, it pollutes the water supply Dioxins may cause miscarriages in women, physical and mental abnormalities in children and increase risk of cancer

Advantages and Disadvantages of Pesticides

Advantages Healthier crops Disadvantages Non-biodegradable pesticides may cause pollution, and may increase in concentration along the food chain Useful organisms in the environment may be killed Some pesticides are expensive

Higher yields of crops Socio-economic advantages eg more food is available, more profit for farmers

Pests may develop resistance against the pesticides

Conservation
Protection and preservation of natural resources in the environment Reasons for conservation Ensure protection of plant and animal species and to prevent their

extinction Maintain a stable and balanced ecosystem prevents disruption of natural cycles and global warming Maintain a large gene pool wild plants and animals possess favorable genes by cross-breeding the different varieties of wild plants and animals, can improve yield, vigor and quality of organisms Ensure conservation of marine life, as marine fisheries are a major source of human food Ensure conservation of tropical rainforests as they are of economic importance sources of raw material for industries, medicinal drugs, natural insecticides and food Scientific value useful information for Mans survival Preserves the natural scenery and wildlife for people to appreciate, maintain natural resources for outdoor recreational activities

Conserve fishing grounds

Measures
Ban use of drift nets which indiscriminately trap all forms

of sea life Use nets with a certain mesh size so that young fish are not caught Regulate size of ships allowed into fishing grounds Limit period of fishing in the grounds Ban the harvesting of endangered species, encourage raising of these fish in hatcheries and release them into fishing grounds

Recycling of materials
Recycling:

Reduces waste disposal Reduces pollution Recycling sewage saves water Saves energy and money