human impacts

• how is industrial waste affecting the air?

  smoke and gases are being added into the atmosphere constantly particularly by power stations and cars.
• how is industrial waste affecting the land?

  land pollutants include:

  • toxic herbicides and pesticides used in farming.
  • buried nuclear waste.
  • household waste in landfill sites.
• how is industrial waste affecting water?

  sewage and toxic chemicals, which are produced by industrial practices, as well as excess fertiliser from agriculture, all find their way into the Earth's water sources.
• why has the human population been rapdidly expanding in recent decades?

  modern medicine and agricultural methods are the underlying causal factors of this trend, due to their role in greatly reducing deaths caused by disease and hunger.
• what have humans done to damage global biodiversity?

  • deforestation: production often replaces forests.
  • production: uses natural resources and often takes place in land that used to be forests/greenery.
• how does deforestation affect biodiversity?

  deforestation destroys habitats. This causes biodiversity to be lost.
• how does deforestation affect carbon dioxide?

  The burning of trees and the decompisition of wood increases the rate of carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere. As less photosynthesis is taking place, less carbon dioxide can be removed from the atmosphere.
• how does deforestation affect methane?

  Forests are often chopped down to be replaced by agriculture, with the purpose of growing rice or farming cattle. These activities produce methane, which is a greenhouse gas.
• how does deforestation affect ecosystem services?

  deforestation causes a loss of ecosystem services provided by forests, such as erosion prevention, flood control, and food provision.
• how does global warming affect sea surface temperatures?

  Rising sea surface temperatures are causing bleaching of sensitive corals.
• how does global warming affect reduction of biodiversity?

  the rate at which the climate is changing makes rapid adaptation key to avoiding extinction. This is particularly challenging for large-bodied animals that typically have longer generation times.
• how does global warmimg affect migration patterns?

  many migration patterns are likely to be altered by global warming.
• how does global warming affect ocean acidification?

  Increased acidification (becoming more acidic) of the oceans is making it harder for corals to build their skeletons.
• how does global warming affect ice?

  melting ice causes sea levels to rise, which could flood coastal habitats forever, losing the land and associated biodiversity. Changes to the way sea ice changes through the year is affecting the survival of animals at both poles.
• how does global warming affect extreme meteorological events?

  extreme meteorological events, such as floods, droughts, severe storms, and wildfires are happening more often.
• how does global warming affect distribution of species?

  malaria-carrying mosquitoes have already spread to several european countries. It is possible that malaria and similar exotic diseases will become an established part of life as far as North as the UK in the near futurre.
• what is an example of a species that has been affected by changes in sea ice at the north pole during the year?

  sea ice fragmentation has lead to the drowning of some polar bear cubs in the arctic circle
• what is an example of a species that has been affected by changes in sea ice at the south pole during the year?

  Adélie penguins feed on krill, which breed and feed beneath the sea ice. Reduction in the extent of sea ice results in fewer krill, and less food for these penguins.
• what are the benefits of eutrophication?

  eutrophication is when nutrient levels in a body of water increase. in nutrient-poor environments, this can cause improved growth.
• what is the problen with eutrophication?

  it causes algae blooms (sudden increases in algae) which are toxic to many other species.
• what are the benefits of fish farming?

  fish farming (bredding fish for food in partly-enclosed water) reduces the pressure of overfishing on wild fish populations.
• what are the problems with fish farming?

  parasites, diseases and excess nutrients can leak into the surrounding environment.
• what are the benefits of invasive species?

  invasive species are not native to a habitat, but have been introduced (sometimes accidentally) by humans. Rats, cats, dogs and lice have been introduced by humans to most places in the world.
• what are the problems with invasive species?

  these species outcompete native species and cause a loss of biodiversity. There have been many efforts to remove invasive species.
• when will food security be achieved?

  when the whole global population has acess to enough safe and nutricious food to stay healthy.
• how is diet shift an obstacle towards food security?

  diet shifts in developed countries are resulting in the accumulation of a massive quantity of food miles. This is because food is transported across the world in order to meet demands.
• how is birth rates an obstacle towards food security?

  Increasing birth rates, especially in sub-Saharan Africa
• how is conflict an obstacle towards food security?

  conflicts often result in reduced acessibility to food and water.
• how are extreme meteorological events obstacles towards food security?

  the increase in frequency of extreme meteorological events associated with climate change.
• how are new pests + pathogents are obstacles towards food security?

  new pests and pathogens can reduce farming yields.
• how are costs of agricultural inputs obstacles towards food security?

  agricultural inputs, such as fertiliser, are essential for ensuring that food is produced at sufficient yields. Their increasing price means farmers can afford less and yields suffer.
• what are the obstacles towards food security?

  • agricultural inputs
  • new pests + pathogens
  • extreme meteorological events
  • conflicts
  • birth rates
  • diet shifts
• what are human activities that impact the environment positively + negatively?

  • invasive species
  • eutrophication
  • fish farming
• biodiversity is a valuable source of which resources?

  • food
  • money
  • medicine
• how have rare and threatened habitat reduced human's negative impacts on biodiversity?

  efforts are being made to protect and regenerate these habitats. For example, many protected areas have been created. There have been reforestation efforts. This restores biodiversity, and trees provide ecosystem services like reducing flooding and absorbing carbon dioxide from the air.
• how was recycing waste reduced human's negative impacts on biodiversity?

  recycling slows down the expansion of landfill sites and reduces the need to extract new natural resources.
• how was breeding programmes reduced human's negative impacts on biodiversity?

  breeding programmes for endangered species can be important for preventing extinction events. Many zoos have breeding programmes for rare species.
• how has incentivising farming reduced human's negative impacts on biodiversity?

  farmers are being incentivised (encouraged )to maintain field margins and hedgerows because these habitats can support biodiversity.
• how has government-imposed targets reduced human's negative impacts on biodiversity?

  these can be related to things like deforestation and emission reductions.
• which species show the level of water quality?

  • bloodworm and sludgeworm can live in highly polluted waters.
  • freshwater shrimp and stonefly can only live in clean water.