HUMAN ECOLOGY

• Ecology


  Science of relationship between living organisms and their environment
• Human ecology


  Relationship between people and their environment
• Ecosystem


  Environment perceived in human ecology
• Biological community


  Living parts of an ecosystem (microorganism, plant, animals and humans)
• Basic components of ecosystem

  • Producers
  • Consumers
  • Decomposers and Nutrient Cycling
• Producers


  • Living organisms in ecosystem that take in energy from sunlight and use it to transform CO2 and O2 into sugars (plants, algae and photosynthetic bacteria)
  • Form the base of food web and largest group in ecosystem by weight or biomass
• Consumers


  • Herbivores
  • Carnivores
  • Omnivores
• Decomposers and Nutrient Cycling

  • Living component of ecosystem that breaks down waste material and dead organisms (earthworms, dung beetles, fungi and bacteria)
  • Perform a vital recyclying function, returning nutrients incorporated into dead organisms to the soil where plants can take them up again
  • The final step in cyclical ecosystem process
• Adaptation


  Dynamic evolutionary process that fits organisms to their environment, enhancing their evolutionary fitness
• Conservation

  Scientific study of nature, with the aim of protecting species, their habitats and ecosystems from extinction
• Different types of conservation

  • Environmental Conservation
  • Animal Conservation
  • Marine Conservation
  • Human Conservation
• Environmental Conservation


  Environment being used in a way that is sustainable example is recycling household waste, replant trees, educating people how to take care of our environment
• Animal Conservation


  Practice of protecting endangered wild animal species along with their habitats
• Marine Conservation


  Protection of species and ecosystems that live in oceans and seas by reducing human activities like fishing, whaling and water pollution
• Human Conservation


  • People are in danger and certain procedures need to be put in place to keep them alive
  • By living amongst communities, learning about their customs and traditions, helping them improve their standards of living, we can work towards conserving those humans in need
• Climate Change


  • A change in the statistical distribution of weather pattern when that change lasts for an extended period of time
  • Caused by factors like biotic processes, variation in solar radiation received by earth, plate tectonics and volcanic eruptions
  • Global warming
• Climate Impacts on Human Health

  • Temperature-Related Impacts
  • Air Quality Impacts
  • Increase in Ozone
  • Changes in Particulate Matter
  • Changes in Allergens and Asthma Triggers
• Temperature-Related Impacts


  • Warmer temperature leads to hotter das and frequent and longer heat waves
• Air Quality Impacts


  • Changes in climate affect he air we breath both indoors and outdoors
  • Warmer temperature worsens air quality which may lead to asthma attacks
• Increase in Ozone


  • Warmer temperature increase frequency of days with unhealthy levels of ground-level ozone, harmful air pollutant and component of smog
• Changes in Particulate Matter

  • Fine particles that include dust, wildfire smoke and sea spray occur naturally while some is created by human activities such as burning of fossil fuels to produce energy
• Changes in Allergens and Asthma Triggers

  • Rising CO2 concentrations and temperature lead to earlier flowering, more flowers and increased pollen levels
• Impacts from Extreme Weather Events

  • Reducing availability of safe food and drinking water
  • Damaging roads and bridges, disrupting access to hospitals and pharmacies
  • Interrupting communication, utility and health care services
  • Contributing to carbon monoxide poisoning from improper use of portable electric generators during and after storms
  • Increasing stomach and intestinal illness particularly power outages
  • Creating or worsening mental health impacts such as depression and PTSD
• Vector-borne Diseases


  • Illnesses that are transmitted by disease vectors – mosquitoes, ticks and fleas
  • Vectors carry infectious pathogens from animals to human (virus, bacteria, parasites)
  • Spread of climate-sensitive diseases depend on both climate and non-climate factors such as land use, socioeconomic and cultural conditions, pest control, access to health care and human responses to disease risk
• Water-Related Illnesses


  • People get sick when exposed to contaminated drinking or recreational water
  • Climate change increases risk of illness through increasing temperature
  • Health impacts include GI illness like diarrhea, effect on body's nervous and respiratory systems or liver and kidney damage
• Food Safety and Nutrition Impacts

  • Higher air temperature increases case of Salmonella and other bacteria-related food poisoning
  • Climate change increases the risk of exposure to chemical contaminants in food
  • Higher concentration of CO2 in air act as fertilizer for some plants but lowers level of protein and essential minerals in crops such as wheat, rice and potatoes making it less nutritious
  • Flooding and drought create challenges for food distribution if roads and waterways are damaged or becomes inaccessible
• Mental Health


  • Experiencing extreme weather event can cause stress particularly when a person loses his loved ones or home
  • Studies found out that having a pre-existing mental illness tripled the risk of death during heath waves
• Factors contributing to vulnerability to health risks from climate change

  • Sensitivity
  • Exposure
  • Adaptive capacity
• Populations of concern


  • Communities of low income
  • Older adults, children and pregnant women
  • Occupational groups like outdoor workers, paramedics, firefighters and transportation workers
  • People with disabilities
  • People with chronic medical conditions