AimWhat does the phrase “Human impact on Ecosystems” mean?

Explain what has happened to the polar bear in the picture below.

Ecosystem- all the living and non-living

things that interact in a certain area of the

environment

Environmental Impact• All living things,

including humans, affect the environment around them

Beaver Example• Beavers build

dams and affect the flow of water in the river

Termite Example• Termite affect

the environment by eating wood on trees

Human Impact• As a result of technology

we are making more significant changes to the environment.

• Give an example of how technology changes the environment? Where are i-phones made?

Stress on the Environment• Human growth

consumption depletes resources that the earth contains• Industrialization

Pollutions affect on an Ecosystem

• Pollution decreases the stability of an

ecosystem• Pollution decreases biodiversity by

harming species habitat

Depletion• Depletion

means a serious reduction in a short period of time

Finite Supply• They cannot be

replaced naturally• We will

eventually run out of supplies

What are some human activities that negatively affect the environment?

Deforestation• Cutting trees

down• Destroys Habitats • Causes Erosion• Decreases

Biodiversity

Why do we cut trees? For Industry (Jobs)• Paper• Housing• Furniture

Fossil fuels• Fuels that come from

the ground• Burning them produces

energy to heat our homes, run our cars, and produce energy to run factories

• Examples- Oil, Gas and Coal

Burn Fossil Fuels• Produces Carbon

Dioxide (CO2)

(Greenhouse gas) • Causes Global

Warming• Melts the Ice

Caps

Natural Resources• Renewable – Resources

can be replaced quickly (Solar and wind power)• Non-Renewable-

Resources cannot be replaced quickly

(Fossil Fuels-Oil, Coal, Gas)

Ozone Depletion• Caused by Freon gas in

refrigerators and air conditioners

• More UV (ultra-violet) rays reach the earths

surface• Causes mutations and

skin cancer

Strip Mining•Depletes

Resources•Causes Erosion

Overfishing• Kills fish• Depletes

supply of fish for future generations

How does the government prevent pollution?

•Pass Laws to prevent it • Impose a

fine or penalty

AimHow and why do we need to preserve our natural resources?

How do we preserve resources?

• Reduce consumption• Reuse

resources• Recycle

Reduce• Carpooling• Mass transit• Conserve (walk

or ride your bike)

Reuse• Grocery Bags•Water bottles• Plastic plates

Recycle•Plastic•Paper• Scrap metal•Glass

Why do we need to conserve resources?

• Resources are finite (limited), so we will run out• Prevents

pollution

Define Pollution• Pollution is the

harmful change in the environment that will affect an organisms habitat (where it lives)

Types of Pollution • Air pollution• Water pollution• Land pollution

Natural Recycling•Water Cycle•Carbon

Cycle•Nutrients

Water Cycle• Ecosystems

maintain a supply of water to survive

Carbon Cycle• Animals take in

oxygen and release carbon dioxide

(Cellular Respiration)• Plants take in

carbon dioxide an release oxygen

(Photosynthesis)

Nutrients Recycle• Plants use nutrients in

the soil to grow• Nutrients are

transferred through food chain

• Dead and waste of organisms are recycled and put back into the soil by decomposers

(Bacteria and Fungi)

AimHow do people affect the way ecosystems function?

The Flow of Energy • Energy is passed

through the environment but NOT recycled

• Energy pyramid loses large amount of energy to heat

• Sun is constant source of energy

Population Growth• The population

levels off as it reaches an ecosystems carrying capacity

Direct Harvesting• Destruction or removal

of a species from a habitat which can lead to extinction

• An example is when an exotic animal is removed for a pet

( Cute monkey or parrot)

Invasive Species• When people remove a

species from one environment to another

• They become pest because they usually have no natural enemy and multiply quickly

Land Use• As human populations

grow we need more resources to make things we need

(clothes, MP3 players and cars)

• Need more space for factories and homes

Deforestation• Need to clear land

to make homes and factories

• This leads to habitat destruction

Leads to Loss of Biodiversity

• Direct Harvesting• Imported

Species• Deforestation

AimWhat is the impact of technology and industrialization on the environment?

Industrialization• The development

of an economy in which machines produce our products

We Need Power • Burn fossil

fuels• Nuclear fuels

(splits atoms)

Power Plants Cause: •Water

pollution•Air pollution

Water Pollution• Sewage from a

power plants can act as a fertilizer

• Plants bloom using up oxygen resulting in fish suffocating

Toxic Waste• Poisonous waste

dumped in rivers end up in the food chain

• Many organisms are killed as a result of these toxins

Air Pollution Burning fossil fuels

leads to• Increase in CO2 levels

(Global Warming)• Acid rain • Smog

AimHow will the choices we make today affect our environment tomorrow?

Advances in Technology• New factories• Increase crop yield• Efficient cars• New Computers

and iPods

Technology Creates Problems

• Mainly environmental

• There is a cost to everything

• For each new technology we must assess the risk

A trade-off• We have to

analyze the cost verse the benefit• Is it worth it? (Pros and Cons)

Today's decisions affect our future

• The decisions we make today will affect our future environment

Decisions have Consequences• The trade off was

power produced verses a possible nuclear accident

• Was it worth it?

Aim

Ecology Review

Ecology• The study of how

organisms interact with living and nonliving things that surround them

Terms to Know• Biotic factors-

Living things• Abiotic factors-

Nonliving things

Biotic vs AbioticBiotic• Animals • Plants• Bacteria• Dead organisms

Abiotic• The Sun• Water (Lake)• Oxygen• Temperature• Nutrients

Ecosystem• All living things

and nonliving things interacting together

Habitat• The specific

environment an organisms lives in is called a habitat

• Examples- Frogs- Pond Birds- Trees Whales- Oceans

Niche• The specific role

an organism plays in an ecosystem

(Sea Otter- What it eats and who eats it)

Population•Members of

a single species in a given area

Community• All the

different populations combined

Biosphere• Atmosphere

(Air)• Hydrosphere

(Water)• Lithosphere

(Land)

Concepts of Ecology• Energy is

transferred from one organism to another

• Materials (chemicals) are recycled

AimEcology Review 2

Competition• Recourses are

finite(limited) so organisms must compete for them to survive

Limiting Factors• Factors in the

environment that limit the size of the population

Carrying Capacity• The number of

organisms of any single species that an ecosystem can support

Predator• An organism

that kills and eats another organism

Prey• Organisms

that are killed for food

Food Chains• Food chains

show what eats what • Shows the flow

or transfer of energy

Food Web• Food Wed is many

interconnected food chains

• Organisms can eat more than one kind of organism

• More complex and accurate than a food chain

AimWhat are the important components of a food chain?

Constant Source of Energy• The important

ABIOTIC factor that provides energy to the food chain is the SUN

• Energy is NOT recycled its transferred

Autotrophs• Organisms that

make their own food• Also called

Producers• First in chain

Heterotrophs• Organisms

that have to eat to obtain energy

•Consumers

Consumers• Carnivores

(Meat)• Herbivores (Plants)• Omnivores

(Both)

Decomposers• They consume the

waste of dead organisms

• Decomposers recycle nutrients back to soil for plants to use

• Bacteria and Fungi

Stability of Food Chain• Must have more

producers than consumers• Must have

decomposers to recycle nutrients

AimWhat is an Energy Pyramid?

Energy Pyramid• A Diagram that

shows the transfer of energy through a food chain or web

Energy lost to heat• Energy is lost to

the environment as heat at each level• Also lost as

metabolism

Producer to Consumers• Producers are

always at the bottom level

• All subsequent levels are consumers

Important Levels Levels• A- Tertiary consumers

• B- Secondary consumers

• C- Primary consumers

• D- Producers (plants)

Energy• Energy from sun

starts the pyramid and keeps it going

• Energy is transferred not recycled.

Chemicals(Materials) are Recycled

• Decomposers extract energy in dead organisms and return it to soil as Nutrients

• Bacteria and Fungi

AimWhat are the advantages of Biodiversity?

Biodiversity• The amount of

different species in an ecosystem

Ecosystem Stability• Biodiversity

leads to ecosystem stability• The more

species the better it is for all

Loss of Biodiversity• Natural disasters

(Tsunami)• Deforestation (Cutting down

trees)• Removal of a

species

Biodiversity Benefits Humans

Organisms provides humans with:• Medicines(aspirin)• Foods• Industrial

products

Value of Biodiversity• Ecosystem (Habitats)• Species (All Kinds)• Genetics (Evolution)

Aim What is Ecological Succession?

Ecological Succession• Series of

changes where one habitat is change to another

Modifications• Each step of the

way the environment is modified for the next stage to emerge(more stable)

First Example of Succession• Occurs after a

natural disaster Examples: - Tsunami - Volcanic Eruption

Second Example of Succession

• Change from a lake community to a forest

Facts on Succession• Each step is

modified for the next

• Each next step is more stable

• Most ecosystems will return to their natural state after a disaster