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Biodiversity
Biodiversity – the variety of different organisms found within an ecosystem .
• One of Earth’s greatest natural resources.
Biodiversity
The biodiversity of living things on our Earth are classified into
the six kingdoms:
Archaebacteria
Bacteria
Protista
Fungi
Plants
Animals
Reasons for Biodiversity in the Klamath Siskiyous
• Rugged Terrain prevents logging and extraction of minerals.
Reasons for Biodiversity in the Klamath Siskiyous
• Rugged Terrain prevents roads from being created, which limits human contact with much of our local wildlife
Reasons for Biodiversity in the Klamath Siskiyous
• Rugged Terrain creates geographically isolated locations that contain plants and animals that are found no where else on earth!
Reasons for Biodiversity in the Klamath Siskiyous
• Our climate has remained the same for millions of years, allowing species that would have gone extinct in other areas with changing climates to still be found alive today.
Reasons for Biodiversity in the Klamath Siskiyous
• Much of our land is now protected by being part of state and national parks, BLM and forest service land, as well as wilderness areas and wild and scenic classifications of our rivers.
Threats to Biodiversity
Extinction – Occurs when a species disappears from all or part of its range
a) Endangered species – a species who’s population size is declining in a way that places it in danger of extinction.
Threats to Biodiversity
1. Hunting and demand for Wildlife Products
a) If overdone, can push species to extinction
Threats to Biodiversity
2. Pollution: harmful materials that can enter the biosphere through land, air or water.
a) Human activities release toxic compounds that can collect in animal tissues.
b) Biological magnification –occurs when the concentration of a harmful substance increases in organisms at higher trophic levels in the food chain
Threats to Biodiversity
3. Habitat Alteration and Fragmentation
a) When land is developed, habitats can be destroyed and species vanish.
b) Habitat Fragmentation – occurs when ecosystems split into smaller pieces that are more vulnerable to further disturbances.
Threats to Biodiversity
4. Invasive species – non-native species that increase their populations quickly because their new habitat lacks the parasites and predators that normally control their populations.
Threats to Biodiversity5. Ozone Depletion:
Ozone layer – a layer of ozone gas (O3) between 20-50 km above the earth’s surface.
1. Absorbs harmful UV radiation from the sun
2. UV radiation can cause: cancer
3. Large holes in the ozone layer have developed over the north and south poles of the Earth.
a) Caused by CFC’s – compounds in aerosols, coolants, and making plastic foams (like Styrofoam).
Global Warming
A. Global Warming – The increase in the average temperature of the biosphere.
Global WarmingB. The Greenhouse Effect
1. Burning fossil fuels and cutting down trees by humans has increased the amount of CO2 and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere that trap heat.
2. Increased temperatures melt polar ice caps and cause world wide climate changes.
Conservation
Conservation – The wise management of natural resources, including the preservation of habitats and wildlife.
Ecology Notes part 3
Natural Resources Notes
Human Population Growth
– The current human population is 7.1 billion people.
– By 2050, scientists estimate that the world population may reach over 9 billion people!
– Many scientists believe that if our population growth does not slow down, there could be serious, lasting damage to the environment and the global economy.
World Clock
Human Population and Natural Resource Use
– With increased human population, we are using more and more of the Earth’s natural resources.
– Two types of Resources are:
− Renewable resources : resources that can be regenerated, regrown, or replaced.
Examples: fresh water, air, soil, trees, sunlight
− Nonrenewable resources – resources that cannot be replenished by natural processes.
Examples: oil, coal, natural gas, old growth trees
Natural Resources– Sustainable use – a way of using natural resources at a rate that does not
deplete them and cause long-term harm.
- Examples of Sustainable Use:
– Reusing paper and plastic supplies.
– Recycling paper, plastics, metals.
– Using solar or wind power for electricity.
– Riding a bike or walking. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ib3Duz_6a9M https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-50GjySwew
– Buying locally grown foods and other local products
– Upgrade electronic devices less often and RECYCLE your phone!!!
– Turning off the water while you brush your teeth!
– Other ideas: ________________________
Soil and its Importance• Many objects you use daily rely on
soil (your food, wood for construction, paper).
• Healthy soil supports agriculture and forests.
• Good topsoil allows water to drain and retains moisture.
• Topsoil is a renweable resource if it is managed properly, but it can be damaged or lost if it isn’t managed.
• Healthy soil can take hundreds of years to form but can be lost very quickly.
Soil erosion: the movement of soil by wind or water.
– Soil erosion is often worse when land is plowed and left barren between plantings.
– When soil is eroded, organic matter and minerals that make it fertile are often carried away with the soil.
Desertification – turning fertile land into deserts
– This happened in the Great Plains in the 1930s.
Threats to soil resources
• Years of poorly managed farming in addition to a severe drought in the 1930s badly eroded the soils that were once very fertile in the Great Plains.
• This was known as the Dust Bowl.
• Thousands and thousands of people lost their jobsand their homes.
Threats to soil resources
• Roughly 40% of Earth’s land is at risk for desertification.
• What is Desertification Risk?
• The US Dept of Agriculture assigns a dessertification risk based on soil type and climate.
Threats to soil resources
– Deforestation – removal of all trees from land for logging, agriculture, and grazing.
- In less than 40 years, we have destroyed over 50% of our tropical forests.
- Every minute, 32 city blocks of forest are destroyed.
- If the current rate continues, most of our tropical rain forests will be gone by the year 2035!
Threats to soil resources
– Effects of deforestation
- Severe soil erosion (esp. on mountainsides)
- Decreased rainfall and soil fertility
- Decrease in oxygen and increase in carbondioxide in the atmosphere.
- Loss of habitat for wildlife.
Threats to soil resources
What can we do?
• Leaving stems and roots from the previous year’s crop in the ground or by growing a cover crop can help keep soil in place.
• Rotating crops each year can help soil because different crops take different nutrients from the soils.
• Contour plowing is a practice in which crops are planted across the slope of the land instead of down it.
What can we do?
Sustainable forestry is a practice in which only some of the mature trees are harvested. This allows the younger trees to continue to grow without disturbing the ecosystem, including the soil.
Selectively harvested forest- only some trees are removed.
Clearcut forestry- all trees are removed.
What can we do?
Protect the quality of soil by limiting pollution and the use of chemicals.
Water and its Importance
• Humans depend on fresh water and freshwater ecosystems for drinking water, recreation, industry, transportation, energy and waste disposal.
Water and its Importance
• Only 3% of the Earth’s water is fresh water and most of it is locked in ice at the poles.
Water and its Importance
• Since we can’t keep using a resource that is limited in supply, it is important that we protect the ecosystems that collect and purifywater.
• Water can be considered a renewable resource if it doesn’t become severely polluted.
What is a Watershed?Watershed: all the land whose groundwater, streams, rivers, all drain to the same place.
Example: Bear Creek Watershed
• When we burn fossil fuels, we release nitrogen and sulfer compounds into the air. When those compounds combine with water vapor in the air they form acid rain.
• Acid Rain has a lower pH than normal rain (pH of 4-6).
Threats to Water Resources
Effects of Acid Rain
–Destruction of forests
–Fish and other aquatic organisms die
–Changes in water and soil pH
Threats to Water Resources
Freshwater can be affected by different kinds of pollution.
• Pollutants – harmful materials that can enter the biosphere through land, air, or water.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qT-rOXB6NI
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/10/27/what.matters.huai/index.html?iref=mpstoryview
Threats to Water Resources
Biological magnification: Occurs when the concentration of a harmful substance increases in organisms at higher trophic levels in a food chain.
• These high concentrations can cause serious problems for wildlife and humans.
• In the 1950s DDT threatened fish-eating birds, like eagles.
• Mercury accumulates in certain fish (like tuna) and is a concern for humans today.
Threats to Water Resources
Water pollution and loss
• Currently, about 20% of the world’s population doesn’t have access to safe, clean drinking water.
• Due to water pollution and human population growth, the demand for fresh water is increasing.
• By 2050, the U.N. predicts water scarcity will effect between 2 billion and 7 billion people.
Threats to Water Resources
What Can We Do?
Protect our natural water filters: • Example: As water runs through wetlands, plants absorb excess
nutrients and filter out certain pollutants.
• Examples: keeping our soils clean will allow our water to stay clean as water flows under ground and is filtered by the rocks and soil.
• Examples: Planting trees and shrubs along the water’s edge keeps our lakes and rivers at a cooler temperature, and their roots keep the soil along the banks in place.
What Can We Do?
Reduce pollution to maintain water quality in our watershed.
• Example: Using less pesticides to kill pests , and instead, using predators and parasites to control pests.
• Example: Buying local fruits and vegetables that have been grown without the use of chemical fertilizers and weren’t transported long distances.
What Can We Do?• Another way to ensure water
sustainability is to conserve, or save, it.
Example: These plants are provided water
right to their roots so water isn’t lost by evaporation.
Example: This house catches water from
the roof and stores it in containers until it is needed.
Drip irrigation
Water catchment
Atmosphere (air) resources
For most if the Earth’s history, the quality of the Earth’s atmosphere has been naturally maintained by the Earth’s cycles of matter.
If these cycles become disrupted, or if we overload the atmosphere with pollutants, the effects on its quality can last a very long time.
Atmosphere (air) resources
We rely on the Oxygen in our atmosphere for cell respiration. The quality of our atmosphere has direct effect on our health.
Ozone is a form of Oxygen that is found in the upper atmosphere. The ozone absorbs harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Ozone also protects our skin from damage that can cause cancer.
– Ozone DepletionHuman activities have been partly responsible for removing a layer
of ozone gas (O3) in our atmosphere.
- The ozone layer protects us from the sun’s harmful UV radiation.
- Ozone depletion is caused by chemicals used in aerosols, plastic foams like styrofoam, and refrigeration coolants.
– Effects of Ozone DepletionIncrease in global temperature
Increase in skin cancer rates.
Threats to Air Resources
Atmosphere (air) resources
The Greenhouse Effect – when gases in the atmosphere trap heat energy and maintain the Earth’s temperature range.
Without these gases, the Earth would be about 30 degrees Celcius cooler than it is today.
Greenhouse Effect:
Because humans are releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, more heat is being trapped in our atmosphere and may be causing global warming and climate change.
Common greenhouse gases:
Threats to Air Resources
– Effects of Climate Change
• Rise in sea levels
• More frequent severe storms and weather disturbances.
• More frequent droughts and floods.
• Changes in geographic distribution of species.
Threats to Air Resources
– Air Pollution:
• Smog – a mixture of chemicals that occurs as a gray-brown haze in the sky.
The U.S. alone releases 700,000 tons of air pollutants each day!
Threats to Air Resources
– Using wood stoves that are certified by Oregon (they add less particles into the air!)
– Composting leaves instead of burning them!
– Planting trees and other plants.
– Driving a vehicle that uses less fuel…
– or better yet, BIKING or WALKING!
– Keeping our homes insulated so you save energy heating and cooling it.
– Using organic fertilizers in our yards. Chemical fertilizers pollute the air and water.
What Can We Do?
![6 3 biodiversity[1]](https://img.pdfslide.us/doc/110x75/5461d293af79592e408b825f/6-3-biodiversity1.jpg)
