Resources

The Earth’s Resources• Natural resource is any part of the natural

environment that is used by humans for their benefit.

• Ex. Soil, water, crops, wildlife, oil, gas, minerals..

• Renewable resources are any natural resource that is replaced or recycled by natural processes.

• Ex. Plants, animals, sunlight….

• Nonrenewable resources are available only in limited amounts and is not replaced or recycled by natural processes.

• Ex. Metals (iron, aluminum, silver), minerals (phosphorus)……

• Fossil fuels, substances made up of the remains of organisms that have been buried underground for millions of years, are considered nonrenewable resources.

• Humans are consuming them far faster than they can be replaced.

• Ex. Oil, natural gas, coal....

• Animals and plants are natural resources, but sometimes the populations need help from us.

• When a population of a species begins declining rapidly, it is considered to be a threatened species.

• Ex. African elephants • 1970- 3,000,000• 1990- 700,000• Recently the population is thought to be about

690,000.

African Elephant

African elephants are killed for their ivory tusks.

The ivory is used to make trinkets.

• If a population of a species continues to decline so rapidly that extinction is possible, it is considered to be an endangered species.

• Ex. Florida panther, California condor, black rhino.

• There are programs designed to save these species and laws that protect them in the wild.

• Sometimes organisms can’t be saved and become extinct, where there is a total disappearance of an entire species.

• Ex. Passenger pigeons, Dodo bird, Carribbean monk seal.

California Condor•In 1987- 22 individuals•All were taken into captivity and bred•Currently there are about 300•Still critically endangered!!!

Florida Panther •The numbers are on the rise due to a breeding program with a Puma species from TX.

Black Rhinoceros•In 2004, only 2,410 rhinos remained.

•Caribbean monk seal was the only seal native to the Caribbean area.•Became extinct in 1950’s. •It was not afraid of humans, who killed the seals for oil.•It is possible that some still exist, but have not been seen since 1952.•The Dodo Bird went extinct in

the 1600’s. •It was flightless and lived on an island. Humans arrived on that island and ate the birds. Humans also destroyed the forests where the birds made their homes. Humans brought pigs, dogs, and rats that ate the eggs of the Dodo.

Which of the following is a natural resource?

Wate

r

Plastic

Polymers

Polyeste

r

25% 25%25%25%

1. Water2. Plastic3. Polymers4. Polyester

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Which of these is a nonrenewable resource?

Trees

Wate

r O

il

Weeds

25% 25%25%25%

1. Trees2. Water3. Oil4. Weeds

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A population of species that is declining rapidly is a __________

species.

Endan

gered Spe...

Threatened Spe...

Extinct

Specie

...

Troubled Speci.

..

25% 25%25%25%

1. Endangered Species2. Threatened Species3. Extinct Species4. Troubled Species

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Which of the following is extinct?

Florid

a Panthe...

Black Rhino

Africa

n Elepha...

Dodo Bird

25% 25%25%25%

1. Florida Panther2. Black Rhino3. African Elephant4. Dodo Bird

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

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Review Questions1. Identify a minimum of 3 reasons that explain

why organisms go extinct.2. Explain why an animal or plant would be

considered to be threatened.3. Explain the difference between a species that

is threatened and a species that is endangered.

4. Using one of the examples given in class for endangered or threatened species, explain how humans are influencing the population decline for that specific species.

Maintaining a Natural Balance• All living organisms produce waste, but it is

usually recycled by natural processes.• But Humans are producing too much waste that

can not be broken down.• Pollution is the contamination of any part of the

environment (air, water, land) by an excess of waste materials.

• Ex. Cattle farms produce more waste than the decomposers in the soil can break down, so it is washed away by rainfall into nearby water sources.

Air pollution• Volcanic eruptions and forest fires are sources

of air pollution, but the biggest source of air pollution is burning fossil fuels.

• Smoke released by burning fossil fuel contains gases and particulates, which are solid particles of soot that are harmful.

• Some major air pollutants are carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ect….

• Smog is a form of air pollution that hangs over many of the world’s large cities.

• It contains particulates, sulfur dioxide, and other chemicals.

DAYTIME!!!!

Smog in Beijing, China

Ozone Depletion• The ozone layer prevents living organisms

from receiving lethal doses of ultraviolet radiation (UV rays).

• Ozone is 3 oxygen molecules• Problem: the ozone layer is becoming thinner!• CFC’s (chemicals that are man-made) deplete

the ozone layer, and were eliminated from most products.

Greenhouse Effect• The greenhouse effect is the process of heat

retention by atmospheric gases, such as CO2.• Without this, all of the sun’s energy would go back

into space and Earth would be too cold for living things to survive.

• Problem: we are putting a lot of extra greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels.

• This leads to more heat being trapped in our atmosphere.

• Global Warming!!!!

What is the biggest source of air pollution?

Volcanic

erupt..

.

Forest

Fires

Deco

mposition

Burning F

ossil...

25% 25%25%25%

1. Volcanic eruptions2. Forest Fires3. Decomposition4. Burning Fossil Fuels

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Smog contains particulates and _______.

Carbon M

onoxid...

Carbon D

ioxide

Sulfu

r Monoxid...

Sulfu

r Dioxide

25% 25%25%25%

1. Carbon Monoxide2. Carbon Dioxide3. Sulfur Monoxide4. Sulfur Dioxide

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The ozone layer allows for life on Earth by:

Trapping the s.

..

Blocking U

V li...

Blocking exce

s...

Releasing CFC

s

25% 25%25%25%

1. Trapping the sun’s warmth

2. Blocking UV light3. Blocking excess heat4. Releasing CFCs

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What is causing the depletion of the ozone layer?

CFCs

CO2 SO

2

UV lig

ht

25% 25%25%25%1. CFCs2. CO2

3. SO2

4. UV light

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The greenhouse effect allows for life on Earth by:

Trapping the s.

..

Blocking U

V li...

Blocking exce

s...

Releasing CFC

s

25% 25%25%25%

1. Trapping the sun’s warmth

2. Blocking UV light3. Blocking excess heat4. Releasing CFCs

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What is causing problems with the greenhouse effect?

CFCs

CO2 emissions

Wate

r Pollu

tio...

UV lig

ht

25% 25%25%25%

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1. CFCs2. CO2 emissions

3. Water Pollution4. UV light

Water Pollution• When water molecules come into contact with

air pollutants, it results in acid precipitation.• Acid precipitation is rain or snow that is more

acidic than unpolluted rainwater.• Acid rain can cause soil to become less fertile

and can lead to the death of trees, especially conifers.

• Acid rain can also fall into lakes, causing the pH of the lake to become more acidic, disrupting the entire water ecosystem.

Pine trees killed by acid rain.

• Fertilizers from nearby farms can be washed into water sources, which pollutes them, causing algae to grow out of control, leading to an “algal bloom”.

• Sewage and industrial waste can get into rivers, negatively affecting the drinking water (leading to waterborne diseases such as dysentery and cholera) and organisms living in the water.

• Industries can use water to cool machinery, and the hot water is then released back into the environment, causing problems for organisms in that area.

Algal Bloom in a pond

Water pollution is a problem in highly populated countries like here in China.

Groundwater Pollution• Freshwater that is found underground is called

groundwater.• Drinking water largely comes from groundwater

sources.• Pollutants from leaking storage containers or

agricultural runoff also travels through the soil, eventually reaching and contaminating the groundwater.

• Another problem is that if we remove large amounts of water from underground, the water level goes down, and the soil above it can collapse, leaving a giant sinkhole.

Land Pollution• Humans produce billions of tons of garbage every year.• Waste is considered to be……• Biodegradable- waste that can be broken down by

natural processes.• Ex. Food, wood products, animal waste, dead leaves• Nonbiodegradable- waste that can not be broken down

and exist in the environment for a long time.• Ex. Plastic, ratioactive residues, pesticides• Trash is either burned (which releases harmful gases

into the atmosphere) or it is buried in landfills (where it does not decompose well).

Landfill

Land Pollution

What can we do to help?• Recycle!!!!• Preservation- the act of keeping an area or

organism from harm or destruction.• Preserves in Africa to keep poachers away

from Elephant and Rhino herds.• Recovery programs help some organisms from

becoming extinct.• Conservation- planned management of a

natural area to prevent exploitation or destruction.

• Ex. National parks

Yosemite National Park

Hot sulfur springs

Yellowstone National

Park

Old Faithful Geyser

Why is acid rain a ecological problem?

It makes s

oil ...

It ra

ises p

H o...

Both 1 &

2

None of t

he ab...

25% 25%25%25%

1. It makes soil less fertile

2. It raises pH of lakes3. Both 1 & 24. None of the above

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How can farming harm water sources?

Deplete

s the s.

..

Use

s too m

any ...

Runoff cause

s ...

Farm

ers pollu

t...

25% 25%25%25%

1. Depletes the soil2. Uses too many

resources3. Runoff causes algal

blooms4. Farmers pollute

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What is freshwater that is found underground called?

Runoff

Wate

r tab

le

Transpira

tion

Gro

undwater

25% 25%25%25%

1. Runoff2. Water table3. Transpiration4. Groundwater

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Which types of waste can be broken down by natural processes?

Biodegradable

Nonbiodegradab...

Plastics

Polymers

25% 25%25%25%1. Biodegradable2. Nonbiodegradable3. Plastics4. Polymers

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What is the act of keeping an area or organism from harm or destruction?

Conservation

Prese

rvati

on

Recycli

ng

Rescuing

25% 25%25%25%

1. Conservation2. Preservation3. Recycling4. Rescuing

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What is the planned management of a natural area to prevent exploitation or

destruction.?

Conservation

Prese

rvati

on

Recycli

ng

Rescuing

25% 25%25%25%

1. Conservation2. Preservation3. Recycling4. Rescuing

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