Post on 26-Dec-2015
Humans & the Environment
Ch.22
(22-1) Interconnected Planet
• Earth’s layers– Atmosphere: gases• Ozone layer• Climate• Greenhouse effect
– Hydrosphere: water– Geosphere: rock– Biosphere: part of Earth where life exists
Biodiversity
• Variety of life forms in an area• Species diversity– Richness: # of species in an area– Evenness: # of indiv.’s of each species in an area
• Genetic diversity: amt. of variation in the genetic material of all members of a pop.
(22-2) Environmental Issues
• Air Pollution– Smog: water vapor mixed w/ human-made chemicals– CFC’s & ozone thinning– Global warming– Acid precipitation: air pollutants combined w/ water
• Land & Water Pollution– Biological magnification: chemicals become more
concentrated in organisms higher on the food chain
Ecosystem Disruption
• Extinction: death of every member of a species– Endangered
• Ecosystem Imbalances– Keystone species: affects many other species in a
community• Ex: sea otter
Human Resource Use
• Primary production: total E stored through photosynthesis by terrestrial organisms
• Ecological footprint: human impact on ecosystems
• Sustainability: ability to meet human needs so the pop. can survive indefinitely
(22-3) Environmental Solutions
• Conservation Biology: i.d., protect, & manage natural areas w/ large biodiversity– Biodiversity hotspots– Bioindicator: species sensitive to ecological change
• Restoration Biology: plan ways to reverse changes & replace missing ecosystem components
Laws & Efforts
• Debt-for-nature swap: richer countries/org. pay debts if developing country takes preventative steps
• Ecotourism: supports cons. of ecologically unique areas while bringing economic benefit to locals
• Urban ecology: study of biodiversity in areas densely populated by humans