Biology

EcologyHuman Impact

Ecology

Topics• Human Human

population growth population growth

• Biodiversity Biodiversity

• Impacts on the Impacts on the environment environment

• Factors Factors influencing influencing climate climate

• Direct & Indirect Direct & Indirect influence on influence on natural resourcesnatural resources

• Conservation Conservation

Essential QuestionsEssential Questions9.9. What factors affect the growth of human What factors affect the growth of human

populations?populations?

10.10. What is biodiversity? Describe the importance What is biodiversity? Describe the importance of it.of it.

11.11. How do both the changes and the needs of a How do both the changes and the needs of a human populations impact the environment?human populations impact the environment?

12.12. What are the factors that influence climate?What are the factors that influence climate?

13.13. How do humans directly and indirect influence How do humans directly and indirect influence natural resources? What some practices that natural resources? What some practices that can be done to improve and conserve the can be done to improve and conserve the natural world?natural world?

World Population and Exponential Growth

2012

(1)(1) Resources Resources use and use and waste waste

(2)(2) Poverty Poverty

(3)(3) Loss of Loss of biodiversitybiodiversity

(4)(4) Global Global Climate Climate ChangeChange

As the human population grows what might be the impact on As the human population grows what might be the impact on the following:the following:

PopulationPopulation Growth

Fig. 1-4, p. 8

Who is Overpopulated?

Are we living Are we living Sustainably?Sustainably?

return

Is the problem we face Is the problem we face population size or resource population size or resource use?use?

Ecological FootprintEcological Footprint

What is an ecological footprint?

Resource use and Waste- Resource use and Waste-

Pollution (Air, Water and Land) – Planet in PerilPollution (Air, Water and Land) – Planet in Peril

Loss of BiodiversityLoss of Biodiversity

PovertyPoverty

Global Climate ChangeGlobal Climate Change

The Story of Stuff

Examples of over consumption

Living on interest vs. Living on principal

Living on Interest Living on Interest (Sustainably)(Sustainably)

Invest the capital (1 million) Invest the capital (1 million) at 10% interest.at 10% interest.

You will have a sustainable You will have a sustainable income of $100,000 per income of $100,000 per year. Without depleting year. Without depleting your capital (1 million)your capital (1 million)

Living on PrincipalLiving on PrincipalIf you spent $200,000 per If you spent $200,000 per

year, your 1million would year, your 1million would be gone early in the 7be gone early in the 7thth yearyear

If you spent $110,000 per If you spent $110,000 per year, you would be year, you would be bankrupt early in the 18bankrupt early in the 18thth year.year.

How would you prefer to live?How would you prefer to live?

How do we live now?How do we live now?

Imagine you win $1,000,000 in the lottery

Human Impact: Population and Activities

Humans have disturbed from 50 to 83% of the earth's land surface. Humans have disturbed from 50 to 83% of the earth's land surface.

Humans use, waste, or destroy about 40% of the net primary productivity of the Humans use, waste, or destroy about 40% of the net primary productivity of the planet's terrestrial ecosystems.planet's terrestrial ecosystems.

Examples / Issues:Examples / Issues:

Planet in Peril – Battle lines (2009)

Bush Meat / Zoonotic VirusesBush Meat / Zoonotic Viruses

Nigerian Oil ConflictNigerian Oil Conflict

Peruvian Lead poisoningPeruvian Lead poisoning

Shark fining and EcotourismShark fining and Ecotourism

African ElephantsAfrican Elephants

Mountain GorillasMountain Gorillas

Climate

Climate is the long-term Climate is the long-term atmospheric conditions of a atmospheric conditions of a region, typically considered region, typically considered over decades over decades (30-1 million years).(30-1 million years).

Average temperature and Average temperature and average precipitation are average precipitation are the two major factors that the two major factors that determine the climate ofdetermine the climate ofa region.a region.

The amount of incoming The amount of incoming solar energy per unit area solar energy per unit area of land, air circulation over of land, air circulation over surface of the earth, and surface of the earth, and water circulation determine water circulation determine the different climates that the different climates that occur.occur.

Factors that Influence ClimateFactors that Influence Climate

Greenhouse GasesGreenhouse Gases

Carbon DioxideCarbon Dioxide – increase due to the use of fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) – increase due to the use of fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas)

MethaneMethane – increase due to raising livestock, growing rice and warming– increase due to raising livestock, growing rice and warming

Nitrous OxideNitrous Oxide – burning anything in our atmosphere produces nitrogen – burning anything in our atmosphere produces nitrogen oxidesoxides

Greenhouse Effect

Climate and Climate Change

Melting Alaska

Impact of Warming and the Northern Passage

What is Conservation Biology?What is Conservation Biology?• Conservation biology is a Conservation biology is a

multidisciplinary science that originated multidisciplinary science that originated in the 1970’s. Its goal is to use in the 1970’s. Its goal is to use emergency responses slow down the emergency responses slow down the rate destruction and degradationrate destruction and degradation

Examples: Examples: California CondorTigersRAP – in Madagascar

Preservation of biodiversity isPreservation of biodiversity isimportant for several reasons:important for several reasons:

intrinsic or existence valueintrinsic or existence valueInstrumental valueInstrumental value usefulness to usefulness to

humans (pharmaceuticals, humans (pharmaceuticals, ecotourism, economic value)ecotourism, economic value)

Example: Coffee

Why should we care about Why should we care about biodiversity?biodiversity?

Illegal species Trade

Invasive Species

Deforestation

Human Impact on Human Impact on BiodiversityBiodiversity

Major Pollution Events

Photochemical Smog (Los Angeles)

Acid Rain

Ozone Double TroubleOzone Double Trouble

Industrial DisastersIndustrial Disasters

(Three Mile Island, Chernobyl & Bhopal)(Three Mile Island, Chernobyl & Bhopal)

BP Oil SpillBP Oil Spill

Exxon ValdezExxon Valdez

Minamata Bay, Pesticides & Love CanalMinamata Bay, Pesticides & Love Canal