Chapter 6: Humans in the Biosphere

Habitat fragmentation

________ is very hard on hunted animals, as it leaves the hunted animals with fewer hiding places.

Sustainable development

Uses natural resources to meet human needs without causing long-term damage to the environment

Pollution

________ and climate change also threaten biodiversity.

fossil fuels

Burning ________ and dumping waste into the environment can harm the environment.

ground level

Near ________, ozone is dangerous, especially to people with difficulty breathing.

Development

________ often breaks a habitat into smaller pieces, a process known as habitat fragmentation that forces organisms to compete for resources.

Smog

A gray-brown haze in the air formed by chemical reactions among air pollutants that form ozone

pollutants

When ________ enter from many smaller sources, the sources are called nonpoint sources (such as grease and oil washed off of roads or chemicals released into the air by factories and cars)

Ecological footprint

Describes our impact on the biosphere and is the total amount of functioning ecosystem needed both to provide the resources a human population uses and to absorb the wastes that population generates

Ecologists

________ talk about the ecological footprint of individuals, of countries, and of the worlds population, though it is difficult, if not impossible, to calculate an exact footprint.

natural processes

A nonrenewable resource is a resource that can not be replenished by ________ within a reasonable amount of time.

Soil erosion

Happens when wind or water take soil away

Societal development

________ into dense human communities has produced much waste that can pollute the land, air, and water resources.

Deforestation

The loss of forests

Particulates

Tiny pieces of ash and dust released by some industrial processes and by some diesel engines

agriculture

People affect the environment through ________, development, and industrial growth.

DDT

For example, ________ is a cheap, long- lasting type of pesticide that controls agricultural pests and mosquitoes; but when ________ gets into rivers and lakes, it can have serious effects.

Genetic diversity

________ is also important in agriculture.

Biodiversity

The total of all the genetically based variation in all organisms in the biosphere

individual species

To preserve biodiversity, we need to protect ________ as well as whole ecosystems, as well as keep human interests and needs in mind.

diverse ecosystems

Healthy and ________ are also important for soil, water, and air quality.

Pollutant

Any harmful material that can enter land, water, or air

small particulates

Very ________ can cause serious health problems when they enter the lungs.

atmosphere

The ________ has a direct effect on health, giving us the oxygen we need to breathe.

monoculture

However, ________ can pollute soil and water; in addition to this, running farm machinery and producing fertilizer both use a lot of fossil fuels.

Freshwater sources

________ can be affected by different kinds of pollution.

Topsoil

________ can be renewable if it is managed well, but good topsoil is produced by many years of interactions between soil and plants.

Renewable resource

A resource that can be produced or replaced by healthy ecosystem functions

upper atmosphere

The ________ contains a form of oxygen called ozone that protects us from the suns ultraviolet radiation.

variety of species

The number and ________ in an ecosystem can affect the ecosystems health.

fossil fuels

Ex: ________ that take millions are years to form.

pollution

There are many forms of air ________, including smog, acid rain, greenhouse gases, and particulates.

atmosphere

The ________ also contains other gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor, called greenhouse gases, that help keep the Earths temperature stable.

ecological footprint

A(n) ________ can be used to determine the carrying capacity for humans.

Genetic diversity

All the different forms of genetic information carried by one species or by all organisms on Earth

fossil fuels

Burning ________ releases chemicals that combine with water vapor in the air to form acids; when the acids fall as rain, it is called acid rain.

Farmers have been able to double the worlds food production over the last 50 years through monoculture

a farming strategy of planting a single, highly productive crop year after year

Ex

a single southern white pine tree that can grow in place of an old tree that dies or is cut down

Ex

fossil fuels that take millions are years to form

The mineral

and nutrient-rich portion of the soil is called topsoil

These effects are caused by a process called biological magnification

the increasing concentration of a harmful substance in organisms at higher trophic levels in a food chain or food web

There are three levels of biodiversity

ecosystem diversity, species diversity, and genetic diversity

The ecological footprint describes our impact on the biosphere

the total amount of functioning ecosystem needed both to provide the resources a human population uses and to absorb the wastes that population generates

Ecologists follow three basic steps that can lead us to a sustainable future

(1) recognize the problem; (2) find the cause; (3) change behavior

Monoculture

A farming strategy of planting a single, highly productive crop year after year

Nonrenewable resource

A resource that cannot be replenished by natural processes within a reasonable amount of time

Topsoil

The mineral- and nutrient-rich portion of the soil

Desertification

Sometimes, farming, overgrazing, and very little rain can turn farmland into desert, a process called _______

Deforestation

The loss of forests

Point source

When a pollutant enters water supplies from one spot, the source is called a _______

Nonpoint sources

When pollutants enter from many smaller sources, the sources are called _______

Biological magnification

The increasing concentration of a harmful substance in organisms at higher trophic levels in a food chain or food web

Ozone

A form of oxygen contained in the upper atmosphere

Acid rain

Burning fossil fuels releases chemicals that combine with water vapor in the air to form acids; when the acids fall as rain, it is called ______

Ecosystem diversity

The many different kinds of ecosystems that exist in the biosphere

Species diversity

The number of different species in the biosphere or in a particular place

Habitat fragmentation

Development often breaks a habitat into smaller pieces, a process known as _______