Dams and Pollution

what is the purpose of building dams

prevents flooding

generates electricity

what are negative consequences of dams to an ecosystem

flooded permanently, fish need to migrate through

what does upstream mean

where the river starts

what does downstream mean

where the river goes towards

how are salmon related to the environment?

when bears eat salmon they don’t eat it all so when they throw them to soil, the carcass decomposes for nutrients for trees

why are dams removed

because of the negative impacts they’ve had on the environment

point source pollution

pollution from a single source (from a factory for ex)

non point source pollution

pollution that comes from many different sources, often hard to identify

chemicals added to roads, water run-off, etc.

why are oil spills bad

starts on the surface of water

if oil sinks it can kill benthic organisms

if oil washes up on beaches it causes economic consequences for fishing and tourism

what are endocrine disruptors

chemicals that can interfere with the endocrine system of animals

what do POPs stand for

persistent organic pollutants

what are POPs

carbon-based pollutants that dont break down in the environment easily

what is acid rain

when nitrogen/sulfur oxides from fossil fuel emissions mix with water vapor

what is thermal pollution

temperature increase in a body of water due to heated water (caused by power plants) and results in mass fish die offs

light pollution

alters circadian rhythms of organisms which regulates sleep/waking patterns