Human impact on environment

Extinction

A loss of species and an decrease in biodiversity

Conservation (habitat)

Involves creation, management and protection of habitat

Ways to achieve conservation (4)

Habitat protection

Restrict trade of animals and plants

Restricting activities that threaten species

Sperm banks

What is an SSSI

Site of special scientific interest

What does conservation of a gene pool allow

Can selectively breed advantageous alleles to aid us (such as disease prevention / some plants can have medicinal uses)

Agriculture

Producing food for human consumption in order to meet demand

Monoculture

Producing one crop that is easy to harvest and guarantee to produce disease free

Impacts of deforestation (2)

Destroyed habitat

Contributes to global warming

Coppicing

Trees are cut to stumps and wood regrows which can then be harvested

How to reduce overfishing (3)

Fishing quotas

Restrict fishing seasons

Exclusion zones

Environmental monitoring and political decision making

Physical and biological measurements taken into account before building projects to ensure scientific data measures the impact on the environment

Planetary boundaries

Define the safe operating space for humanity

9 planetary boundaries

Biosphere integrity

Climate change

Chemical pollution

Ozone pollution

Aerosol loading

Ocean acidification

Biochemical flows

Freshwater consumption

Land system change B

Biosphere integrity

Biodiversity loss and extinctions

Already exceeded

What does it mean if a planetary boundary has been crossed

Irreversible change for the environment

Climate change

Rising level of CO2, pushing temperatures and sea levels up

Already crossed

Chemical pollution

Emission of toxic substances

Unknown boundary

Ozone depletion

Ozone layer being affected by CFC’s

Boundary not yet exceeded

Aerosol loading…

Cause atmospheric pollution

Unknown boundary

Ocean acidification

CO2 dissolving in oceans has knock on effects on food chains

Boundary nearing crossing

Biochemical flows

Nitrogen and phosphorous cycles causing concern over fertilisers

Crosses boundary

Fresh water consumption

Fresh water is becoming scarce

Avoidable boundary

Land system change

land converted for human use

Crossed boundary