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Different human influences on the ecosystem (Negative (Burning of fossil…
Different human influences on the ecosystem
Negative
Burning of fossil fuels--the burning of fossil fuels is the burning of hydrocarbons, mainly coal and oil. Majority of the world's energy consumption is from this.
Examples: No direct events or incidents that could be used as examples.
Air pollution
Leads to global warming
Carbon emissions that can pollute the atmosphere
Consequences:
Damage to wildlife habitats when mining
Pollution of land and soil through surface run-off and drilling
Deforestation--deforestation is when humans clear out massive plots of forests for their own use. Some popular uses are for farming, clearing out land for crops, and logging operations, to provide the world with its wood and paper products
Examples: 17% of the Amazon rainforest has been logged over the past 50 years
Consequences:
Threatens the safety and habitat of animals that live in the forests
Impacts people's livelihood and plantlife
Trees help with stopping carbon emmisions, cutting them down is letting global warming get worse
Water pollution--water pollution is when toxic substances, usually from human operations, leak into water bodies and dissolve into them, this lowers the quality of the water
Examples: The Great Barrier Reef is a prime example of declining water quality, it contains over 400,000 sq feet of marine life and has been in declining health.
Consequences:
Oil spills can contaminate habitats and kill wildlife
Sewage found in water can be a health hazard to humans and marine life alike
Can result in dead zones, which is when all oxygen has been removed from the water and nothing can live in it
Chemical and radioactive waste can kill and harm marine life
Overfishing and hunting--when humans overfish and hunt too much, species can go extinct or become so scarce that is disrupts the predator-prey cycle in an ecosystem
Example: No direct example, but i suppose the extinction of rhinos counts
Consequences:
Interference with ecosystem--affects the balance of life in oceans (animals which rely on fish or certain species for food might decline greatly in number as a result)
Extinction of species
Threatens the environment and wellbeing of habitats
Unbalanced ecosystem
Nuclear and radiation accidents--defined by the IAEA as "an event which has lead to significant consequences to people, the environment or the facility".
Examples: Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, 11/03/2011
Consequences:
Destroys plant and organism growth
Positive
Environmental protection laws
Examples: In HK, the waste disposal ordinance limits the methods of waste disposal
Prevents companies from dumping industrial contaminants on the ground, into rivers or streams or other waterways
Impacts:
Nature reserves: A protected area for certain endangered species or geological features reserved for conservation or research purposes
Examples: Yellowstone National Park, USA
Protects biodiversity
Impacts:
Natural recycling
Examples: Making clothes out of fabric from old clothes
Impacts:
Reduces the amount of waste
Saves resources
Reforestation
Examples: In the 1970's, the HK government began a reforestation program
Impacts:
Reduces amount of Carbon DIoxide and other greenhouse gases in the air (lessens global warming)
Restores damage due to erosion