Human Impact

How we affect our Earth’s surface

Agriculture Farming and raising animals. Farming can change the type of land,

depending on the farming being used. Slash burn – burning trees for more

room, kills trees (oxygen) dangerous gases in air.

Even advanced farming can deprive soil of nutrients.

Animals can overgraze. More erosion. Can result in DESERTIFICATION Fertilizers ruin the soil and runoff goes

into the water surrounding.

Farming

Slash burn

Fishing If done responsibly, causes little harm Drift nets: huge nets that typically catch

everything. United Nations enacted regulations to reduce this.

Overfishing: when we catch too many of a certain type of fish. Reduces population and disrupts ecosystem.

Drift Nets

Waste Disposal Landfills: storage of trash. Contaminates

the soil, and water that comes into contact with it.

Leachate: water that moves through a landfill. Toxic and dangerous.

Most landfills have leachate collection and monitoring systems.

Plastic under the soil to prevent water from moving outside of landfill.

Some does leak out.

landfill

Leachate

Waste Disposal Waste products also dumped into water. If the waste water contains foreign

substances or changes the temperature of the water it goes into, it can harm the ecosystem.

Also dumped into the air. Some of these pollutants cause acid rain or snow.

Corrode buildings, damage crops, cause water to be unsuitable for fish and wildlife.

Waste in Water

Energy Production Burn fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and

natural gas. Harmful substances released: carbon

monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, lead, mercury

Also use water by creating dams. However, this changes the natural flow of water, and can ruin/damage ecosystems.

Dams

Obtaining Raw Materials Such as wood, water, coal, iron,

uranium, stone Can destroy ecosystems. Mining can disrupt habitats and

contaminate nearby bodies of water Getting water can disrupt ecosystems

by changing the flow of water, and can impact those people/animals/plants downstream.

Construction and Urbanization As population increases, we need places

to live!!! Negative impacts on natural habitats People living in cities tend to use more

natural resources than those living in rural areas.

Since there are more people gravitating to cities, this creates urbanization.

Urban areas are hotter (microclimate) since it has more concrete for the sun’s radiation to bounce from.

Conservation Careful use and preservation of Earth’s

resources Plan ahead to minimize negative

impacts. It is hard to cut out everything, but

there are methods. Reducing, reusing, and recycling

Reducing Smaller cars = less resources to make Energy efficient = less pollution

Reuse Hand me down clothes = less energy at

factories to make clothes Other materials too… Keeps things out of landfills Cuts the waste down from creating new

things

Recycle Making new products from things that

have been used before. Recycling paper = fewer trees cut down Recycling aluminum cans = less

aluminum needs to be made

Please Remember! Crossword Due Thursday! Standard Review due Tuesday!

(Tomorrow) Study Islands due Thursday! Presentation due Thursday for

presentation Test on all of Earth’s surface (Weathering,

Erosion, Deposition, and Human Impact) on FRIDAY!!!!!

Extra Credit Study Island due Thursday too!!!!!!