HUMANS: A DAMAGING INFLUENCE
Wetlands Act as sponges – absorb excess
water, filter water
Crucial for birds – migration
Wetlands Being destroyed by industry,
agriculture, housing
Burns Bog – dumping ground for Vancouver
Mangroves Unique trees – live in salt water!
Good for juvenile fish
Shoreline protection
Mangroves Cut down for urban
development and aquaculture Puts many species at risk for
extinction (crocodiles, turtles, snakes, etc)
Coral Reef Help break the force of wind and
waves
Coral Reef Humans love dynamite and
blowing things up – coral reef blown up for shipping lanes or fishing
Coral Reef
Coral Reef Coastal development, coral
mining, oil spills, silty runoff from deforested hillside
Coral Reef “Global Warming” causing
bleaching:
Coral sensitive to temperature change, when stressed releases an algae which helps keep it coloured
Acceleration of Extinction Extinction is natural – survival of
the fittest
Humans speeding up the process
Acceleration of Extinction Destruction of tropical rainforest
– biggest accelerant
Some developments – ex. wildlife corridors
Chemicals & Farming Farmers need to produce large
quantities of food
Population up, food production up
Chemicals & Farming Overproduction of crops leading
to infertile soil
Chemicals to enhance
Chemicals & Farming Smart: crop rotation
Not so smart: adding more chemicals
Chemicals & Farming Pesticides/herbicides kill both
the good and bad
Then more chemicals to bring back the good!
Chemicals & Farming Dead zones
South Okanagan Valley Many rare plants and animals
(tiger salamander, spadefoot toad)
“pocket desert”
South Okanagan Valley Wine festival getting bigger,
need more vineland
Extirpation – becoming locally extinct
Burrowing Owl 1% of suitable habitat left
Agriculture, urban development, etc taking land
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