Human impact on ecosystems Flashcards
What are non-renewable energy sources
coal,oil,gas,nuclear
what are renewable energy sources
water,wind,solar,geothermal,biofuel
what does burning fossil fuels produce
water and carbon dioxide
What do human activities have an impact on
land,water and atmosphere
What can be used as indicators to see if their is pollution around
lichens are used as biological indicators since they are very sensitive to pollution
What percentages of each gas is consisted in the air
78% Nitrogen
21% Oxygen
0.9% Argon
0.1% other gases (0.04% carbon dioxide)
What is the greenhouse effect
A natural phenomenon where greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere trap heat and warm the surface of the earth
what are the greenhouse gases
carbon dioxide, methane and water vapour
How does the greenhouse effect work
Sun radiation hits the earth
Some is reflected by the earth’s surface and heat
Some of the reflected radiation escapes to space but some is absorbed by the greenhouse gases which reflect it back to earth warming it up
What is enhanced greenhouse effect
the impact on the climte due to additional heat
What is the reason for enhanced greenhouse effect
level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have risen
Why have carbon dioxide levels risen
Due to increased burning of fossil fuels since the Industrial Revolution
What else contributes to the greenhouse effect
deforestation increases atmospheric carbon dioxide level by reducing photosynthesis
what does enhanced greenhouse effect lead to
more heat is trapped leading to global warming
what are the consequences of global warming and climate change
organisms are effected because they cannot tolerate higher temperature
more frequent and extreme phenomenas
melting of ice resulting to habitat loss
melting of ice results to rice in sea levels which cause flooding
more forest fire
droughts or storms can cause shortage of food
What is ozone
it’s a molecule consisting of 3 oxygen atoms
how was the ozone substance produced
UV rays from the sun reacted with the oxygen
What does the ozone layer do
it prevents harmful UV radiation from the sun from reaching the Earths surface
What is damaging the ozone layer
CFC damage the ozone layer and make holes in it.
What substances are produced by the burning of oil and coal
carbon dioxide, oxides of nitrogens, carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide
what are the substances produced by burning fuels that form acid rain
sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen
what acidic gases are produced
sulfuric acid and nitric acid
how is the acid rain produced
the acidic gases dissolve in the water droplets in clouds forming acids
what are the consequences of acid rain
it kills plant and animals by lowering the pH and they dissolve minerals in the soil and carries them away. They also destroy limestone in buildings
how is soot made
when burning coal, soot particles from the smoke settle on the organisms and buildings
what is the consequence of soot
soot covers leaves, less light can be absorbed and photosynthesis decreases
how is smog made
smoke from burning coal combines with water droplets in the air forming smog
what is the consequence of smog
smog destroys the lining of the respiratory airways in humans
what can fertilisers lead to
they can lead to eutrophication
what are fertilisers used for
they are used in agriculture to provide nutrients for plants
what happens when fertilisers leak into lakes
they cause excessive growth of algae (algal bloom)
why is an algal bloom a problem
it causes more aquatic plants to die because they block the sunlight so they prevent photosynthesis and there is excessive decomposition
why is excessive decomposition a problem
decomposers use the oxygen in the water for their respiration so fish and other animals suffocate
why are oil spills a problem
oil spills in the sea remain for years and can kill organisms
why are heavy metals a problems
heavy metals accumulate and their concentration increases as you go up the food chain. They are toxic to animals and can damage organs and lead to death
why are microplastics a problem
they are eaten by fish causing suffocation and death
why is intensive farming a negative impact on land
forests are cleared to create fields, usage of fertilisers to provide mineral ions to plants, pesticides are used to kill pests, herbicides are used to kill weeds so there is less competition for light, water and minerals, insecticides are used to kill insects that attack the crop.
why is deforestation a negative impact
it destroys habitats, disrupts food chains, may lead to extinction of species, increases soil erosion and increases carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
why are fertilisers a negative impact
if they leak into leaves they can lead to eutrophication
why are insecticides a negative impact
they can also be harmful to beneficial insects e.g pollinators. They can also affect other animals eating the plant and disrupt the food chain.
what are some ways to reduce pollution
minimise energy use
reuse materials
recycle materials
use renewable energy sources
use catalytic converters in car engines to reduce nitrogen oxides
sewage treatment
desulfurisation of flue gas emissions in factories to reduce sulfur dioxide
ban the use of certain pollutants (polythene plastic bags, CFC’S, lead
