Human Influences on the Environment Flashcards
1
Q
What are the biological consequences of sulphur dioxide? (3)
A
- Released when fossil fuels are burnt
- Dissolves in water droplets in clouds
- Acid rain is created
2
Q
What are the consequences of acid rain? (3)
A
- Leads to aquatic organisms dying
- Corrodes metals and limestone in buildings
- Leeches minerals out of soil (plants and trees cannot survive)
3
Q
What are the consequences of carbon monoxide? (4)
A
- Released when fossil fuels are burnt incompletely
- Binds irreversibly to haemoglobin which reduces the capacity of oxygen a red blood cell can carry
- Leads to tiredness, unconsciousness
- In pregnant women, can affect the grow of a fetus
4
Q
Define greenhouse gases (3)
A
- Gases that absorb infrared radiation from the Sun
- Trapping above the Earth’s surface
- Leading to global warming
5
Q
Name 5 greenhouse gases and their origins
A
- Water vapour: rivers, lakes
- Carbon dioxide: deforestation, fossil fuels
- Nitrous oxide: fertilisers, vehicle engines
- Methane: cattle, rice paddy fields
- CFCL refrigerators, aerosol sprays
6
Q
What are the main effects of global warming? (3)
A
- Climate change
- Water levels rise because glaciers melt
- Loss of habitats
7
Q
What are the consequences of pollution of water by sewage? (4)
A
- Sewage: rich in materials and nutrients (that allow decomposers and algae to thrive)
- Decomposers (and sometimes bacteria) respire aerobically (using oxygen) to break down sewage
- The algae bloom stops light from reaching aquatic plants, causing them to die
- These lead to oxygen depletion, so other aquatic organisms will die
8
Q
What are the consequences of eutrophication? (3)
A
- Fertilisers are washed off from the land into nearby rivers by the rain
- Excess nutrients are washed into the lakes, encouraging rapid growth of algae
- Algae blocks sunlight, so aquatic plants cannot photosynthesise, leading to oxygen deprivation then the death of marine life
9
Q
Define deforestation
A
The clearing of an area of trees on a mass scale
10
Q
Describe the negative effects of deforestation (4)
A
- Leaching: trees normally take up nutrients and minerals from the soil for growth, without them, these run into bodies of water
- Soil erosion: tree roots normally stabilise the soil, without them, the soil will be washed away by the rain
- Disturbance of cycles: carbon cycles, water cycles
- Imbalance in oxygen and carbon dioxide: removal of trees will result in more atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and lower oxygen levels