Humans And The Environment Flashcards
What are the problems of ultraviolet light coming down to earth
They cause cancer and also kill plankton, affecting the sea ecosystem
What are the four main human activities that exhaust natural resources?
Building
Farming
Dumping waste
Quarrying
What are the problems of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide getting hmmm in the atmosphere?
This creates acid rain which damages habitats and causes lakes to become acidic, killing wildlife
It also damages limestone buildings
What is sustainable development?
Needs to meet the needs of today’s population without harming the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
What is biodiversity?
The variety of different species in an area
What is an indicator series?
Organisms that are sensitive to changes in the environment, so humans can monitor them to discover if anything has changed
What is biodiversity?
The variety of different species in an area
What is an indicator series?
Organisms that are sensitive to changes in the environment, so humans can monitor them to discover if anything has changed
What are the 3 reasons to conserve habitats?
Protecting endangered species
Protecting the human food supply
Maintaining biodiversity
What do humans need land for?
Farming
Building
Quarries to obtain rock and metals
Waste dumping
What is bioaccumulation?
When a toxin isn’t broken down in an organism and is then built up in the food chain, with the apex predator eating many of the smaller animals all with toxins, so they get the most toxins
Why is nitrates being washed into streams bad?
It promotes plant growth, so there is intense plant growth, stealing oxygen and light away from all other organisms, killing them
Why are smoke particles in the air bad?
They absorb light coming in, dimming the earth
They also prevent light from getting back out into space, causing global warming
Why do ‘clean’ countries still suffer from acid rain?
Because dirty countries around them will produce acid rain, make it collect in the sky and the clouds will drift over to the clean country
What are peatlands and why do people want to conserve them?
Peat is formed over a very long time and is a carbon store that can be used for fuel.
It’s very acidic so specific organisms have adapted to it, and destroying it reduces the biodiversity of the habitat
