Biology 0610 Human influence on the ecosystem
Human influence on the ecosystem
I. Deforestation
- It means cutting down forests and woodland.
* Reasons for deforestation:
1. Increased demand of timber (wood) for building houses, making furniture and in
paper industries.
2. Construction for new roads and industrial development.
3. New areas for farming and grazing.
* Harms of deforestation:
1. Effect on carbon cycle: increase in concentration of carbon dioxide in air, and this
may lead to greenhouse effect.
2. Effect on oxygen: decrease in concentration of oxygen in air (less photosynthesis).
3. Effect on water cycle: less transpiration, so reduced rainfall.
4. Effect on soil:
a) Soil erosion removal or top fertile soil layer.
Cutting down of trees leads to erosion as the presence of trees:
- Decreases the effect of wind.
- Decreases the effect of water currents in removing top soil.
- Their roots bind the soil particles together.
146 Dr. Rana Gamal
Biology 0610 Human influence on the ecosystem
b) Desertification changing in the properties of top soil from agricultural soil to
desert soil, as:
- Cutting down of trees makes soil exposed to the effect of wind that carries sand.
- The soil of tropical forests is very poor in nutrients. Most of organic matter is in the
above ground portion of the plants. So after a year or two of replacing the trees with
another crop, the nutrients will be reduced and the soil is eroded.
5. Effect on animals and ecosystem:
- Reduction of habitats or food sources for animals which can result in their extinction.
Animals and plant diversity is reduced, and food chains are disrupted.
- This also decreases fertility of soil as the presence of animals increases fertility by
their wastes and by their decay in soil.
* How to solve this problem?
1. Reforestation by replanting native trees.
2. Recycling to reduce the need for timber.
II. Green-house effect and Global warming
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Biology 0610 Human influence on the ecosystem
- Greenhouse effect is the increase in the amount of greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere surrounding the Earth.
- This layer of gases allows Sun energy to penetrate but prevents radiated heat from
the Earth.
- Global warming is the increase in temperature of the Earth‟s atmosphere due to
increase in greenhouse effect.
* Causes of greenhouse effect and global warming:
1. Increase amount of carbon dioxide gas due to: burning of fossil fuels,
deforestation and car exhaust.
2. Increase amount of nitrous oxides from car exhaust.
3. Increase in methane gas due to: decomposition products of rice field, cattle rumen
and landfills.
4. Increase in chlorofluorocarbon compounds (CFCs) used in cooling devices and
aerosols.
* Effects of global warming:
Increase in atmosphere‟s temperature polar ice caps would melt rising sea
levels more evaporation more rain floods.
* How to solve this problem?
- Individual role: by using other energy sources instead of burning fuels and decrease
use of private cars.
- Governmental role: reduce deforestation, encourage reforestation and recycling.
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Biology 0610 Human influence on the ecosystem
III. Pollution
- It is the presence of any substances or a form of
energy in the wrong place, with the wrong quantity and
at the wrong time causing harm.
A. Water pollution by organic wastes (fertilisers or sewage)
1. Fertilisers are used to increase the yield of crops, but farmers need to know the
best type and quantity of fertilizers to add. Problems can occur if a farmer uses too
much fertiliser or if the fertiliser is added at the wrong time.
2. Sewage is human wastes (urine and faeces wastes from toilets), baths, washing
machines, industrial and agricultural wastes.
- If sewage is untreated before disposal, it can lead to some epidemic diseases such
as cholera and typhoid.
- Like fertilisers, sewage contains high levels of nutrients such as phosphates, organic
matter and bacteria. So, it encourages the growth of algae and bacteria which use up
lots of oxygen, killing fish and encourages the growth of bacteria that feed on organic
matter (eutrophication).
* Fertilisers and sewage can cause water pollution resulting in „Eutrophication‟,
which means that the water is enriched with plant nutrients.
This is the sequence of events
a) Fertilisers can be washed through the soil into rivers and streams, this is called
leaching. The rivers may flow into a lake.
b) Once in water, nutrients in fertilisers stimulate population growth of algae.
c) Algae cover the surface layers of water, reducing the light reaching plants at the
bottom of the lake.
d) These plants eventually die and rot on the river bed.
e) Algae also die ass there is a competition for resources.
f) Decomposers, such as bacteria, feed on dead plants and algae.
g) Bacteria respire aerobically, multiply rapidly and use up a lot of dissolved oxygen.
h) The concentration of oxygen decreases and this kills fish and invertebrates.
149 Dr. Rana Gamal
Biology 0610 Human influence on the ecosystem
<Diagram showing the sequence steps of eutrophication>
150 Dr. Rana Gamal
Biology 0610 Human influence on the ecosystem
B. Water pollution by inorganic wastes
- Inorganic wastes are the substances that have not been made by living organisms,
they tend not to contain carbon in their molecules. Such as:
1. Mercury: as a waste product from factories, it is toxic substance, it causes:
- Problems in muscles and nervous system.
- Death of water animals.
2. Lead: may damage children‟s brain.
C. Air pollution by sulphur dioxide
- Sources:
1. Coal burning industries.
2. Volcanic activities.
3. Sulphuric acid industry.
4. Tires industries.
- Harmful effects:
Dissolve in water vapour in clouds, forming sulphuric acid. When it rains the rain is
acidic. Problems caused by acid rain include the following
1. Go through the stomata damaging plant leaves.
2. Acidification of lakes: water in lakes becomes more acidic, some animals such as
fish cannot survive and die.
3. Dissolves in mucus of respiratory system causing irritation, asthma and bronchitis.
4. Corrosion of stonework on buildings.
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Biology 0610 Human influence on the ecosystem
D. Pollution by pesticides and herbicides
* Pesticides are chemicals used to kill pests, such as insects.
- Importance of their use:
1. Reduces crop loss.
2. Controls spread of diseases.
- Harms of their overuse:
1. Some pesticides which do not break down but remain in the environment, pass and
accumulate along the food chain, and become more and more concentrated until
reaches human food as pesticide residues, causing harms.
2. Insecticides may kill harmful and useful insects together. This may include useful
insects, such as bees that are needed to pollinate crops.
* Herbicides are chemicals used to kill weeds (unwanted plants) in a crop, to reduce
competition to increase crop yield.
- Harms of their overuse: Herbicides may also kill rare plant species near the filed
being sprayed.
E. Nuclear fall out
- Sources:
1. Radioactive materials in the Earth‟s crust.
2. Defects in nuclear power stations that may lead to leakage of radiation or explosion.
3. Nuclear tests.
- Harms:
1. Affects cell division.
2. Damage genes and cause mutations.
3. Cause cancer such as leukaemia.
4. Increase the rate of mutation in the sex cells causing deformation in babies
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