Transcript NAME OF GAME - local.brookings.k12.sd.us

Human Impact on
the Environment
Term used to refer to a species that
has died out
extinct
If a pesticide was passing
through this food chain,
which organism would
have the greatest
concentration of pesticide?
Bird at the top trophic
level
A necessity of life (resource) which can NOT
be replenished by natural means;
Ex: fossil fuels
Non-renewable resource
Wearing away of the surface soil by water
and wind
erosion
Farming strategy in which large fields are
planted with a single crop variety year after
year
monoculture
a necessity of life (resource) which can
regenerate quickly and that is replaceable;
Ex: trees, water
Renewable resource
Increasing concentration a harmful
substance in organisms at higher trophic
levels in a food chain or web
Biological magnification
Name the pesticide that
concentrated in fish-eating
birds like eagles and
caused them to lay eggs
with fragile shells
DDT
Program in which endangered species are
allowed to breed in zoos until numbers
increase and then are returned to their
natural habitats
Captive breeding
Forests that have never been cut that
provide unique habitats for wildlife
Old growth forests OR “virgin” forests
Uppermost layer of soil that contains
most of the nutrients and is susceptible
to erosion
topsoil
Wavelength of sunlight that causes
sunburn, skin cancer, and cataracts which
the ozone layer protects us from
Ultra violet (UV)
The development of highly productive crop
strains and the use of modern agriculture
techniques to increase yields of food crops
Green revolution
Way of using natural resources without depleting
them and of providing for human needs without
causing long term harm to the environment
Sustainable development
A process caused by a combination of poor
farming practices, overgrazing, and drought
that turns productive land in areas with dry
climates into deserts
desertification
A mixture of chemicals (smoke + fog)
that occurs as a gray-brown haze in
the atmosphere
smog
Harmful material that can enter the
biosphere through land, water, or air
pollutant
the sum total of the variety of organisms in
the biosphere; It is a measure of the health
of an ecosystem
biodiversity
term used to refer to a species that
is at risk of becoming endangered
threatened
Splitting of ecosystems into small areas
Habitat fragmentation
a species whose population size is rapidly
declining and will become extinct if the
trend continues without intervention
endangered
increasing concentration a harmful
substance in organisms at higher
trophic levels in a food chain or web
Biological magnification
Plants or animals that have migrated or been
introduced into places where they are not
native and for which there are no natural
predators or parasites to control their
population
Invasive species
The wise management of natural resources,
including the preservation of habitats and wildlife
conservation
Areas containing endangered
ecosystems that could benefit
most from efforts and $ to preserve
them
Hot spots
Atmospheric layer in which ozone (03) gas
is relatively concentrated which protects
us from the sun’s ultra-violet radiation
Ozone layer
Rain containing nitric and sulfuric acids
caused by burning fossil fuels
Acid rain
Increase in the average temperatures of
the Earth
Global warming
Fuels such as oil, coal, or natural
gas produced by the decay of
dead organic matter that cause
many environmental problems
such as global warming and acid
rain
Fossil fuels
Illegal hunting of animals
poaching
Zebra mussels and leafy spurge in South
Dakota and rabbits in Australia are
examples of what environmental problem
Invasive species
Tell two modern agricultural methods
that are helping to preserve the
environment
Satellite/GPS imaging, no-till, crop
rotation, contour plowing, controlled
grazing, cover crops, biological pest control
Governmental body whose job it is to monitor
and enforce environmental regulations,
provide education on environmental issues,
conduct environmental research, and
provide funding for environmental programs
Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA)
Agreement signed by almost 200 countries,
including the United States, which agreed to reduce
(and eventually stop) the use of ozone depleting
chemicals.
Montreal Protocol
The giant aquifer that supplies water for
drinking and agricultural irrigation to much
of the farming midwest
Ogallala
Act passed to protect endangered species that
prevents importation into the United States of
anything that comes from an endangered animal
Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species (CITES) Act
Agreement, aimed at reducing global warming,
which has been ratified by 104 nations that
asks participants to reduce by 2012 their
greenhouse gas emissions to a percentage
of their 1990 emission levels. (The President
Bush has questioned some of the details of
the treaty and the US has not ratified it)
Kyoto Accord
Chemicals containing chlorofluorocarbons
used in aerosol cans and refrigerants that
cause a depletion of the ozone layer
CFC’s
Area in which the addition of an
abundance of limiting nutrients like
nitrogen and phosphorus cause an
algal bloom, blocking sunlight, and
causing the death of organisms below
Dead zone
Tell where we could see this problem
in the United States
Gulf of Mexico where
Mississippi River empties
Natural process in which atmospheric
gases trap energy from sunlight as heat
Greenhouse effect
the scientific study of interactions among
organisms and between organisms
and their environment
ecology
All the organisms that live in a place together
with their nonliving or physical environment
ecosystem
an immediate increase in the amount of algae
and other producers that results from the addition
of a large amount of limiting nutrient
Algal bloom
Name an environmental problem
caused by burning fossil fuels
Acid rain
Global warming
Air pollution/smog
Habitat destruction
Tell the cause of dead zones
Agricultural runoff
Name an invasive species that is
causing problems in South Dakota
Zebra mussels
Leafy spurge
Name the author whose book
“Silent Spring” described the dangers
of DDT and started the environmental
movement
Rachel Carson
Healthy ecosystems have a
high
________
level of biodiversity.
low
high
Tell something humans do that
endangers species and reduces
biodiversity
Over hunting, poaching, habitat destruction, habitat
fragmentation, industrial growth, ag runoff, burning
fossil fuels (leads to global warming & acid rain);
CFC’s, deforestation, air & water pollution. . . .
During the late 1950’s-early 1960’s people living
near Minamata Bay, Japan became ill with a
crippling neurological disease, later discovered
to be caused by mercury being dumped into the
ecosystem there. The toxin passed along the
food chain and people became ill from eating fish
caught in the bay.
This is an example of which concept you learned
about?
Biological magnification
Pollutants concentrate in the highest trophic
levels (in this case… humans)
Name one of the greenhouse gases
CO2
Methane
CFC’s
Water vapor
Name an effect of too much UV light
Sunburn/skin cancer
Premature aging
Cataracts/blindness
Reduced crop yield
Food chain disruptions
Name the environmental problem
addressed by the Kyoto Accord
Global warming
(helps acid rain too)
Tell 3 “goods and services” ecosystems
provide for humans
Solar energy, food production, oxygen production,
nutrient storage & recycling, climate regulation,
habitats for wildlife, waste detoxification, natural
pest/disease control, air/water purification, source of
new medicines, soil erosion/runoff management
Name the environmental problem
addressed by the Montreal Protocol
Ozone depletion
Tell one effect of acid rain on
an ecosystem
Kills fish, reduces biodiversity, damages
forests, human illness/death
(asthma/bronchitis)
Tell something we can do to help
reduce global warming
Reduce use of fossil fuels
(anything that uses less electricity or less water would help)
Drive less
increase fuel efficiency on cars
National energy policy that emphasizes
and encourages use of alternative energy
Recycle
Reduce deforestation
there are more. . .
How does deforestation impact
global warming?
Trees remove CO2 from atmosphere
during photosynthesis;
fewer trees means less CO2 is removed
… more global warming
Name 3 “goods and services” provided to
humans by the biosphere
Solar energy
Oxygen production
Nutrient storage/cycling
Climate regulation
food production
Human/industrial waste detoxification
Natural pest/disease control
Source of new medicines
Source of raw materials for building stuff
Air/water purification
erosion/runoff management
. . . . there are more
What does EPA stand for?
Environmental Protection Agency
Which of the following are caused by
burning fossil fuels?
All EXCEPT
acid rain
global warming ozone depletion
are
caused
by
ozone depletion
burning fossil fuels
smog
Name 2 harmful effects of Ultra-violet
light.
Sunburn, skin cancer, cataracts/blindness,
Premature aging (wrinkles), decreased
crop production, harm food chains
Which atom makes ozone?
Oxygen; O3