Human influences and affects on the environment 

?
  • Created by: A.l.i.c.e
  • Created on: 24-03-16 15:41
View mindmap
  • Human influences and affects on the environment
    • Food production
      • Uses polythene tunnels and greenhouses
        • Increases Photosynthesis and crop yield. Warmer temp-faster photosynthesis. Carbon Dioxide can be controlled-speeds up photosynthesis.
      • Fertilizers
        • Returns Nitrates and other minerals back into soil-plants have nutrition to grow quickly as possible.
      • Pest control
        • Most used way of cotrolling pests. Chemicals sprayed onto crops to kill pests. Most effective but most expensive. Can become assistant, cause environmental damage ad kill useful animals(pollinating insects and predators).
    • Fish farming
      • Increase in amount of protein food available.
      • Number of fish controlled-avoid competition between same species.
      • Other species of fish kept out.
      • Food quality and consistency controlled.
      • Selective breeding used.
      • Diseases can spread easily.
      • Wild fish made into pellets to feed farmed fish.
      • Waste from fish and excess food can cause water pollution.
    • Air pollution
      • Pollution: releasing substances into environment in quantity that cause harmful effects
      • Sulfur Dioxide produced when fossil fuels burned, combines with rain water to form dilute Sulfur Dioxide.  Damages streams, kills life in streams and lakes and damages buildings.
      • Carbon Monoxide formed when fuels burned without enough Oxygen. It combines quickly with haemoglobin in blood. Can kill ipeople if blood becomes so saturated with gas it cannot carry enough oxygen for cellular respiration
      • Greenhouse gases: Carbon dioxide, water vapour, nitrous oxide, CFCs. They trap heat around Earth's surface and make it warm enough for human life. Human activity's are increasing greenhouse gases. The greenhouse effect if enhanced and global warming results. May lead to rising sea levels, changes in temp and rainfall patterns.
    • Water pollution
      • Ferlilizers
        • Nitrates leach from fertilizers into soil water leading to eutrophication.
          • Eutrophication: Nitrate levels up - increased algal growth - blocks light from water plants, which die-algae die as they run out of nitrates- decomposers break down dead plants and algae using oxygen - Oxygen levels in water fall and animals cannot live.
      • Sewage
        • Results in many more micro-organisms that decompose in the sewage, uses up oxygen in water so animals cannot survive in it.
      • Untitled
    • Deforestation
      • Cutting down large areas of forests leave soil exposed.
      • Minerals leached from soil, soil eroded.
      • Water cycle disrupted- no transpiration from trees and balance of Carbon Dioxide and Oxygen in atmosphere is disrupted.
      • After deforestation Carbon dioxide builds up and less oxygen is made.
      • Trees often burned, using up oxygen and putting even more carbon dioxide into atmosphere.

Comments

No comments have yet been made

Similar Biology resources:

See all Biology resources »See all Human influences on the environment resources »