Biodiversity, Conservation, and Human Impact on the Environment

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Biodiversity, Conservation, and Human Impact on
the Environment
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Overview

• Human affect Environment more than any other
  species
• 6 Main Ways of Impact
• Hunting
• Agriculture
• Industry
• Urban Development
• Waste Production
• Energy Use

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Hunting

• Early Humans relied on hunting/gathering
• Used land and water resources to get food
• Extinction of Large Animals
• Modern Hunters
• Laws Protect Endangered Animals
• Help thin overpopulated organisms Deer
• Reduce Biodiversity
• Regulation, not elimination

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Agriculture

• Def Harnessing nature to mass produce food
• Began approx. 11,000 years ago
• Population Effect?
• Nomad ? Town dwellers ? Civilization
• Green Revolution Feed billionsat what cost?
• Eco Effects
• Over cultivation of land ? Erosion of soil
• Large water supply demands
• 1800s ? Present Technology Development
• Irrigation
• Genetically modified crops
• Fertilizers and pesticides

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Industrial Growth Development

• Industrial Revolution mid 1800s
• Economy, Conveniences and Productivity advances
• More stuff ? more waste
• Increase use of Tools, Technology, Science
• Use of Fossil Fuels release CO2 ? Greenhouse
  Effect
• Chemical and waste by-products of manufacturing

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Urban Growth and Development

• Physical Changing of Ecosystems
• Soil, Flora and Fauna ? Concrete
• Suburban Sprawl Commuters to Urban Areas
• Increases Drive time to work, etc
• Increases Air Pollution
• Decreases
• Biodiversity
• Oxygen Production
• Increases
• Water Run Off
• Pollution Air, Water, Soil
• Habitat Destruction, Degradation and
  Fragmentation
• Heat

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Waste Production

• Average American Produces 2k/day
• 60 tons of garbage in a lifetime
• Where does waste go?
• Landfills Biodegrade
• Liquid Waste Treatment Plants Clean and reuse
• Hazardous waste buried in barrels or
  bioremidated
• More of todays waste is NON Biodegradable
• Can compost for fertilizer bacteria and fungi
  breakdown yard waste for fertilizer

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Energy Use

• Fossil Fuels, Hydroelectric, Nuclear, Hydrogen
• Americans use ¼ worlds fossil fuels
• Energy all types produces wastes
• Fossil Fuels ? CO2, particles, sulfur, NO
• Hydroelectric ? Water Pollution, Biodiversity
• Nuclear ? Radiation
• Hydrogen ? H20, most produced using fossil fuels

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