UNIT 20: HUMAN INFLUENCES ON ECOSYSTEMS

FOOD SUPPLY
 Humans have increased food production significantly with the help of modern
technology, such as:
o Agricultural machinery – The use of agricultural machinery has enabled
humans to use larger areas of land for cultivation and improve the efficiency
in food production
o Chemical fertilisers – By providing essential nutrients and minerals to crops,
the use of chemical fertilisers improve crop yield
o Insecticides – The use of insecticides has contributed to the improvement of
both quality and quantity of yield
o Herbicides – Herbicides play an important role in reducing competition with
weeds and maximising crop growth
o Selective breeding – Selective breeding techniques have been used to
enhance production in both crops plants and livestock, resulting in improved
agricultural output

MONOCULTURES OF CROP PLANTS

 Monoculture farming refers to the cultivation of a single crop species on a specific
agricultural land continuously

Advantage Disadvantages
Easier to manage Reduced ecosystem diversity
More efficient Increased pest issues
Promotes agricultural technology Problems with insecticides
Higher earning

INTENSIVE LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION

 Livestock production refers to the rearing and management of animals, such as
cattle, poultry, sheep etc for various purposes, including meat, milk, eggs, or fiber
production

Advantages Disadvantages
Helps the economy and agricultural Easier spread of disease
industry
Provides food security Welfare issues of livestock

HABITAT DESTRUCTION
 Biodiversity refers to the variety of different species that live in an area
  A habitat is the natural home of a plant or animal
 Reasons for habitat destruction:
o Increased area for housing, crop plant production and livestock production
o Extraction of natural resources
o Fresh water and marine pollution

ALTERING FOOD WEBS

 Through altering food webs and food chains, humans can have a negative impact on
habitats
 Human actions like over harvesting and bringing in non-native species can upset the
balance of species interactions within habitats, leading to negative impacts on the
overall health and functioning of ecosystems

DEFORESTATION
 Deforestation is the clearing of trees
 Deforestation is an example of habitat destruction
 Deforestation has undesirable effects which include:
o Reducing biodiversity – Deforestation leads to the loss of diverse plant and
animal species that depend on the forest ecosystem for their survival
o Extinction – The destruction of habitats through deforestation can result in
the extinction of species that are unable to adapt or find alternative habits
o Loss of soil – Deforestation often leads to soil erosion, as tree roots can no
longer hold the soil together, resulting in its depletion and decreased fertility
o Flooding – Trees play a crucial role in regulating water flow, and their removal
through deforestation can lead to increased surface runoff, soil erosion and
an elevated risk of flooding in surrounding areas
o Increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere – Deforestation contributes to
the release of stored carbon into the atmosphere, as trees absorb carbon
dioxide through photosynthesis. This leads to higher levels of greenhouse
gases, which contribute to global warming and climate change

POLLUTION
 Pollution is when harmful substances get into the environment and make things dirty
or unsafe for living things
 Human activities have led to the pollution of water, land and air
WATER POLLUTION
 Aquatic ecosystems can become polluted with human waste, like untreated sewage,
pesticides and excess fertilisers used in agriculture
 When fertilisers and sewage enter the marine environment, “Dead zones” form
where there isn’t enough oxygen for life to thrive. This is called eutrophication
AIR POLLUTION
  Methane and carbon dioxide contribute to the enhanced greenhouse effect and
climate change
 Methane pollution comes from:
o Livestock – Gases released by animals like cows and sheep
o Landfills – Trash breaking down without air produces methane

Livestock – Gases released by animals like cows and sheep
Landfills – Trash breaking down without air produces methane
 Carbon dioxide pollution comes from:
o Burning fossil fuels for energy
o Industrial processes
 These gases trap heat in the atmosphere, intensifying the greenhouse effect, leading
to global warming and climate change
 The effects include altered weather patterns, rising sea levels, and more frequent
and severe extreme weather events, impacting ecosystems and human lives
EUTROPHICATION
 When untreated sewage and excess fertilisers get into streams and rivers it supplies
an excess of nitrates and other ions for microscopic algae, which are producers
 This leads to the excessive growth of producers
 When these plants and algae die, they are decomposed by bacteria
 Due to the increased amount of producers, there will also be increased
decomposition following their death
 During decomposition, there is increased aerobic respiration and oxygen is used up
by the decomposers
 As a result, there will be a decrease in dissolved oxygen
 Therefore, organisms that need the dissolved oxygen in the water can’t survive and
die

NON-BIODEGRADABLE PLASTICS
 Plastics are non-biodegradable
 This means that they don’t break down naturally overtime like other materials
 Instead, they persist in the environment for a very long time without fully
decomposing
 Non-biodegradable plastics have harmful effects on:
o Aquatic ecosystems – plastic waste in water disrupts the natural balance and
harms marine life. Animals get trapped or eat plastic, causing injuries or
death and disrupting their homes. Plastics release harmful chemicals,
polluting the water and harming aquatic organisms.
o Terrestrial ecosystems – Plastic waste in the soil contaminates the land,
affecting plants and nutrient cycles. Animals can be harmed by encountering
plastic waste in their habitats. Plastics break down into microplastics that can
contaminate soil and affect wildlife
CONSERVATION
 Conservation means taking care of natural resources to make sure they can be
properly used now and the future
 A sustainable resource is one which is produced as rapidly as it is removed from the
environment so that it does not run out
 Some resources can be conserved and managed sustainably such as forests and fish
stocks
CONSERVATION OF FORESTS
 Forests can be conserved using
o Education
o Protected areas
o Quotas
o Replanting’

CONSERVATION OF FISH STOCKS

 Fish stocks can be conserved using:
o Education
o Closed seasons
o Quotas
o Controlled net types and mesh size

ENDAGERED SPECIES
 An endangered species is a type of plant or animal that has very few of its kind left in
the world and is at risk of disappearing forever
 When a species in extinct, it means that none of them are left anywhere in the world.
They have completely vanished
 Organisms become endangered or extinct because of different reasons:
o Climate change – Changing weather patterns and temperatures can make it
hard for them to survive
o Habitat destruction – When their homes are destroyed, they have nowhere to
live
o Hunting – People hunting them too much can make their numbers go down a
lot
o Overharvesting – Taking too many of them from nature can make their
populations shrink
o Pollution – Harmful stuff in the air, water, or soil can make them sick or
unable to reproduce
o Introduced species – New animals or plants coming into their habitat can
cause problems like eating their food or spreading diseases
CONSERVATION OF ENDANGERED SPECIES
  Monitoring and protecting species and habitats – Keeping a close watch on
endangered species and their homes to make sure they stay safe and healthy
 Education – teaching people why these species are important and how to help
protect them
 Captive breeding programs – Taking care of endangered animals in special places,
helping them have babies, and releasing them back into the wild
 Seed banks – Storing the seeds of endangered plants in a safe place so they can be
grown again if they disappear from the wild
REASONS FOR HAVING CONSERVATION PROGRAMS
 Maintaining of increasing biodiversity
 Reducing extinction
 Protecting vulnerable ecosystems
 Maintaining ecosystem functions

AI AND IVF IN CAPTIVE BREEDING

 Captive breeding programs are vital for saving endangered species. They use
methods like artificial insemination (AI) and in vitro fertilisation (IVF) to help these
vulnerable animals reproduce and survive
ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION (AI)
 In captive breeding, scientists help animals reproduce by collective sperm from a
male and inserting it into a female’s body to fertilize her eggs. This way, animals can
have babies without needing to be together
IN VITRO FERTILISATION (IVF)
 In this method, eggs are taken from a female and fertilized with sperm outside her
body in a lab. Then the fertilized eggs are put back into the female’s body or into a
surrogate mother, helping endangered animals to have babies even when natural
breeding is difficult
 IVF in captive breeding can also be used to make sure that endangered animals have
babies with different genes, which helps keep the species healthier and better able
to survive

RISKS TO A SPECIES
 When a species has fewer and fewer individuals, its genetic variety decreases
 This makes them weaker against diseases and changes in the environment, which can
lead to more of them getting sick or dying
 This puts them at higher risk of extinction