Sustainable Resource Management for a Healthy Future

End of the Year Review

All living things have an effect on the environment Normally effects are small Humans however have made a large _________ on the environment In part due to our ________________advances and our growing population. We need more resources and therefore are making larger changes in the environment Our decisions on how to use (or misuse) our resources will have a huge impact on the earth and it s organisms

Human activities can create ecological problems that must be avoided or corrected People need to understand the cause and effect of environmental actions to solve these problems Like all living things, humans are a part of the Earth s ecosystems We depend on the ecosystem for ________, water, and air As long as our ecosystem functions normally, those essential resources will be available to us We can depend on the plants to provide us ___________ and recycle our carbon dioxide and for the quality of our water to stay stable

Earth has a __________supply of resources _________________resources are those, given sufficient time, will be replaced _________________resources are those that will never be replaced Example: fossil fuels, minerals

Although many resources are ____________, they must be used carefully Increased consumption can stress the natural process Example: fish are a renewable resource. After catching fish, with time the population of the fish would recover. However, current fishing methods can catch so many fish at once that the populations may not be able to reproduce quick enough

If we use too many _______________resources, they will become depleted (serious reduction) within a relatively short time Our constant consumption of resources is becoming a serious problem Aluminum (we use for packaging) and silicon (we use for computer chips) are nonrenewable Fossil fuels (we use as gas) and coal (we use to power factories) are nonrenewable

We can maintain our renewable and nonrenewable resources by practicing the three R s ____________ ____________ ____________

Throughout the biosphere, animals take in _______________and release _________________; plants take in ____________________and release ____________________ The biotic processes of respiration and photosynthesis keep the levels of these gases in the atmosphere within a suitable range Abiotic factors help to maintain the quality of the atmosphere Example: rain falls and cleans the air of particles and soluble gases. Also helps maintain humidity

Soils form when _____________________breaks down rocks and when organism materials from decaying plants and animals accumulate These soils support growth of producers and serve as a habitat for _________________ Root systems hold the soil in place If you removed the vegetation or drought, leads to soil __________________

Water continually ______________from the surface of land and leaves from plants Water vapor rises into the atmosphere and collects in ______________ Eventually the vapor condenses and precipitates Water collects as runoff or groundwater or ____________ This process = water cycle

Plants that live in the soil use the soils minerals as they grow Nutrients are transported from one organism to another through _________________in the ecosystem Those that are not transferred eventually return to the earth through __________________ Without this, much of the ___________materials needed for life would remain locked up in the bodies of dead organisms In tropical rainforests, heavy rains are frequent, decomposition needs to recycle quickly. The frequent rain would strip the land of it s minerals before new plants could absorb it. Humans can take advantage of this when we compost. Compost is a natural _______________

Most species in the environment can have a period of rapid population growth The population increase levels off as it approaches the ecosystems _________________________(number of species an ecosystem can support) Example: There is a boom of rabbits, eventually food dwindles and the population growth levels off The growth of the rabbits are balanced by limiting factors (food, predators, disease)

Destruction or _______________of species from their habitat is known as direct harvesting It may lead to ____________________of a species unique species of plants or animals are captured from rain forests or deserts and shipped to other places to be sold as an oddity. Many die in the process Some organisms are killed for a specific body part. Example: elephants are killed for the ______________of their tusks to be made into jewelry or trinkets. ________________has caused many species to enter extinction In the early 1800s, billions of _____________________ lived in N. America. Millions were hunted every year. Eventually the population size was so small that the species was endangered. By the time anyone noticed, it was too late. The last passenger pigeon died in a zoo in Ohio in 1914 Some endangered species are protected by law now

Many people think that when a ____________is destroyed, the organisms just find a new home. Other parts of the ecosystem are already occupied Habitat destruction = people take over land for their own use. This is how many organisms become __________________/extinct Example: pandas are endangered because humans have greatly reduced their habitat __________________= destruction of forests resulting from human activity This causes widespread habitat destruction The area covered by rainforests is only about half as big as it was 150 years ago Forests, wetlands, and fields in New York as also threatened

When a wide variety of different species live together in an _______________, it has biodiversity A reduction in biodiversity is when species are lost It can affect the __________________of the ecosystem and food webs We may lose future ________________________, genes, or resistances that could benefit us Example: farming may plow under many acres, destroying biodiversity for one crop. It creates a feeding ground for insects that feed on that crop. To control insects, pesticides are spread which harms the environment

Biodiversity can be effected when organisms import and _________________species from one environment into another They do not ordinarily fit into the food web/have natural ______________ They crowd out native species Once a species is imported it is very difficult to get rid of it or _________________it. Sometimes an additional species is imported, This also may become a pest Sometimes __________________or poisons may be used to kill it Sometimes a disease is introduced that only effects the unwanted organism There is the chance that it will ______________and overpopulate again. Many states and countries have laws to resist the transport of species

Development of an _______________ in which machines produce many of the products people use = industrialization Products may add to quality of life but their manufacture may ___________the environment Pollution of air, water, demand for energy, water, and other resources (including fuels) Higher ___________demands = building more power plants Especially those that burn coal which adds to pollution _____________fuel is an energy resulting from atoms being split, they do not pollute the air or water but can cause thermal pollution and disposal of the wastes is an issue Another problem with increase industrialization is most factories use a lot of water

Rivers, lakes, and oceans are easy places for people to dispose of wastes ________________, wastes from homes/factories/farms Can change the _______________conditions in the ecosystem Sewage and animal wastes can act as fertilizer and increase the growth of plants, ______________, and bacteria in aquatic systems This may decrease the ________________needed by plants to conduct photosynthesis This decreases the ________________, which causes decomposers to be triggered which further decreases the oxygen supply in the area

Many wastes are dumped into waterways from cities, farms, industries and can be very toxic (poisonous) to organisms Chemical fertilizers/ ______________can be washed from farms into streams/rivers Chemical can collect in cells of organisms living in the water and along the shore These toxic materials move through the food chain and _______________________

Some power plants and industries use water to _________________their machines or materials The warmed water is then released back into rivers or lakes This raises the water temperature in that body of water Warm water cannot hold as much dissolved __________________ as cold water Some species suffocate as a result of thermal pollution, others are forced to find new homes Need to find a better way to deal with wastes and reduce the need for power

Substances are released into the air cause ___________________ Burning wastes doesn t disappear Pollutants are released into the atmosphere and wind up in _____________cycle to return to the water and land Air pollution can damage habitats and harm the organisms that live within them

Fuels such as _________ and __________formed from the remains of organisms that lived millions of years ago are known as fossil fuels When they are burned, _______________ and other gases are released Gases containing sulfur and nitrogen ____________________= sulfur and nitrogen compounds produced combine with moisture in the atmosphere When the moisture falls to Earth as acid rain, snow or other precipitation, it has low ____ levels and makes the atmosphere more acidic than normal It can damage plants, causing them to be more susceptible to fungus or insects It can also fall into lakes and steams and run off into the land It can lower the algae population causing disturbances in the food chain.

Other air pollutants are produced by automobile exhaust and by industrial processes Some can be _______________when inhaled This pollution becomes serious when weather traps the gases in an area for hours or even days ____________= kind of pollution that results when certain pollutants react with sunlight It looks like gray or brown haze and contains airborne pollutants People with _____________diseases are especially sensitive to air pollution and may be in danger when pollution increases

Sunlight passes through the _________ in the atmosphere to reach Earth Greenhouse gases trap and absorb the infrared radiation that bounces off Earth s surface This is known as the ______________________ It keeps Earth warm The amount of greenhouse gases has _______________ trapping more heat than normal, the Earth s average temperature is increasing The increase in temperature is known as global warming This can lead to changes in climate patterns and melting of _______________at the poles Most is cause by burning __________________

___________________= major greenhouse gas is released when fossil fuels are burned Finding and using energy sources that do not add carbon dioxide could prevent further global warming Trees remove a large quantity of carbon dioxide during photosynthesis and store it in tissues, growing more long-living trees can help as well

Ozone depletion is a worldwide problem and ________________________= layer of ozone gas in the upper atmosphere that protects Earth from some of the Sun s radiation A hole in the layer allows for more radiation to enter, which can cause _________________and kill cells exposed This increases skin cancer The main cause of the depletion is the release of gases called ________________________________, CFCs, into the atmosphere CFCs have been used as a coolants in refrigerators and air conditions, propellants in aerosol cans, and making plastic foams Researchers have found alternatives to the products that cause the most damage International agreements have been made to reduce emissions of the harmful gases

Many hope that technology can solve these issues It has made improvements Example: farmers have greatly increase crop yields, which means more food. But ______________and fertilizers have created pollution If technology cannot help people will have to make difficult steps to save our ecosystem Solutions are available but effect quality of ________________ Example: we can decrease pollutions from factories, plants, and cars but they are expensive. We could use less energy but many will not give up air-conditioning, large cars, and bright lights For each problem, we must assess the risk. For each solution, we analyze the cost and _______________. We determine which ______________ (compromise) is acceptable and which is too dangerous

New _______________restrict technologies or major construction projects Each company or individual seeking permission to make a change that affects the environment must prepare an environmental impact statement This includes an analysis of how the project/technology will affect the environment and is discussed at a public hearing The decisions we make today will effect our environment and future generations The lose of 1 species may not seem important but it can cause a huge ecological impact It can lead to the destruction of an entire environment and huge consequences It can compromise Earth s ability of produce ______________ and remove carbon dioxide to maintain an atmosphere that meets all organisms needs