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Questions and Answers
What is the primary driver for loss of biodiversity?
What is the primary driver for loss of biodiversity?
What are the two main ways habitat loss occurs?
What are the two main ways habitat loss occurs?
How does overharvesting reduce biodiversity?
How does overharvesting reduce biodiversity?
Which food source requires the most water to grow?
Which food source requires the most water to grow?
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What is eutrophication?
What is eutrophication?
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What do DDT and atrazine have in common?
What do DDT and atrazine have in common?
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What is the carrying capacity in reference to?
What is the carrying capacity in reference to?
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What effects do dead zones have on ecosystems?
What effects do dead zones have on ecosystems?
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Study Notes
Lecture #14: Impact of Humans on the Environment
- Anthropocene: A current geological epoch defined by significant human impact on the environment.
- Biodiversity: The variety of life on Earth, assessed by species and ecosystems. Its value is crucial to society.
- Identified Species: A large number of species have been identified on Earth.
- Population Factors: Studies of population examine factors like population size, growth rate, and distribution to understand population trends.
- Human Population: Current human population and projected future changes.
- Population Growth Patterns: Nature displays various population growth patterns, with some more common than others. Carrying capacity is a factor in population growth.
- Environmental Degradation: Human activities, particularly in food production, damage the environment, decreasing biodiversity.
- Habitat Loss: Two primary contributors are habitat destruction and fragmentation.
- Overharvesting: Depleting resources via overconsumption (e.g., hunting, fishing).
- Resource Depletion: The case of water usage for food production.
- Toxic Chemicals: Chemicals such as DDT and atrazine can pollute environments and harm organisms due to bioaccumulation and biomagnification.
- Nutrient Enrichment: Farming practices cause excess nutrients, like nitrogen and phosphorus, to enter ecosystems causing eutrophication.
- Eutrophication: A process where excess nutrients lead to algal blooms and dead zones in bodies of water.
- Greenhouse Effect: The natural process by which gases in the atmosphere trap heat.
- Greenhouse Gases: CO2 and methane (CH4) are vital in this process.
- Climate Change: The enhanced greenhouse effect, caused by increased greenhouse gases, leads to the observed climate change. Rapid climate change significantly impacts organisms.
Additional Topics
- Sustainable Diet: A veggie-based diet might reduce environmental impact (referencing the 10% rule and energy diagrams).
- Sustainable Practices: Living sustainably involves adopting several methods for a lower impact (e.g., reducing waste, conserving resources).
- Sustainability Considerations: The History of Stuff provides different perspectives on sustainability and its impact on personal lives.
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Description
Explore the significant ways humans impact the environment in this quiz. Topics include the Anthropocene, biodiversity, population growth patterns, and environmental degradation. Understand how human activities affect ecosystems and species diversity.
