Science 10 Sustainability of Ecosystems
Activity #1 The Research Project – Human Impact on Ecosystems
Background
Everyday activities of humans result in many changes in both the abiotic and biotic
environment of our ecosystems. The use of energy increases air temperatures
around cities, mineral contamination of waterways is a result of mining and effluent
disposal release, farming increased populations of agricultural and pest species and
decreased the populations of most wildlife. In order to better assess the impact of
human activities on the environment, it is necessary to understand the ecological
relationships in the ecosystem.
Task
Your task is to research one particular human activity that has an impact on the
environment in your province. Then you need to link that particular activity with at
least two specific consequences, using ecological relationships that you have
learned.
For example, certain agricultural practices produce wastes containing pesticides
such as DDT, which enter the aquatic environment. The pesticide is then deposited
on the algae and plant growth in lakes and streams (Consequence 1). The pesticide
enters the bodies of phytoplankton and the process of biomagnification becomes
concentrated in the muscles of carnivorous fish (Consequence 2).
Through explorations such as this, you will be able to explain, for example, how the
use of pesticides could affect the health of fish-eating people living downstream.
The end result of your research will be to present your finding, including tables and
graphs of data in a report. Some suggested formats include essay format,
Powerpoint Presentation or Web Page.
Investigate
1. Choose one of the following topics to investigate (or decide on one of your own
topics, but discuss it with your teacher before beginning your research).
a. The impact of human activities on an endangered ecosystem such as a
grass prairie.
b. The impact of draining wetlands.
c. The impact of dam construction.
d. The impact of releasing heavy metals into the environment
e. The impact of single-crop or monoculture farming.
f. The impact of clear-cutting forests.
g. The impact of building cottages along lake shores.
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Sustainability of Ecosystems – Human Impact
h. The impact of urban sprawl development on natural areas or drainage
systems.
i. The impact of oil and gas exploration in Canada.
j. The impact of illegal wildlife poaching.
k. The impact of strip mining (e.g. nickel).
l. The impact of underground mining (e.g. potash).
m. An approved topic of your choice.
2. Using your knowledge of ecosystems: list some of the ways in which the natural
environment would be affected. Use concepts such as abiotic environment,
populations, population density, food webs, pyramid of numbers, predators, prey,
decomposers, biodiversity, and adaptation to describe your ideas.
3. Organize your ides into links or steps: A leads to B, B leads to C, and so on.
4. Carry out research to obtain information related to your ideas. There are many
good internet sources of data in the list of related websites. If you are going to
contact organizations like government departments of Fisheries or Mining, etc.
please prepare a list of what you need before you inquire, and be as specific as
possible. Some examples are: figures showing changes in numbers of prairie
ponds since 1955 are available from Environment Canada, changes in duck
numbers on the western plains are provided by the Annual Waterfowl Breeding
Population Survey, available from the Canadian Wildlife Service, etc.
5. Assemble your report, including data and illustrations, as previously discussed.
6. Analysis
a. Describe your attempts to obtain information that were successful. Give
reasons for the lack of results?
b. Did your research provide you with any information that surprised you?
Explain.
c. Suggest how one or more of the harmful impacts described in your report
might be minimized or eliminated.
Overview of Available of Websites
1. David Suzuki Foundation has a website on Ecosystem-based management
(EBM) that summarizes several areas of concern regarding Canada's rainforests.
It also provides links for more informative sites.
http://www.canadianrainforests.org/ebm/about
2. Another website, sustainability.ca, gives an overview of concerns of engineers
and geoscientists in British Columbia (APEGBC). Some parts of the document
show biases that should be addressed by the classroom teacher.
www.sustainability.ca
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Sustainability of Ecosystems – Human Impact
3. A good introduction to ecosystem sustainability can be found at the Regents
Prep site that not only gives an overview but also has tutorial questions to
practice on-line.
http://regentsprep.org/regents/biology/units/humanimpact/index.cfm
4. A site under the direction of the United Nations Environmental Programme
gives an overview of the human impact on the world's resources. It lists several
problems that we have created; however, it does not give any solutions to the
problems. http://www.globio.info/impacts/
5. There is a worthwhile site, easy to read, concise, and well written at the
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (a research organization formed from
within the United Nations-UNDP, UNEP, et al) http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/
6. Many government agencies or departments have valuable information and
statistical data for analyzing human impact on ecosystems. Fisheries Canada
has a good source of data and statistics regarding aquatic species. Other
information of note can be found on Canada's Natural Resources, Mining
Statistics, Agricultural and sustainability of Canada's food resources.
Statistics Canada gives an overview of populations and resources. The
Canadian Wildlife Service and Environment Canada are also excellent data
and information sites.
Fisheries Canada - http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/;
Natural Resources and Mining Statistics –
http://mmsd1.mms.nrcan.gc.ca/mmsd/intro_e.asp;
Agricultural -http://www.agr.gc.ca/index_e.php ;
Statistics Canada - http://www.statcan.ca/ ;
The Canadian Wildlife Service - http://www.cws-scf.ec.gc.ca/
Environment Canada - http://www.mb.ec.gc.ca/nature/ecosystems/index.en.html
7. An article that helps explain the impact on birth and death rates of some species
exposed to areas of petroleum development is written by the Arctic Institute of
North America.
http://www.aina.ucalgary.ca/scripts/minisa.dll/144/proe/proarc/se+arctic,+v.+58,+
no.++1,+Mar.+2005,*?COMMANDSEARCH
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Vocabulary
abiotic - non-living components (sunlight, temperature, wind, water, and rock) of an
ecosystem
adaptation - any alteration in the structure or function of an organism or any of itsparts
that results from natural selection and by which the organism becomes better fitted to
survive and multiply in its environment; the ability of a species to survive in a particular
ecological niche because of alterations of form or behavior brought about through
natural selection
biodiversity - a measure of the number and variety of species in an ecosystem
biomagnification - (also called biological magnification or bioamplification ) is the
tendency of pollutants to become concentrated in successive trophic levels
biotic - living components (animals and plants) of an ecosystem
decomposers - an organism that feeds on detritus (garbage), in the process releasing
nutrients to the soild and water, where they can be used by other organisms
ecosystem - the living and non-living components of a biological community and their
interrelationships
effluent - sewage or other liquid waste that is discharged into a body of water
monoculture - one crop is grown densely over an extensive area
populations - is all the members of a species that are living in the same habitat at a
particular time
population density - the number of people living per unit of an area (e.g. per square
kilometre); the number of people relative to the space occupied by them
predators - an animal that obtains its food by hunting, capturing and killing its prey
prey - an animal that is a source of food for a carnivore
pyramid of numbers - a graphical model that shows the numbers of organisms that
exist at trophic levels in an ecosystem
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