Slide 1 / 143 Slide 2 / 143 5th Grade Human Impacts on Earth 2015-08-28 www.njctl.org Slide 3 / 143 Slide 4 / 143 Table of Contents: Human Impacts on Earth Click on the topic to go to that section Human Impacts and Importance of the Environment · Humans Impact on Earth Ecological Footprint · Negative Human Impacts · Positive Human Impacts · Methods of Reduction · Return to Table of Contents Slide 5 / 143 Slide 6 / 143 Human Impacts on Earth Evidence of Change How can we observe evidence of how humans have changed the For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. earth and their effects on it? What impact do humans have on the Earth?
Slide 7 / 143 Slide 8 / 143 Geological Evidence Geological Evidence Just as we use fossils to learn about the Earth and life on it, geological evidence reveals how humans have changed the earth. Increased demand for agriculture has changed landscapes. Changes in the landscape, resources and biodiversity can all be linked to humans impacts. Deforestation in Rio de Janeiro. Agriculture provides food and products. In what ways, however, does it impact the Earth? Slide 9 / 143 Slide 10 / 143 Chemical Evidence Geological Evidence The impacts of humans on the Earth can also be measured in terms of trace elements and chemicals. Increased levels of carbon dioxide are observed in the Mining has permanently changed entire ecosystems and atmosphere. depleted resources. Slide 11 / 143 Slide 12 / 143 Human History Chemical Evidence Human activities in agriculture, industry and everyday life have had Layers of chlorine can be found in glacier core samples in major impacts on the land, rivers, oceans and air. Click on the photo Wyoming from atomic weapons testing during the 1960's. to watch human impacts on different areas around the world. Additionally, layers of mercury exist in areas from the coal plants of the 1980's. What are some of the positive and negative impacts you observed?
Slide 13 / 143 Slide 14 / 143 Importance of the Environment Agents of Change The Earth has been changed and shaped by many different things. " We all depend on the gifts of nature, but these gifts must be However, humans have become one of the most significant agents of change on the Earth. received with gratitude and not exploited or abused." Satish Kumar, National Trust Magazine, Spring 2010 Human activities in agriculture, industry and everyday life have had major impacts on the land, “Earth provides enough to rivers, oceans, air and outer satisfy every man's needs, but space not every man's greed.” Mahatma Gandhi Slide 15 / 143 Slide 16 / 143 Dependent Relationship Human Dependence Humans depend on the natural environment for: A healthy environment is essential to human survival. Resources for food supply · The quality of human life is related to the quality of the environment. Source of medicine · In how many ways do humans depend on Energy Source · the environment? Make a list below: Recreation · Resources for industrial products · And many more · Slide 17 / 143 Slide 18 / 143 Healthy Ecosystem 1 Humans have changed Earth. Humans are an integral part of the ecosystem. True False Describe one way that humans impact each component of Earth shown above.
Slide 19 / 143 Slide 20 / 143 2 Humans are an important part of the ecosystem. 3 How do humans rely upon the Earth? Select all that apply. True A Food source False B Recreation C Energy source D Place to live Slide 21 / 143 Slide 22 / 143 4 Which of the following are ways we can observe humans impact on Earth? Select all that apply. A Geological Evidence Ecological Footprint B Cosmological Evidence C Chemical Evidence D Animal Evidence Return to Table of Contents Slide 23 / 143 Slide 24 / 143 Ecological Footprint Human Activity One way to measure human impact Although humans make up less than 0.1% of all living things on Earth, they have had a major impact. Human activities have on the ecosystems is through the significantly altered the biosphere, changed natural habitats and ecological footprint. An ecological caused the extinction of living species. footprint is the measure of human demand on the ecosystems.
Slide 25 / 143 Slide 26 / 143 Human Footprint Ecological Footprint Around the world, human progress and development has permanently Ecological footprints vary from person to person and country to altered ecosystems. country. On a global scale, it is estimated that over 20 billion hectares of Earth would be required to sustain the current Areas on the map in red population. Sadly the Earth only has 11.9 billion hectares. have been the most impacted by humans. Few Click on the box below to access the Ecological Footprint areas remain that have Calculator and see how much land area it takes to support you! not been affected by human activity. What do you notice about the areas not affected by human activity? Slide 27 / 143 Slide 28 / 143 Global Footprints Human Footprint Comparison Which countries have the largest ecological footprint? How do you think your footprint compares to others around the world? Which ones have the smallest? Click below to see how your consumption of these items compares to others around the world and what your lifetime impact will be. Slide 29 / 143 Slide 30 / 143 Global Change Global Change Causes Complete the chart with as many human and natural causes of Global change is the sum of all natural and human-induced global change as you can think of. changes in Earth's environment. Human Changes Natural Changes Changes include alterations in the climate, land productivity, oceans or water resources, atmospheric chemistry and ecological systems.
Slide 31 / 143 Slide 32 / 143 Start of A New Era 5 What is an ecological footprint? Human impacts have been so profound on the Earth that scientists are considering the start of a new era. The Anthropocene Era would begin in the 1900's and is the age when the effects of increased human A The impact nature has on humans population and economic development severely impacted planetary physical, chemical, and biological conditions. B The measure of humans impact on Earth's systems C The size Earth's biosphere D The cutting down and burning of forests Slide 33 / 143 Slide 34 / 143 6 Global change is 7 What is the new era that is characterized by how humans have impacted the Earth? A Only human induced changes on the A Peopleocene environment B Human Era B All natural and human induced changes on the environment C Era of Homosapiens C Only natural induced changes on the D Anthropocene environment D Changes in the Earth from the Biosphere Slide 35 / 143 Slide 36 / 143 Ecological Footprint Activity Anthropocene Timeline How does your footprint compare with others? What can you Create a timeline that illustrates the progression of the do to lesson your footprint? Anthropocene Era.
Slide 37 / 143 Slide 38 / 143 Negative Impacts Environmental issues and climate concerns are mainstream issues now. In what ways have humans had a negative impact on the Earth? Make a list below: Negative Human Impacts: Negative Human Impacts Return to Table of Contents Slide 39 / 143 Slide 40 / 143 Negative Human Impacts Carrying Capacity Negative human impacts can be seen in the following areas: Pretend that a forest is composed of 50 oak trees. Squirrels also live in the forest. The oak trees have enough food and Global warming · habitat to sustain two squirrels each. Ozone depletion · Water · How many squirrels can live in the forest? Land · Pollution · Answer: Space debris · Resource depletion · 100 squirrels Loss of biodiversity · Population increase · What will happen when the Economic growth · population of squirrels Damaged and destroyed ecosystems · surpasses this? Slide 41 / 143 Slide 42 / 143 Carrying Capacity Carrying Capacity Human population has surpassed Earth's carrying capacity. There are enough resources in the forest to support 100 The difference between humans and the squirrels from the previous squirrels. If the population surpasses this, there will not be slide is that human population continues to increase despite the fact enough food/habitat and squirrels will start to die until the that we have surpassed the carrying capacity. population lowers back to 100. This population number is the squirrel's carrying capacity. Carrying capacity is the maximum population size that an environment can sustain.
Recommend
More recommend
