Biology 6.1-6.2

What are the primary sources of water pollution?

Industrial and agricultural chemicals, residential sewage, and nonpoint sources

What causes soil erosion? Why is it a problem?

It is caused when no roots are left to hold the soil in place. When soil is badly eroded, organic matter and minerals are often carried away with the soil.

What is sustainable development? How can it help minimize the negative impacts of human activities?

It means using resources in an environmentally conscious way. It provides human needs while preserving ecosystems that produce natural resources.

How does the use of fossil fuels negatively impact Earth's atmosphere?

It releases pollutants of several kinds including greenhouse gases, particulates and pollutants that produce smog and acidic rain.

What is the relationship between resource use and sustainable development?

Sustainable development provides for human needs while preserving the ecosystems that produce natural resources.

How might more productive agricultural practices affect a developing nation's population? It's environmental health?

More productive agricultural practices would increase a nations population since there would be more food available. However, it would likely worsen the nation's environmental health.

List the three primary types of human activities that have affected regional and global environments. For each, give one benefit and one environmental cost.

1- agriculture,benefit: food production, cost: impacts on fresh water and fertile soil. 2- development, benefit: higher standards of living, cost: production of wastes. 3- industrial growth, benefit: conveniences of modern life, cost: requires lots of energy to produce and power products.

What are three ways in which agriculture and forestry industries can improve the sustainability of soil?

1- leaving stems and roots of the previous years crops in the soil between planting can help hold soil in place. 2- crop rotation can help prevent soil erosion. 3- the practice of contour plowing can limit erosion.

Pick one source of water pollution and describe a way in which we can reduce its effects.

Agriculture chemicals, we can reduce their effects by using as little fertilizers as possible.

Explain why energy from the sun is a renewable source but energy from oil is a non renewable resource?

Energy from the sun is renewable because it can be replaced ( the sun keeps burning). However, natural resources cannot replenish oil supplies within a reasonable amount of time.

Why is soil important and how do we protect it?

Healthy soil supports both agriculture and forestry. It is possible to minimize soil erosion through careful management of both agriculture and forestry.

How do our daily activities affect the environment?

Humans affect regional and global environments through agriculture, development, and industry in ways that have an impact on the quality of Earth's natural resources, including soil, water, and the atmosphere.

In addition to filtering water, wetlands provide flood control by absorbing access water. Explain how society would provide these services if the ecosystem could not.

Societies would have to build more dams and barriers to prevent excess water from flooding cities and agricultural lands

Why are some pollutants more harmful to organisms at higher trophic levels?

Some pollutants are more harmful because they undergo biological magnification and become more concentrated at these levels.

What ecological goods and services does the atmosphere provide?

The oxygen we breathe, the ozone layer that absorbs harmful UV radiation, and the greenhouse gases.

How is fresh water both a renewable and a limited resource?

The water cycle renews Earth's fresh water, but some places have a limited supply.

What are the major forms of air pollution?

smog, acid rain, greenhouse gases, and particulates