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Humans in the Biosphere Project
High birthrate, low infant death rate, and longer life span has allowed our species to grow from 1
billion to more than 6 billion in the last hundred years. The environmental effects that have resulted from
increased size and lifestyle has come to a critical point in our existence. We are making demands on the
planet and the planet can no longer deliver.
You will be assigned to a group with a specific issue facing the balance of the ecosystems of the
planet. Your group is responsible for a poster or power point presentation on one of the following:
Green Revolution:
-A food crisis was averted in the middle of the 20th century as farming techniques
and fertilizers allowed for production of hearty strains of wheat and rice.
-Describe: Fertilizers, how they work, types, benefits and problems. Include a
look into algal bloom and biological magnification.
-Describe: What problems may arise from the creation of farmlands and the
over farming of lands.
-Describe: Nutrients and water are needed for plants to be successful. Describe
how water is brought to arid fields and the consequences of this.
-Generate: Graphs and chart displaying the amount of land used for farming and
how this has changed throughout history.
Industrial Growth and Urban Development:
-Describe in brief how the industrial revolution transformed the landscape.
-What were a few of the new technologies? What did these technologies
allow for society to accomplish?
-What were the pros and cons of the industrial revolution.
-Describe pollution levels, in general, types and how they changed from
the 1800s to today. Be sure to talk about the Clean Air Act.
-Where do we see ourselves today? How much of the landscape has been
“urbanized”? What are the environmental effects of urbanization?
Biodiversity:
-Explain what biodiversity is and why it is important to maintain a high level of it.
-Be sure to describe the differences between species diversity, genetic diversity,
and ecosystem diversity and how all of these factor into biodiversity.
-What are the threats to biodiversity?
-Why are species becoming endangered? Give a list of endangered species, how
this has changed over time, and list reasons why it is important to protect them.
-How can we conserve biodiversity?
Invasive Species:
-What is an invasive specie and provide examples.
-Describe how a species can invade a nonnative ecosystem, naturally and artificially.
-What are we doing/have we done to prevent or encourage this?
-Are there any advantages/disadvantages to invasive species?
-Give 3 historically accurate examples of how we have introduced a specie for
specific gain. Give all repercussion, benefits and setbacks.
Global Climate Change:
-Give a history of how the climate has changed globally and locally.
-What are the factors that influence climate? Explain.
-What causes climate to change. List natural and artificial means.
-What kind of effects can changes in global climate have.
-What is the green house effect and why is it necessary and why is it dangerous.
What contributes to and what effects could it have?
Ozone:
-Explain how ozone is created both in the troposphere and in urban areas.
-How is Ozone both a necessary component and a pollutant at the same time?
-What is the importance of the ozone layer? Why was its creation 1000s upon
1000s of years ago necessary to our evolution?
-How are we destroying ozone? How can be preserve it?
-What are the health effects of surface level ozone? Ozone is the number one
polluter of the air in st. louis (according to issue day speaker). Is this correct.
What is the significance? How can we prevent it? How has the government tried to
prevent it?
-What are CFCs and what do they have to do with protecting the ozone?
Acid Rain:
-What is acid rain and how is it created? Be specific.
-Described what pH is and the pH of normal rain water vs. acid rain.
-What is the effect of acid rain on ecosystems? On human?
-How can acid rain be prevented?
-How does acid rain amount vary across the country? The world? Why?
-What is the history of acid rain? Have amounts changed? Explain.
Sewage, Waste, and Radioactive Waste
-What are the different types of waste? What do we do with them?
-explain how a land fill works.
-what is the difference between biodegradable and non biodegradable and
-why is this significant...give examples.
-Where does radioactive waste come from? How do we discard of it?
-Historically, how has waste management systems changed? Why is it important to
control waste? What effects could uncontrolled waste management produce?
Renewable and Nonrenewable resources:
-What is the difference between the two? Classify nonrenewable vs. renewable.
-land, air, freshwater
-What powers our country? What are the pros and cons?
-What are we looking into as far alternative sources of energy? What are the pros and
cons?
-What can we do, be specific, to perserve our nonrenewable resources?
-Historically, how have our nonrenewable resources been depleted in the last 200 years?
Why is this significant?
Presentation needs to be 5-7min , Everybody talks, Not just read, and questions are answered
sufficiently. You will each be graded on your part of the presentation.
See attached rubric for grading
5 References (Textbook counts as one, one website and three articles on the subject):
Total: 40 pts