Download Human impact on the TUNDRA HUMAN IMPACT ON BIOMES

 H U M A N IMPA C T O N BIO MES A RO U N D TH E W O RLD
HOMEWORK DIRECTIONS (due Wed/Thurs): For EACH of these biomes (yes,
go through all), look for evidence of HIPPCO in the article (these are the main
ways humans impact biomes). If you find evidence that humans have been
impacting the biome in that way, UNDERLINE OR HIGHLIGHT THE
EVIDENCE IN THE TEXT (you must do this for ANY HW credit) and then check
off the appropriate box.
Human impact on the TUNDRA
The tundra may seem tough, but it is a very sensitive environment. More
people have recently been moving to the tundra to work in the mines
and oil industry. New towns and roads are being built to support the
increased population. Developments have interrupted many of the
animals’ migrations and feeding patterns, as well as caused damage to
the permafrost. It takes so long for the tundra to recover that tire tracks
and footprints remain on the ground for decades after they were made.
In areas of the tundra there are also many natural resources, such as oil.
People worry that pollution from these mines and rigs may ruin the
fragile ecosystem. A caribou migration route was interrupted by
construction of the Alaskan oil pipeline. In some places the pipeline has
been raised high enough above the ground for caribou to pass under it.
Insects bombard the tundra in the summer and birds flock there to eat
them.
Pesticides used to control insects may work their way up through the food
chain and affect many of the animals that live on the tundra. We need to
be careful with the delicate tundra environment.
There is also much we can learn from the tundra. Permafrost has the
ability to preserve plants and animals in the cold ice for long periods of
time. Scientists can use the permafrost as a record of the past to learn
about climate. These records are a tool to compare past climates with the
current climate to see how much the earth may be warming. As we learn
more about this unique biome, it is important that we continue to care for
it.
HIPPCO Checklist In this biome, do humans cause… Habitat Destruction? Population control Invasive species? Climate change Pollution Overharvesting Human impact on the TROPICAL RAIN
FOREST
Tropical rainforests are important because they provide oxygen,
take in carbon dioxide, and are a huge source of biodiversity and
cultural diversity.
However, people also rely on tropical rainforests for food,
medicine, timber, travel, and more. Rainforests around the world
provide people with food and spices, for example, allspice, vanilla,
cacao, cassava, ginger, bananas, black pepper, sugar cane,
nutmeg and more.
Many people are also moving from crowded cities where they
cannot find jobs into the rainforest where they are becoming smallscale farmers. With all of this use, we need to be concerned about
the stress we are putting on rainforests. Thirty acres of trees are cut
in tropical rainforests every minute! Some scientists estimate that
rainforests the size of Pennsylvania are lost each year.
There are many reasons people cut down trees. People are logging
for firewood, charcoal, building materials and other uses. Trees are
being removed for commercial agriculture, which may cause
permanent damage. Converting rainforests to pasture land for
cattle ranching has destroyed many rainforests. Mining for gold,
bauxite, and other minerals can destroy the land, and make it
vulnerable to erosion.
HIPPCO Checklist In this biome, do humans cause… Habitat Destruction? Population control Invasive species? Climate change Pollution Overharvesting Human impact on the SAVANNAH
Some environmental concerns with savannas include poaching or
hunting, overgrazing, and destruction of land to grow commercial
plant crops. There are over 800 species of trees and shrubs in
certain Brazilian Savannas but much of these biomes are being
cleared so crops such as beans, corn and rice can be grown and
for other such agricultural uses.
Many animals in the savanna, such as the rhinoceros and zebra,
are endangered and threatened with extinction due to hunting,
poaching, and habitat loss. Humans are also disrupting the natural
flow of the Savanna by releasing foreign species into the wild.
These are referred to as introduced species or exotic species.
One example of this is when rabbits were introduced into
Australian Savanna and they quickly multiplied and spread across
the entire country. There are many types of grassland plants which
are now extinct because of the introduction of these pests.
The savanna is often damaged when it is used as pastureland for
non-native domestic cattle. Cattle grazing also limits the amount of
food available for wildlife.
HIPPCO Checklist In this biome, do humans cause… Habitat Destruction? Population control Invasive species? Climate change Pollution Overharvesting Human impact on the TAIGA/BOREAL
FOREST
There are a few large cities in the southernparts of the taiga, such
as Moscow and Toronto, but most of it is relatively unpopulated.
There are also a few native communities of people who still live
indigenously in the taiga.
The major industries of the taiga include logging, mining, and
hydroelectric development. These activities have had negative
impacts on areas of this biome and may continue to negatively
affect it in the future. A majority of the logging in the taiga is done
by clear-cutting, using heavy machinery to remove much of the
surrounding forest. Hydroelectric development may seem beneficial
because it uses water to generate power, but it has damaged the
taiga by changing stream habitats and flow patterns, and flooding
large areas and changing the landscape.
Mining is a concern because it may result in pollution of
surrounding soils and water, specifically acid rain.
Regrowth of mature forests takes a long time because of the
climate and soil conditions of the taiga. Many large
vertebrates who live in the taiga are sensitive to human presence,
habitat alteration, and pollution. Two simple things you can do to
help the taiga are learn more about this biome, and use paper
wisely making sure to recycle. This will help reduce the need for
logging of trees for pulp used to make paper.
HIPPCO Checklist In this biome, do humans cause… Habitat Destruction? Population control Invasive species? Climate change Pollution Overharvesting Human impact on the TEMPERATE
DECIDUOUS FOREST
Temperate forests are very important to people as they provide
enjoyment as well as many resources including food, timber, and
oxygen for us to breathe. However, we are also the cause of some
major threats to this biome, one of which is acid rain.
Acid rain caused by industrial and vehicle emissions damages the
leaves of trees, and causes them to produce smaller and fewer
seeds. It also reduces the trees' resistance to disease, pests, and
frost.
Clear cutting of forests is also a threat to this biome. Trees are cut
for timber and land cleared for agriculture. Another problem
associated with deciduous forests is the introduction of non-native
plant and animal species because it upsets the balance of the forest
ecosystem. Non-natives may compete for food and habitat space,
possibly threatening the native species.
An example is the red imported fire ant. Over the last 60 years, this
species of ants has increased dramatically in North America.
However, this has come at a cost, as the presence of fire ants has
led to a decreased diversity of other species of ants. Moreover, in
the presence of the fire ants, the co-occurrence of many ant species
has been random. This is because the invasive ants, foreign to their
new habitat, fail to acknowledge the domains of other ant species.
Instead, they inhabit land randomly, leading to aggressive behavior
between ants that would otherwise not have occurred.
HIPPCO Checklist In this biome, do humans cause… Habitat Destruction? Population control Invasive species? Climate change Pollution Overharvesting Human impact on the GRASSLANDS
One of the main environmental concerns regarding temperate
grasslands is the conversion of grassland to farmland. The rich soil
is ideal for farming and grazing. With continual agricultural
development and progress we have lost many of our natural
grasslands. Instead of native grasses, now grasslands supply corn,
wheat, and other grains, as well as grazing areas for domestic
ungulates, such as sheep and cattle. The food supplied by
farmlands is important, but so is this unique biome, and the plants
and animals that live in the temperate grassland.
When grasslands are converted into farmland, it reduces the food
source for many wild animals. In this case, the animals are
considered pests by the farmers when they feed on the crops. This
can lead to migration or possibly the starvation of the animals. Not
only does the conversion of land into crops change the ecosystem,
but so does the farming of livestock. If livestock are allowed to
graze in areas where wild animals live, they compete over the food
source and can deplete it. This overgrazing is a problem especially
in the drier grassland regions, where the grasses resources can be
depleted. The land can also be plowed too much, stripping the
nutrients from the soil.
Hunting has had and continues to have a serious impact on the
biome. The American bison population was devastated by the
European settlers and almost became extinct due to overhunting for
the fur and meat. Poachers are likewise killing rhinoceroses for their
tusks and elephants for their ivory in Africa.
HIPPCO Checklist In this biome, do humans cause… Habitat Destruction? Population control Invasive species? Climate change Pollution Overharvesting Human impact on the CHAPARRAL
Humans have a large impact on the chaparral biome. Chaparral
biomes are very dry and can result in large fires, but a lot of these
fires are caused by human activity in the area. In Santa Barbra
there are endangered species due to them being killed by fires
caused by humans.
Chaparral biomes all over the world have been heavily affected by
grazing, logging, damns being built, agriculture and urbanization,
All of these are human activity have a major effect of chaparral
biomes.
Population growth and its attendant activities threaten the very
existence of the chaparral. Humans destroy chaparral to build
home sites, suppress fires, and plant grass in burned areas to
stabilize the soil and to mitigate future fires. The grasses compete
with chaparral plants, which slows down chaparral recovery. The
impact of these and other activities on the native chaparral
ecosystem is not well understood but is almost certainly negative.
Some plant species, like the Coastal Sage Scrub, have been nearly
wiped out by agriculture and urbanization.
Grazed areas of chaparral can contribute to flooding. Wellvegetated areas will normally hold back rainfall and release it
slowly after the plants and their root systems soak up a good
portion of the water. Grazed areas will not do this since they don’t
have the benefit of plant roots, and the runoff from a typical storm
could cause flooding.
HIPPCO Checklist In this biome, do humans cause… Habitat Destruction? Population control Invasive species? Climate change Pollution Overharvesting Human impact on the DESERT
Human activities, such as off-roading, farming, ranching, cattle
grazing and collection of firewood, destroy the natural vegetation
found in desert areas. This damage, due to the sensitivity of the
desert, takes a long time to repair.
The saguaro cactus, for example, takes over 200 years to grow.
Tracks from off-road vehicles scar the land, which causes the
inability for vegetation to grow in the area. As a result, many plant
species are becoming extinct, and the soil is eroding faster without
sufficient plant roots to hold it in place.
Animals that live in the desert such as the sand viper have
experienced declining numbers as a consequence of human activity.
Not only can they be trampled under the tires of vehicles or the
hooves of cattle, but many of them struggle with the loss of habitat
due to humans. The presence of humans reduces the availability of
the native vegetation that animals rely on to survive and seek
shelter. The destruction of plant populations is generally followed
by a decrease in local animal species.
Off-road riding (riding 4x4 and dirt bikes) can damage desert
plants and pollute the soil, as well as disrupting the activities of
wildlife.
Finally, diverting the desert’s few water supplies, which are already
likely scarce, can prevent infrequent rainfall from reaching the
native plants.
HIPPCO Checklist In this biome, do humans cause… Habitat Destruction? Population control Invasive species? Climate change Pollution Overharvesting