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Human Impacts on Ecosystems

Lesson 7

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Human Impacts on Ecosystems

  • humans frequently do not interact with ecosystems in a sustainable way

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Human Impacts on Ecosystems

HABITAT LOSS

HABITAT LOSS

& BIODIVERSITY

INVASIVE SPECIES

MRSTAV

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HABITAT

LOSS

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Habitat Loss

  • land that humans use for housing, farming, roadways, shopping centers, etc. is land that is lost to the organisms that naturally occupy the area
    • the plants that lived in the area die
    • the animals that lived in the area must move to a new area to survive
      • they are likely to face increased competition from the animals that already live in the new area and many will not survive

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MRSTAV

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Habitat Loss

Plants = DEAD

Animals = RELOCATE

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MRSTAV

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HABITAT LOSS &

BIODIVERSITY

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Biodiversity

  • biodiversity is the variety of plants and animals that are found in an area
    • we can use biodiversity to measure the health of an ecosystem
    • the greater the biodiversity, the healthier the ecosystem is

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MRSTAV

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Biodiversity

  • habitat loss can cause species to become:
    • extirpated – no longer found in a certain area
    • endangered – at risk of becoming extinct
    • extinct – no longer found anywhere on Earth

MRSTAV

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INVASIVE

SPECIES

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VIDEO: Invasive Species

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VIDEO: Invasive Species

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Invasive Species

  • an invasive species is a species that has been introduced to an area (accidentally or on purpose) where it did not exist before
  • a native species is a species that naturally lives in an area
    • invasive species often compete so aggressively for resources that they can endanger the native species

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Invasive Species

  • zebra mussels were introduced into the Great Lakes in 1980 and have spread throughout the area because they area taken into the bilge water of boats

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MRSTAV