1.4.9 Human Impact on an Ecosystem 1

Name: ______1.4.9 Human Impact on an Ecosystem 1 Pollution Worksheet

Human Impact on Ecosystems We are going to look at 3 ways that humans affect ecosystems: • ______

• ______

Pollution must be related to habitat studied.

Pollution Pollution is ______It is the ______and affects ______, ______, ______, ______and ______. Chemicals of human origin that harm the environment are called ______.

Some types of Pollution

1. ______2. ______3. ______4. ______

Pollutants are produced by ______

• CO2 from respiration is ______– why? ______

• excess CO2 from burning fossil fuels is

• SO2 from marshes & volcanoes is ______– why? ______

• SO2 from factory chimney is Page 1 of 5 Name: ______

Pollutants Some pollutants are ______in an environment, e.g. ______, but levels are ______by human activity. Other pollutants never exist in an environment e.g. ______

From the Syllabus & Guidelines

The Syllabus states: “Study the effects of any one pollutant.” The Guidelines for Teachers states: “Give the effects of one pollutant from any of the following areas: domestic, agricultural, industrial.” and “Give an example of one way in which pollution may be controlled in the selected area.” What follows is only a sample of the pollutants available.

Effect of one pollutant from one area - Agricultural, Industrial or Domestic

Area Pollutant Source Effects

Agricultural

Industrial

Domestic

Eutrophication & Algal bloom eutrophication: a condition where lakes become ______, resulting from excess artificial fertilisers washed into rivers and lakes. There is a ______(algal bloom) as they use up the nutrients. When ______the ______and are ______, which ______in the water resulting in the ______such as fish.

of 5 Name: ______

Control of Pollutants in the selected area - Agricultural, Industrial or Domestic Area Pollutant Control Measures

Slurry & Agricultural Fertiliser

Sulphur Industrial dioxide

Domestic Plastic bags

Ecological impact of one human activity

Burning Fossil Fuels

Acidic oxides and acid rain • All rain is acidic – ______

• CO2 in the air dissolves in rainwater to form ______– pH = 5.5 in unpolluted air

• Acid rain refers to ______with a pH of ______(Note: pH 4.5 is 10 times more acidic than pH 5.5)

Acid rain

• Burning of fossil fuels (e.g. ______) releases ______into the air, especially ______and nitrogen oxides

• SO2 dissolves in rainwater to form ______(H2SO3) or reacts with particles in the air to form ______(H2SO4)

of 5 Name: ______

• The resulting rain is ______and can be ______

Effects of acid rain

• Reduces ______

• Phosphorus (P) ______and is ______to plant roots

• ______becomes soluble and poisonous and with ______, ______and ______is washed (leached) from the soil into lakes and water supplies Soil is ______and ______in highly mineralised water. Why? ______

Effects of acid rain

• Erodes ______buildings

• Causes ______– irritates the delicate lining of the lungs • Inhibits ______formation and ______of plants

Effects of acid rain Acid rain is a ‘______’ i.e. it is formed in one country but transported or blown huge distances to another. Norway ‘imported’ its acid pollutions from the ______and the ______in Germany. • Ireland is lucky that the prevailing winds are from the Atlantic and not from Europe.

Dealing with acid rain

• Reducing the ______

• Using ______

of 5 Name: ______

(‘scrubbers’ are fitted to the insides of chimneys) • ______fitted to modern cars

• Developing ______sources

Need to know

• Define the term: Pollution.

• State areas affected by pollution.

• State mechanisms to control pollution.

• Explain the difference between the terms pollutant and pollution.

• Discuss the ecological impact of one human activity.