Name: how humans change biodiversity
Uploaded: 2019-03-11T09:21:43.000Z
Duration: 1 min 50 s
Channel: JoVE

K12 Standards

north-carolina-k-12-science-standard-course-of-study

North Carolina K-12 Science Standard Course of Study

9-12

Biology

ecosystems-interactions-energy-and-dynamics

Ecosystems- Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

LS.Bio.5.2

Threats to Biodiversity

Although biodiversity has changed throughout geological time, rising and falling as a result of five major mass extinctions throughout Earth&#39;s history. The 6th mass extinction, known as the present Holocene extinction, can be attributed to human activities.

The explosion of the human population is at the core of current biodiversity loss resulting in habitat loss, over exploitation, the introduction of invasive species and global climate change.

The large increase in need for resources for human food and shelter has caused habitat loss for many species. Deforestation and transformation of land for agriculture pushes species out of their natural habitats into smaller and fragmented home ranges with fewer resources and more survival challenges.

Many species utilized for food and medicine are over exploited beyond the species&#39; ability to recover. This is caused by a high economic demand that is not met by the reproductive capacity of the species.

Furthermore, the introduction of invasive species, has resulted in drastic changes to ecosystems, removing native species through predation and competition for resources. Without natural predators, invasive species cause rapid declines in biodiversity.

Finally, the increase in global emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases has resulted in incremental rises in the average global temperature. This effect has decreased the amount of habitable space for many species and has changed migratory and other seasonal activity patterns.

threats to biodiversity

There have been five major extinction events throughout geological history, resulting in the elimination of biodiversity, followed by a rebound of species that adapted to the new conditions. In the current geological epoch, the Holocene, there is a sixth extinction event in progress. This mass extinction has been attributed to human activities and is thus provisionally called the Anthropocene. In 2019 the human population reached 7.7 billion people and is projected to comprise 10 billion by 2060. Indicative of our impact, by biomass (the actual mass of a particular species), humans make up 36% of Earth&rsquo;s mammals, livestock 60%, and wild mammals only 4%. Approximately 70% of all birds are poultry, so only 30% are wild.

To minimize human impact on biodiversity and climate, we have to understand which of our activities are problematic and balance the needs of human civilization and progress with a sustainable plan for future generations. Some of the major threats to biodiversity include habitat loss due to human development, over-farming, and increased carbon dioxide emissions from factories and vehicles.

<h4>Case Studies</h4>

A case study in human impact on the weather can be found in the 1930s event known as the Dust Bowl. In the 1920s and 30s, a large number of farmers moved to the Great Plains and clear cut the land, removing the native ground covering plants in order to plant their crop plants, which generally have shallow root systems. In an area centered in Kansas and northern Texas and extending north into Canada and south through Texas, a combination of extreme drought conditions and poorly considered farming practices resulted in dust storms that deposited debris all the way to the northeastern states. Ultimately, because of these storms, and the depressed economy that unfortunately coincided, there was a general food shortage and many families had to abandon their farms. It has become clear that in order for the land to support single plant species which are not naturally adapted, farms must be well planned to account for the loss of biodiversity.

A less radical example can be seen in Yellowstone National Park in the United States. Wolf populations diminished radically after the westward migration of the human population began. As a result, the population of prey animals such as the pronghorn and mule deer increased. Because those animals tend to eat young Aspen saplings, this resulted in a decline in Aspen trees. The downstream effects of this loss of trees include increased land erosion and a loss of habitat for birds and other animals. Support for this proposed chain of events comes from the recent reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone, which correlates with an observed rebound in the Aspen population in the park. If this correlation truly indicates that the Aspen is revitalized due to the reintroduction of wolves, this research bolsters the general concept that apex (top) predators are essential to the biodiversity of ecosystems.

Maintenance of biodiversity is essential to preserve ecosystems in balance, prolong predictable weather patterns and to keep raw material for research into new industrial and medical products.

There have been five major extinction events throughout geological history, resulting in the elimination of biodiversity, followed by a rebound of species ...

Education

JoVE Core

Ecology

Biodiversity and Conservation

KEY TERMS AND CONCEPTS

how humans change biodiversity

Human activity is changing biodiversity and pushing Earth toward a sixth extinction event. Earlier mass extinctions ended many species, and then new species spread into the changed environment. Today, the Holocene epoch is seeing a mass extinction linked to human actions, and it is often called the Anthropocene.

Human numbers and human biomass show how large this impact has become. In 2019, the human population reached 7.7 billion and is projected to rise to 10 billion by 2060. By biomass, humans make up about 36% of Earth’s mammals, livestock make up 60%, and wild mammals only 4%. About 70% of all birds are poultry, so only 30% are wild birds.

Several common activities threaten biodiversity. Habitat loss can happen when land is cleared for human development. Over-farming can also damage ecosystems. In addition, factories and vehicles release carbon dioxide, which adds to climate problems. To reduce these effects, people need to understand which activities cause harm and find a sustainable balance between human progress and the needs of future generations.

The Dust Bowl is one clear case of human impact on land and weather. In the 1920s and 1930s, many farmers moved to the Great Plains and clear cut the land. They removed native ground-cover plants so they could plant crops with shallow roots. Then extreme drought and poor farming practices combined to create dust storms that spread debris as far as the northeastern states. Food shortages followed, and many families had to leave their farms.

The Dust Bowl shows that farmland must be planned carefully if it is to support single crop species that are not naturally adapted to the area. A different example comes from Yellowstone National Park. After people moved west, wolf populations dropped sharply. Prey animals such as pronghorn and mule deer increased, and they ate young Aspen saplings. Aspen trees declined, which led to more erosion and less habitat for birds and other animals.

Wolves were later reintroduced to Yellowstone, and the Aspen population has since shown a rebound. If this pattern is truly caused by the return of wolves, it supports the idea that apex predators help keep ecosystems balanced. Biodiversity also matters because it helps preserve stable ecosystems, supports more predictable weather patterns, and keeps raw material available for new industrial and medical products.

How Humans Change Biodiversity

what is weather?

How Sunlight Shapes Daily Weather

Weather is the current state of the atmosphere at a specific time and place. It is temporary and changes from one location to another. Weather is shaped by the interaction of the sun, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere. Solar radiation reaches Earth and interacts with water and land. These surfaces release that energy as thermal radiation, or heat, which warms the air above them. Some of that heat escapes back into space, but some is trapped by atmospheric gases. This heat retention is...

global climate change

Ancient Clues to Climate Change

Ancient climate clues help scientists track global climate change. Paleoclimatology is the study of climate conditions in Earth’s past and the causes and effects behind them. By comparing recent climate patterns with older records, researchers can find strong evidence for human-caused warming. Earth’s climate has changed many times over its 4.5 billion year history. In the last 650,000 years, there have been seven cycles of glacial advance and retreat. The most recent ice age ended more than...

what is biodiversity?

Biodiversity Across Genes, Species, and Ecosystems

Biodiversity is the variety of living things at the genetic, species, and ecosystem levels. It includes not only how many kinds of organisms exist, but also how they are related and how they interact with the world around them. Species diversity spans the full evolutionary tree. It includes single-celled prokaryotes such as bacteria and archaea, as well as the eukaryotic kingdoms: plants, animals, fungi, and protists. About 1.75 million species have been identified so far, and scientists...

Human activity is changing biodiversity and pushing Earth toward a sixth extinction event. Earlier mass extinctions ended many species, and then new species spread into the changed environment. Today, the Holocene epoch is seeing a mass extinction linked to human actions, and it is often called the Anthropocene. Human numbers and human biomass show how large this impact has become. In 2019, the human population reached 7.7 billion and is projected to rise to 10 billion by 2060. By biomass,...

conservation of declining populations

Saving Species Through Population Recovery

Conservation of declining populations focuses on detecting a population drop, finding its cause, and stopping further loss. The goal is to prevent extinction by using scientific methods to identify the agents behind the decline. Once the cause is known, conservation teams can remove, oppose, or neutralize it. A common step is to test possible causes with a small trial group. If the cause is confirmed, the remaining animals may be moved to an unaffected area. When the population is too small or...

biodiversity and human values

Biodiversity in Food, Tools, and Medicine

Biodiversity supports human life through food, tools, medicine, and many other needs. Changes in the variety of species can also change the environment. Those environmental shifts can alter weather patterns and affect human civilizations. People have depended on biodiversity for agriculture since early human history. Agriculture began when ancestral humans found species that were good sources of food. At least 11,000 years ago, people started selecting plant and animal species to raise on...

what is conservation biology?

Protecting Biodiversity in Conservation Biology

Conservation biology is the science of protecting biodiversity and keeping ecosystems healthy. It looks at how living things, habitats, and human needs are connected. The goal is to preserve biodiversity so ecosystems can continue to function well. Healthy ecosystems provide people with important natural resources. These include food, medicines, and building materials. Ecosystems also deliver key services, such as cleaning air and water. Evidence shows that these services depend on...

what is climate?

Climate Patterns and Earth’s Energy Balance

Climate describes the usual weather conditions in a place over a long period of time. The idea is simple: climate is what you expect, while weather is what you get. Climate is shaped by geographic factors such as latitude, terrain, and how close an area is to bodies of water. Weather and climate are related, but they work on different time scales. Weather is the state of the atmosphere at a specific time and place. Climate is the average pattern of weather over much longer periods. Because of...

sustainable development

Protecting Oceans for Sustainable Development

Sustainable development depends on protecting oceans while meeting human needs. As the human population grows and uses more resources, people must stay aware of the planet’s natural limits. The goal is to improve life now without taking away the resources future generations will need. Long-term sustainability depends on understanding how human actions affect ecological systems. Oceans are a major part of this balance. They provide food for people, produce much of the atmosphere’s oxygen, and...

conservation of small populations

Saving Small Populations with Genetic Diversity

Small populations can be hard to save because they often lose genetic diversity. When variation is low, a species has fewer traits that may help it adapt to climate change, competition from other species, or new diseases. That makes extinction more likely. Large populations usually have a better chance of surviving new stresses. They are more likely to include individuals with genetic variants that are helpful in changing conditions. Small populations are much less likely to contain this kind...

habitat fragmentation

How Fragmented Habitats Affect Wildlife

Habitat fragmentation breaks one continuous habitat into smaller, separate patches. Human land conversion is a major cause of this change, and slower geological shifts in the physical environment can also fragment habitats. The process usually follows the same stages: perforation, dissection, fragmentation, shrinkage, and attrition. Perforation and dissection often begin during land development. Perforation happens when undeveloped land is cleared for something like a home, and dissection...

key terms and concepts

Learn how human population growth, habitat loss, over-farming, and carbon emissions affect biodiversity. Includes the Dust Bowl and Yellowstone wolf example.

How Humans Change Biodiversity | JoVE K12

JoVE Core series brings biology to life through over 300 concise and easy-to-understand animated video lessons that explain key concepts in biology, plus more than 150 scientist-in-action videos that show actual research experiments conducted in today’s laboratories.

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Earth and Environmental Science

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ESS.EES.5.2

ESS.EES.5.5

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ESS.EES.6.1

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ESS.EES.4.5

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Earth and Space Science

Human Sustainability

3.3.9-12.Q

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3.3.9-12.E

3.3.9-12.S

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Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems

3.1.9-12.N

3.1.9-12.V

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HS-ESS2-4

HS-ESS2-6

HS-ESS3-1

HS-ESS3-5

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Ohio’s Learning Standards and Model Curriculum

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Biological Change: Unity and Diversity

BIO1.LS4.3

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ES.11

ES.11.d

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4.2.1 9C.3.2.1.3

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112.49.c.13.

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HS-LS2-2

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Engineering, Technology and Applications of Science

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HS.L2U3.18

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9-12.EVS.2.3.a

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How Humans Change Biodiversity

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