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BIOLOGY FOLIO
CHAPTER 9 ;
ENDANGERED ECOSYSTEM


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CONTENTS
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Human activities that endangered an ecosystem
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1 Human activities that endangered an ecosystem 3
2 Air pollution 4
3 Water pollution 9
4 Thermal pollution 13
5 Noise pollution 16
6 Strategies to solve problems related to pollution 19
7 The greenhouse effect 20
8 The thinning of the ozone layer 22
9 The importance of Proper management of
development activities and the ecosystem
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y The worlds population has grown to over6 billion today, so conflicts arise betweenthe
need to meet the immediate humandemands in the short term and the need toprotect
and conserve ecosystems fromlong-term damage
y Most of the problem related to theenvironment are the results of humanactivities and
human interference with theecosystem function
y Human activities, if unplanned andmismanagement of ecosystems result invarious
environmental problems; air andwater pollution, the greenhouse effect, global warming
and the depletion of natural resources
y These problems bring about negative effects that increasingly threaten the
economic resources, health and survivalof ecosystem
y Humans often take the role a healthy ecosystem plays in daily life for granted. The
ecosystem provides clean water, filters pollution from the air and much more. In fact, 80
percent of the world's medicines come from plants, according to the Action Bioscience
website. With this in mind, it is important to remember that many of the things humans
do on a daily basis have a serious impact on the ecosystem and its ability to continue to
provide these things and many more.










Air pollution
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Air pollution is the introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological materials
that cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms, or damages the natural
environment into the atmosphere.
The atmosphere is a complex dynamic natural gaseous system that is essential to support
life on planet Earth. Stratospheric ozone depletion due to air pollution has long been
recognized as a threat to human health as well as to the Earth's ecosystems.


Air pollution from World War II production

Pollutants
An air pollutant is known as a substance in the air that can cause harm to humans and the
environment. Pollutants can be in the form of solid particles, liquid droplets, or gases. In
addition,they may be natural or man-made.
Pollutants can be classified as either primary or secondary. Usually, primary pollutants
aresubstances directly emitted from a process, such as ash from a volcanic eruption, the carbon
monoxide gas from a motor vehicle exhaust or sulfur dioxide released from factories.Secondary
pollutants are not emitted directly. Rather, they form in the air when primary pollutantsreact or
interact. An important example of a secondary pollutant is ground level ozone one of the
many secondary pollutants that make up photochemical smog. Note that some pollutants may
be both primary and secondary: that is, they are both emitted directly and formed from other
primary pollutants.About 4 percent of deaths can be attributed to air pollution, according to
the Environmental Science Engineering Program at the Harvard School of Public Health.
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causes and effects of air pollution: (1) greenhouse effect, (2) particulate contamination, (3) increased UV
radiation, (4) acid rain, (5) increased ozone concentration, (6) increased levels of nitrogen oxides

Major primary pollutants produced by human activity include:
y Sulphur oxides (SOx) - especially sulfur dioxide, a chemical compound with the formula
SO2. SO2 is produced by volcanoes and in various industrial processes. Since coal and
petroleum often contain sulfur compounds, their combustion generates sulfur dioxide.
Further oxidation of SO2, usually in the presence of a catalyst such as NO2, forms
H2SO4, and thus acid rain. This is one of the causes for concern over the environmental
impact of the use of these fuels as power sources.

y Nitrogen oxides (NOx) - especially nitrogen dioxide are emitted from high temperature
combustion. Can be seen as the brown haze dome above orpl ume downwind of cities.
Nitrogen dioxide is the chemical compound with the formula NO2. It is one of the
several nitrogen oxides. This reddish-brown toxic gas has a characteristic sharp, biting
odor.NO2 is one of the most prominent air pollutants.

y Carbon monoxide - is a colourless, odourless, non-irritating but very poisonous gas. It is
a product by incomplete combustion of fuel such as natural gas, coal or wood. Vehicular
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exhaust is a major source of carbon monoxide.

y Carbon dioxide (CO2) - a greenhouse gas emitted from combustion but is also a gas vital
to living organisms. It is a natural gas in the atmosphere.

y Volatile organic compounds - VOCs are an important outdoor air pollutant. In this field
they are often divided into the separate categories of methane (CH4) and non-methane
(NMVOCs). Methane is an extremely efficient greenhouse gas which contributes to
enhanced global warming. Other hydrocarbon VOCs are also significant greenhouse
gases via their role in creating ozone and in prolonging the life of methane in the
atmosphere, although the effect varies depending on local air quality. Within the
NMVOCs, the aromatic compounds benzene, toluene and xylene are suspect carcinogens
and may lead to leukemia through prolonged exposure. 1,3-butadiene is another
dangerous compound which is often associated with industrial uses.

y Particulate matter - Particulates, alternatively referred to as particulate matter (PM) or
fine particles, are tiny particles of solid or liquid suspended in a gas. In contrast, aerosol
refers to particles and the gas together. Sources of particulate matter can be man made
or natural. Some particulates occur naturally, originating from volcanoes, dust storms,
forest and grassland fires, living vegetation, and sea spray. Human activities, such as the
burning of fossil fuels in vehicles, power plants and various industrial processes also
generate significant amounts of aerosols. Averaged over the globe, anthropogenic
aerosolsthose made by human activitiescurrently account for about 10 percent of
the total amount of aerosols in our atmosphere. Increased levels of fine particles in the
air are linked to health hazards such as heart disease, altered lung function and lung
cancer

Minor air pollutants include:

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y A large number of minor hazardous air pollutants.

y A variety of persistent organic pollutants, which can attach to particulate matter.


Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are organic compounds that are resistant to environmental
degradation through chemical, biological, and photolytic processes. Because of this, they have
been observed to persist in the environment, to be capable of long-range transport,
bioaccumulate in human and animal tissue, biomagnify in food chains, and to have potential
significant impacts on human health and the environment.

Natural sources















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Effects
Air pollution is responsible for major health effects.Every year, the health of countless people is
ruined or endangered by air pollution.
Many different chemicals in the air affect the human body in negative ways.Just how sick
people will get depends on what chemicals they are exposed to, in what concentrations, and for
how long.
Studies have estimated that the number of people killed annually in the US alone could be
over 50,000.
Older people are highly vulnerable to diseases induced by air pollution.Those with heart or
lung disorders are under additional risk.Children and infants are also at serious risk. Because
people are exposed to so many potentially dangerous pollutants, it is often hard to know
exactly which pollutants are responsible for causing sickness.Also, because a mixture of
different pollutants can intensify sickness, it is often difficult to isolate those pollutants that are
at fault.
Many diseases could be caused by air pollution without their becoming apparent for a long
time.Diseases such as bronchitis, lung cancer, and heart disease may all eventually appear in
people exposed to air pollution.
Air pollutants such as ozone, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide also have harmful effects on
Natural eco systems.They can kill plants and trees by destroying their leaves, and can kill
animals, especially fish in highly polluted rivers.





Water Pollution

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Water pollution is the contamination ofwate r bodies (e.g.lakes,ri ve rs,oceans andgro
undwater). Water pollution affects plants and organisms living in these bodies of water; and, in
almost all cases the effect is damaging not only to individualspecie s and populations, but also
to the natural biological communities.
Water pollution occurs whenpollutants are discharged directly or indirectly into water bodies
without adequatet r e atm ent to remove harmful compounds.

Pollutants
Water pollution is usually caused by human activities. Different human sources add to the
pollution of water. There are two sorts of sources, point and nonpoint sources.Point sources
discharge pollutants at specific locations through pipelines or sewers into the surface water.
Nonpoint sources are sources that cannot be traced to a single site of discharge.

Pb poisoning is another serious source of environmental pollution which causes water
pollution. Pb poisoning is characterized by CNS damage, anaemia and deposition of Pb in bones
and teeth. The major sources of this pollutant are paint manufacturing industries/factories,
lead smelting works; petrol engines discharged inorganic Pb salts, metallic Pb and organic Pb
respectively. Pb (C2H4)4 is used as an anti knock in petrol engines and is a pollutant. The
anaemia caused by Pb is due to inhibition of haem biosynthesis. Inorganic Pb inhibits
aminolaevulinic acid dehydratase and ferrochetalase (haem synthetase) which catalyses the
formation of the pyrrole porphobilinogen and incorporation of Fe 2+ into protoporphyrin IX
respectively.

There are a lot of types of water pollution. One of them is caused by toxic substances. This
is when someone dumps out a chemical pollutant into water. One of the greatest contributors
to toxic pollution is a factory compound.

Once water is contaminated, it is difficult, expensive, and sometimes impossible to remove
pollutants. Technologies to remove contaminants from groundwater are air stripping, granular
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activated carbon, and advanced oxidation. Air stripping involves pumping out the contaminated
water, then heating it to evaporate the contaminant. The cleaned water is reinjected into the
ground. Pumping out contaminated water and absorbing the pollutant on activated charcoal
can remove less volatile compounds.

Pollutants in water include a wide spectrum of chemicals, pathogens,
and physical chemistry or sensory changes.Many of the chemical substances
are toxic. Pathogens can produce waterborne diseases in either human or
animal hosts. Alteration of water's physical chemistry include acidity,
electrical conductivity, temperature, and eutrophication. Eutrophication is
the fertilisation of surface water by nutrients that were previously scarce. Even many of the
municipal water supplies in developed countries can present health risks.

[One] class of water pollutants are nutrients; they are water-soluble nitrates and
phosphates that cause excessive growth of algae and other water plants, which deplete the
water's oxygen supply. This kills fish and, when found in drinking water, can kill young children.

Heat is a water pollutantincreased water temperatures result in the deaths of many
aquatic organisms. These increases in temperature are most often caused by discharges of
cooling water by factories and power plants.

At industrial sites, chemical spills that contain toxic substances, smoke stacks that spew
emissions and uncovered or unprotected outdoor storage or waste areas can contribute
pollutants to storm water runoff.



Sources
The specific contaminants leading to pollution in water include a wide spectrum of
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chemicals, pathogens, and physical or sensory changes such as elevated temperature and
discoloration. While many of the chemicals and substances that are regulated may be naturally
occurring (calcium,so di um,iron,m angane se, etc.) theconcentration is often the key in
determining what is a natural component of water, and what is a contaminant.

Oxygen-depleting substances may be natural materials, such as plant matter (e.g. leaves
and grass) as well as man-made chemicals. Other natural and anthropogenic substances may
cause turbidity (cloudiness) which blocks light and disrupts plant growth, and clogs the gills of
some fish species.

Many of the chemical substances areto xic. Pathogens can produce waterborne diseases in
either human or animal hosts. Alteration of water's physical chemistry includes acidity (change
in pH), electrical conductivity, temperature, and eutrophication. Eutrophication is an increase in
the concentration of chemical nutrients in an ecosystem to an extent that increases in the
primary productivity of the ecosystem. Depending on the degree of eutrophication, subsequent
negative environmental effects such asanoxia (oxygen depletion) and severe reductions in
water quality may occur, affecting fish and other animal populations.









Thermal Pollution
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Thermal pollution is the degradation of water quality by any process that changes ambient
water temperature.
A common cause of thermal pollution is the use of water as aco o l ant by power plants and
industrial manufacturers. When water used as a coolant is returned to the natural environment
at a higher temperature, the change in temperature (a) decreasesoxy gen supply, and (b)
affects ecosystemco m po sitio n. Urban runoff--stormwater discharged to surface waters
from roadsand parking lots--can also be a source of elevated water temperatures.
When a power plant first opens or shuts down for repair or other causes, fish and other
organisms adapted to particular temperature range can be killed by the abrupt rise in water
temperature known as 'thermal shock'.

Pollutants


Sources
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The major sources of thermal pollution are electric power plants and industrial factories. In
most electric power plants, heat is produced when coal, oil, or natural gas is burned or nuclear
fuels undergo fission to release huge amounts of energy. This heat turns water to steam, which
in turn spins turbines to produce electricity. After doing its work, the spent steam must be
cooled and condensed back into water. To condense the steam, cool water is brought into the
plant and circulated next to the hot steam. In this process, the water used for cooling warms 5
to 10 Celsius degrees (9 to 18 Fahrenheit degrees), after which it may be dumped back into the
lake, river, or ocean from which it came. Similarly, factories contribute to thermal pollution
when they dump water used to cool their machinery.




The second type of thermal pollution is much more widespread. Streams and small lakes are
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naturally kept cool by trees and other tall plants that block sunlight. People often remove this
shading vegetation in order to harvest the wood in the trees, to make room for crops, or to
construct buildings, roads, and other structures. Left unshaded, the water warms by as much as
10 Celsius degrees (18 Fahrenheit degrees). In a similar manner, grazing sheep and cattle can
strip streamsides of low vegetation, including young trees. Even the removal of vegetation far
away from a stream or lake can contribute to thermal pollution by speeding up the erosion of
soil into the water, making it muddy. Muddy water absorbs more energy from the sun than
clear water does, resulting in further heating. Finally, water running off of artificial surfaces,
such as streets, parking lots, and roofs, is warmer than water running off vegetated land and,
thus, contributes to thermal pollution.

Effects
Elevated temperature typically decreases the level of dissolved oxygen (DO) in water. The
decrease in levels of DO can harm aquatic animals such as fish,am phi bi a ns andco pepo ds.
Thermal pollution may also increase them etabo lic rate of aquatic animals, asenzym e activity,
resulting in these organisms consuming more food in a shorter time than if their environment
were not changed. An increased metabolic rate may result in fewer resources; the more
adapted organisms moving in may have an advantage over organisms that are not used to the
warmer temperature. As a result one has the problem of compromising food chains of the old
and new environments. Biodiversity can be decreased as a result.

It is known that temperature changes of even one to two degreesCelsius can cause
significant changes in organism metabolism and other adverse cellular biology effects. Principal
adverse changes can include rendering cell walls less permeable to necessaryo smo sis,
coagulation of cellprote ins, and alteration of enzyme metabolism. These cellular level effects
can adversely affectmortality andrepro duction.

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Primary producers are affected by warm water because higher water temperature
increases plant growth rates, resulting in a shorter lifespan and species overpopulation. This
can cause an algae bloom which reduces oxygen levels.

A large increase in temperature can lead to the denaturing of life-supporting enzymes by
breaking downhy dro gen- and disulphide bonds within the quaternary structure of the
enzymes. Decreased enzyme activity in aquatic organisms can cause problems such as the
inability to break downlipids, which leads tom alnutrition.

In limited cases, warm water has little deleterious effect and may even lead to improved
function of the receiving aquatic ecosystem. This phenomenon is seen especially in seasonal
waters and is known as thermal enrichment. An extreme case is derived from the aggregational
habits of them anatee, which often uses power plant discharge sites during winter. Projections
suggest that manatee populations would decline upon the removal of these discharges.









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Noise Pollution
Noise pollution(orenvironmental noise) is displeasing human, animal or machine-created sound
that disrupts the activity or balance of human or animal life. The wordnoise comes from the
Latin wordnause as, meaning seasickness.

The source of most outdoor noise worldwide is mainlyconstruction andtransportatio n
systems, including motor vehicleno ise, aircraft noiseand rail noise. Poor urban planning may
give rise to noise pollution, since side-by-side industrial and residential buildings can result in
noise pollution in the residential area.

Indoor and outdoor noise pollution sources include car alarms, emergency servicesirens,
mechanical equipment,fi rew or ks, compressed air horns, groundskeeping equipment, barking
dogs, appliances,lighting hum, audio entertainment systems, electricm egapho nes, and loud
people.

Sources

Noise becomes irritating if you're in the comfort of your home and an endless drone of low
flying airplanes will pass overhead. It causes your blood pressure to rise since the occurrence
can shake your walls and rattle you window panes. On top of that, you have read so many
incidents about how accidents can happen; that by some stroke of misfortune any one of these
planes may accidentally use your roof as landing pads.
Noise becomes a form of pollution if you're living in the city and the traffic could bring a lot
of cars honking simultaneously as their way of trying to protest the long
hours they have been waiting in queue. Add the multitudes of pedestrians who'd rather walk
than wait it out in the city traffic, most of them talking simultaneously,
enough to create a din. Noise in the city can disrupt your sleep, invade your privacy when you
find it hard to carry on with a simple conversation or create an unpleasant atmosphere for work
done at home.
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Efects
Human health
Noise health effects are both healthand behavioral in nature. The unwanted sound is called
noise. This unwanted sound can damage physiological and psychological health. Noise pollution
can cause annoyance and aggression,hy pertension, high stress levels,tinnitus, hearing loss,
sleep disturbances, and other harmful effects.Furthermore, stress and hypertension are the
leading causes to health problems, whereas tinnitus can lead to forgetfulness, severe
depression and at times panic attacks.

Chronic exposure to noise may cause noise-induced hearing loss. Older males exposed to
significant occupational noise demonstratesignificantly reduced hearing sensitivity than their
non- exposed peers, though differences in hearing sensitivity decrease with time and the two
groups are indistinguishable by age 79.

High noise levels can contribute tocardio v ascular effects and exposure to moderately high
levels during a single eight hour period causes a statistical rise in blood pressure of five to ten
points and an increase instress[3] andv aso constrictio n leading to the increased blood
pressure noted above as well as to increased incidence of coronary artery disease.
Noise pollution is also a cause of annoyance.

Environment

Noise can have a detrimental effect on animals by causing stress, increasing risk of death by
changing the delicate balance in predator/prey detection and avoidance, and by interfering
with their use of sounds in communication especially in relation to reproduction and in
navigation. Acoustic overexposure can lead to temporary or permanent loss of hearing.

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An impact of noise on animal life is the reduction of usable habitat that noisy areas may
cause, which in the case of endangered species may be part of the path toe xt inction. Noise
pollution has caused the death of certain species of whales thatbe ache d themselves after
being exposed to the loud sound of military sonar.

Noise also makes species communicate louder, which is called Lombard vocal response.
Scientists and researchers have conducted experiments that show whales' song length is longer
when submarine-detectors are on.If creatures do not "speak" loud enough, their voice will be
maskedby anthropogenic sounds. These unheard voices might be warnings, finding of prey, or
preparations of net-bubbling. When one species begins speaking louder, it willmask other
species' voice, causing the whole ecosystem to eventually speak louder.

People living in urban environments are more likely to sing at night in places with high
levels of noise pollution during the day, suggesting that they sing at night because it is quieter,
and their message can propagate through the environment more clearly.The same study
showed that daytime noise was a stronger predictor of nocturnal singing than night-time Light
pollution, to which the phenomenon is often attributed.

Zebra finches become less faithful to their partners when exposed to traffic noise. This could
alter a population's evolutionary trajectory by selecting traits, sapping resources normally
devoted to other activities and thus lead to profound genetic and evolutionary consequences.





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Strategies to Solve Problems Related to Pollution

We have seen the effects of pollution on living things and the environment. Wecannot continue
to pollute the environment, thinking that we will not suffer any of the consequences. All efforts
must be made to control and stop pollution. One wayto curb pollution is by formulating short-
term and long-term strategies to reduce or stop pollution before it happens.
















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The Greenhouse EffectAnd The Thinning Of The Ozone Layer
The greenhouse effect

y When sunlight enters the Earths atmosphere, some of its solar radiation is reflected
back into space.
y As the Earth is warmed, heat in the form of infrared radiation is radiated back into
space.
y However, much of this heat does not escape from the atmosphere, but remains trapped
bythe greenhouse gases.
y At the same time, greenhouse gases also radiate heat in the form of infrared
radiationback to the Earth.
y In this respect, greenhouse gases behave a lot like the glass panels of a greenhouse
whichtrap heat and warm the greenhouse, hence the term greenhouse effect.
y The greenhouse effect is an important natural process.
y Without it, the Earth would be too cold for the survival of living organisms.
y Carbon dioxide, from coal-fired power stations and vehicle exhausts, is the
maingreenhouse gas.
y Other contributary pollutants include chlorofluorocarbons (CFC)s, methane, nitrous
oxideand ozone.
y Today, data collected around the world show a steady increase in the concentration
of greenhouse gases.
y Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the atmospheric concentration of
carbondioxide has increase by nearly 30% while the concentration of methane has more
thandoubled.
y Scientists believe that the burning of fossil fuels and other human activities such
asdeforestation and industrial production are the primary reasons for
the increasedconcentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide.
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y As the concentration of greenhouse gases rises, the greenhouse effect
becomes morepronounced.
y As more heat is trapped in the atmosphere, the Earths average temperature rises.
y This is known as global warming.
y In Malaysia, the temperature is rising at 0.18 C every decade.
y In the absence of emission control policies, carbon dioxide concentrations are
projectedto be 30-150% higher than todays levels and the Earths average
temperature may risebetween 1.5 C to 4.5 C by 2100.
y We have examined how the change in the Earths atmospheric composition increases
theability of the atmosphere to trap heat.














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The thinning of ozone layer
y The ozone layer is a region in the atmosphere, situated between 17 and 25
kilometresabove the Earths surface.
y The thinning of the ozone layer has been recorded by scientists since the 1970s.
y In 1985, it was reported that the stratospheric ozone concentrations over the
Antarcticahad declined by 40% since 1977.
y The atmosphere in this area has very low ozone concentrations, resulting in the
formationof an ozone hole.
y An ozone hole has now appeared above the Artic as well.
y Consequently, ultraviolet radiation has since risen by 7% in a decade in
the northernhemisphere and in the southern hemisphere, the increase is 10%.
y The destruction of the ozone layer is mainly due to the increasing levels
of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) in the atmosphere.
y CFCs are a group of chemical compounds that contain chlorine, carbon and fluorine.
y These gases are used as coolants in air conditioners and refrigerators, as propellants
inaerosol cans and as foaming agents in the making of styrofoam packaging.
y Since these chemicals are stable, they can persist in the environment for as long as 75 to
100 years.









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Impact of the global warming and the thinning of the ozone layer on the ecosystem

y Global warming and the thinning of the ozone layer both have an enormous impact on
theecosystem.
y The average increase in the Earths temperature could change weather patterns
andagricultural output.
y There is also convincing evidence from research carried out by scientists that links
themelting of the polar ice caps to global warming.
y This is turn leads to a corresponding rise in sea levels.
y By absorbing most of the ultraviolet radiation, the ozone layer shields living
organismson Earth from damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation.
y The consequences of the thinning of the ozone layer can be quite severe.
y The incidence of skin cancer and cataracts among the population will be on the
increase.









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The Importance Of Proper Management Of Development Activities
And The Ecosystem

y We have examined closely how human activities can cause so much destruction to
theenvironment.
y However, this does not mean humans always have to influence the environment in
anegative way.
y We can also bring about positive effects on the environment by taking measures
to carryout proper management of development activities such as conserving and
preservingliving organisms and the environment.
y As the countrys population continues to increase, so do the peoples needs.
y The Earths natural resources are relentlessly exploited to fulfil these needs.
y Recall from unit 9.1 how the rainforests disappear to make way for development.
y For example, to provide electrical power to the whole country, dams are
constructedacross rivers with little consideration of their impact on the environment.
y In the process, human interfere with the balance of nature through their activities
andcontaminate the environment with pollutants.
y Conflicts therefore arise, between the need to meet the requirements of an
increasingpopulation and the need to deal with growing environmental problems.






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