Carbon Cycling & Human Impact
Identify one human activity that releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Identify one human activity that can disrupt the stability of an ecosystem.
Pollution can disrupt ecosystem stability by harming organisms and reducing population sizes.
Give one example of a disturbance that can change an ecosystem.
A flood is a disturbance that can change an ecosystem by damaging habitats and reducing populations.
Identify one effect of extra carbon dioxide in the ocean.
Extra carbon dioxide in the ocean makes the water more acidic, which can harm corals and shell-forming organisms.
Name one simple action individuals can take to reduce their impact on the environment.
Examples: recycling, turning off lights, using reusable water bottles, or conserving water.
Explain how deforestation affects the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Deforestation reduces photosynthesis, causing less carbon dioxide to be removed from the atmosphere.
Explain how the introduction of an invasive species by humans can reduce ecosystem stability.
Invasive species can outcompete native species for resources, causing population declines and disrupting food webs.
Describe one way human activities can disturb a swamp ecosystem and explain how it might affect the plants or animals living there.
Draining a swamp for development removes water and plants, which destroys habitats and can reduce the populations of animals that depend on the swamp.
Explain one way human activities can lead to coral bleaching.
Burning fossil fuels increases atmospheric CO₂, which dissolves in oceans, warms water, and stresses corals, causing them to expel their symbiotic algae.
Explain one way that using renewable energy can reduce human impact on the environment.
Renewable energy sources like solar or wind reduce fossil fuel burning, lowering greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.
Describe two ways that increased atmospheric carbon dioxide can affect ecosystems.
Increased carbon dioxide can lead to higher global temperatures and disrupt food webs by changing habitats.
Describe how habitat destruction can affect biodiversity and lead to decreased ecosystem stability.
Habitat destruction reduces biodiversity by eliminating habitats needed for survival, making ecosystems less stable and less able to recover from disturbances.
Explain how high biodiversity can increase an ecosystem’s ability to recover after a disturbance.
High biodiversity increases resilience because multiple species can perform similar roles, allowing the ecosystem to recover more easily.
Describe two effects of coral bleaching on reef ecosystems.
Coral bleaching reduces habitat for fish and other marine organisms and decreases the reef’s ability to protect shorelines from erosion.
Describe one strategy communities can use to reduce deforestation and protect biodiversity.
Examples: planting trees (reforestation), creating protected areas, promoting sustainable logging, or urban planning that preserves green spaces.
Explain why human activities can cause long-term instability in ecosystems by altering the carbon cycle, carbon sources, and carbon sinks.
Human activities increase carbon sources, such as fossil fuel combustion, while decreasing carbon sinks like forests. This imbalance causes excess carbon dioxide to remain in the atmosphere, leading to climate change and ecosystem instability.
Explain how overfishing can disrupt predator–prey relationships and affect the stability of a marine ecosystem.
Overfishing reduces prey or predator populations, causing population imbalances that disrupt food webs and reduce ecosystem stability.
Describe how human activities can reduce biodiversity and limit an ecosystem’s ability to recover from disturbances.
Habitat destruction caused by humans reduces biodiversity, making ecosystems less resilient and slower to recover after disturbances.
Explain how ocean acidification can affect both corals and organisms that rely on calcium carbonate for shells or skeletons.
Acidic water makes it harder for corals and shell-forming organisms to build calcium carbonate structures, which can reduce their survival and disrupt the food web.
xplain two methods humans can use to reduce pollution in rivers and oceans, and how they help ecosystems.
Examples: reducing fertilizer/pesticide runoff (prevents eutrophication), implementing trash cleanup programs (protects aquatic life), or installing wastewater treatment systems.
Explain how a human activity affects the carbon cycle by describing interactions between two or more of Earth’s spheres
The burning of fossil fuels releases carbon from the geosphere into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. This increases atmospheric carbon levels, which affects the biosphere by changing plant growth and ecosystem stability.
Explain how two different human activities can decrease ecosystem stability by altering species interactions or biodiversity.
Deforestation reduces biodiversity by removing habitats, while pollution can lower population sizes of sensitive species. Together, these changes disrupt species interactions and make ecosystems less stable.
Explain how changes in biodiversity influence whether an ecosystem can maintain stability or recover after a major disturbance. Include an example in your answer.
Ecosystems with high biodiversity are more likely to remain stable or recover after disturbances because multiple species can fulfill similar roles. For example, if one species declines, another can take its place, helping maintain ecosystem functions.
Explain how human activities leading to ocean acidification and warming interact to affect coral reef stability and ocean ecosystems. Include at least two examples of affected species or ecosystem components.
Human activities like burning fossil fuels increase CO₂, causing ocean acidification and warming. This leads to coral bleaching, killing coral polyps and reducing habitat for fish. Acidic water also harms shell-forming organisms like mollusks, disrupting the food web and decreasing overall ocean ecosystem stability.
Design a detailed plan to reduce human impact on a local ecosystem (e.g., forest, river, or wetland). Include at least one solution and one realistic constraint to your solution.
Examples:
Solution #1: Plant native vegetation along riverbanks to reduce erosion and provide wildlife habitat.
Constraint #1: Funding or limited community volunteers may restrict how many plants can be planted or maintained.
Solution #2: Create a protected area to prevent overuse of a wetland.
Constraint #2: Local development needs or economic pressures may limit the size of the protected area.
Solution #3: Implement a recycling program in the community
Constraint #3: Residents may not fully participate, reducing effectiveness.