IGCSE BIOLOGY

SECTION 4 LESSON 4
Aneira Kanaya Tsabita/10D
 Content

Section 4
a.The organism in the
Ecology and the environment
Environment
b.Feeding relationships

c.Cycles within ecosystems

d.Human influences on the

environment
 Content

Lesson 4 d) Human influences on

the environment
d) Human 4.11 understand the biological consequences of pollution of
influences on the air by sulfur dioxide and by carbon monoxide
environment 4.12 understand that water vapour, carbon dioxide, nitrous
oxide, methane and CFCs are greenhouse gases
4.13 understand how human activities contribute to
greenhouse gases
4.14 understand how an increase in greenhouse gases results
in an enhanced greenhouse effect and that this may lead to
global warming and its consequences
4.15 understand the biological consequences of pollution of
water by sewage, including increases in the number of
micro-organisms causing depletion of oxygen
4.16 understand that eutrophication can result from leached
minerals from fertiliser
4.17 understand the effects of deforestation, including
leaching, soil erosion, disturbance of the water cycle and of
the balance in atmospheric oxygen and carbon dioxide.
Air Pollution
Air Pollution
 Air Pollution

Smoke Sulphur
dioxide
 Air Pollution

Smoke Sulphur Lead Carbon Oxides of

dioxide compounds monoxide nitrogen
 Air Pollution

SMOKE

Consists mainly of tiny particles of carbon and tar

which comes mostly from burning coal. Particles
blacken buildings and damage the leaves of trees.
Much reduced since the Clean Air Act of 1956
 Air Pollution
December 1952
Smoke + Fog = Smog
Cold fog, together with the
smoke from many coal
fires, caused a ‘pea-souper’.
Officials believe that as
many as 12,000 people in
London may have died as a
result of the smog.
 Air Pollution

SULPHUR DIOXIDE and OXIDES OF NITROGEN

Coal and oil contain sulphur and nitrogen. When these

fuels burn, they release sulphur dioxide (SO₂) and
oxides of nitrogen (NO, NO₂)
 Air Pollution

SULPHUR DIOXIDE and OXIDES OF NITROGEN

These oxides can react with water in the atmosphere to

form acids (sulphuric acid H₂SO₄ and nitric acid
HNO₃).
 Air Pollution

SULPHUR DIOXIDE and OXIDES OF NITROGEN

These acids then fall back down to the ground as ACID

RAIN. The nitrogen oxides are also produced from car
exhausts.
 Air Pollution
Gases react with water in the atmosphere to
form …..

Sulphur dioxide and

nitrogen oxides
ACID RAIN
Nitrogen oxides

Industry and power stations Motor cars

 Air Pollution
Gases react with water in the atmosphere to
form …..

Sulphur dioxide and

nitrogen oxides
ACID RAIN
Nitrogen oxides
Acid rain damages
trees directly, and
also affect lakes
and rivers, making
them too acidic for
plants and animals

Industry and power stations Motor cars

 Air Pollution

Carbon
monoxide
 Air Pollution

Carbon
monoxide O₂

O₂
O₂
Haemoglobin

O₂
 Air Pollution

Carbon CO
monoxide O₂

O₂
O₂
Haemoglobin

O₂
 Air Pollution
carboxyhaemoglobin
Carbon
monoxide CO

CO
CO
Haemoglobin

CO
understand that water
vapour, carbon dioxide,
nitrous oxide, methane
and CFCs are
greenhouse gases
 What is a
greenhouse
gas?
A greenhouse gas is any
gas in the atmosphere
that contributes towards
the greenhouse effect
(global warming).
 So what is this
‘greenhouse effect’?
The Greenhouse Effect
The Greenhouse Effect

n
Su
the
m
fro
y
e rg
e n
t
d i an
Ra
The Greenhouse Effect

n
Su
the
m
fro
y
e rg
e n
t
d i an
Ra

trate
ne
s pe e
gth her
e len osp
w av atm
t e
or th
Sh
The Greenhouse Effect

n
Su
the
m
fro
y
e rg
e n
t
d i an
Ra

trate
ne
s pe e
gth her
e len osp
w av atm
t e Earth’s surface
or th
Sh absorbs
energy … and
warms up
The Greenhouse Effect

n
Su
the
m
fro
y
e rg
e n
t
d i an Warm surface radiates energy
Ra back

trate
ne
s pe e
gth her
e len osp
w av atm
t e Earth’s surface
or th
Sh absorbs
energy … and
warms up
The Greenhouse Effect

n
Su A proportion of the long waves
the
m is absorbed by the atmosphere
fro
y
e rg
e n
t
d i an Warm surface radiates energy
Ra back

trate
ne
s pe e
gth her
e len osp
w av atm
t e Earth’s surface
or th
Sh absorbs
energy … and
warms up
The Greenhouse Effect
If the concentration of any off the greenhouse gases were
to increase, the greenhouse effect would be increased and
the Earth would get warmer.
The Greenhouse Effect
If the concentration of any off the greenhouse gases were
to increase, the greenhouse effect would be increased and
the Earth would get warmer.

Records show that the

concentration of CO2 has
increased from 0.029 to
0.035 per cent since 1860.
it is likely to go on
increasing as we burn more
and more fossil fuel.
 The Greenhouse Effect

• DEFORESTATION – reduces photosynthesis which removes CO ₂

(also reduces the rate at which carbon dioxide is ‘locked up’ as wood)
• Burning - either chopped-down wood or industrial produces CO₂
• increased micro-organism activity – on decaying material produces CO ₂
• herds of cattle – produce methane, CH₄
• Rice fields also produce methane
 The Greenhouse Effect

• DEFORESTATION – reduces photosynthesis which removes CO ₂

(also reduces the rate at which carbon dioxide is ‘locked up’ as wood)
• Burning - either chopped-down wood or industrial produces CO₂
• increased micro-organism activity – on decaying material produces CO ₂
• herds of cattle – produce methane, CH₄
• Rice fields also produce methane

Cause increase in atmospheric

CARBON DIOXIDE and METHANE
 The Greenhouse Effect

• DEFORESTATION – reduces photosynthesis which removes CO ₂

(also reduces the rate at which carbon dioxide is ‘locked up’ as wood)
• Burning - either chopped-down wood or industrial produces CO₂
• increased micro-organism activity – on decaying material produces CO ₂
• herds of cattle – produce methane, CH₄
• Rice fields also produce methane

Cause increase in atmospheric

CARBON DIOXIDE and METHANE

WHICH CAUSES GLOBAL

WARMING
The Greenhouse Effect
 The Greenhouse Effect

Consequences:
• substantial climate changes

• a rise in sea level

Eutrophication

This is the enrichment of natural waters with

nutrients which allow the water to support an
increasing amount of plant life.

Human activity can lead to rapid eutrophication

and destruction of aquatic life.
 Eutrophication
A six-stage process
 Eutrophication
A six-stage process

1.Inorganic fertilisers, used by

farmers on their crops, may be
washed into lakes and rivers.
The fertiliser is originally
sprayed to replace nutrients that
previous crops have removed
from the soil.
n.b. Untreated sewage has the
same effect as excess fertiliser.
 Eutrophication
A six-stage process

1.Inorganic fertilisers, used by

farmers on their crops, may be
washed into lakes and rivers.
The fertiliser is originally
sprayed to replace nutrients that
previous crops have removed
from the soil.
n.b. Untreated sewage has the
same effect as excess fertiliser.
 Eutrophication
A six-stage process

2. Growth. - of water plants

caused by the fertiliser or sewage
happens rapidly. The nitrogen in
particular is taken up quickly by
the plants and used to make
protein for growth of new and
existing shoots. = ALGAL
BLOOM
 Eutrophication
A six-stage process

3. Death – of some of these

plants due to lack of light from
over-crowding. The plants
literally choke themselves to death
as they try to gain sufficient light
from the Sun, and more nutrients
from the water.
 Eutrophication
A six-stage process

4. Micro-organisms - which feed

on dead organisms now increase
massively in number. These are
the putrefying bacteria which
breakdown dead organic material
via respiration, and release
simpler substances for recycling.
 Eutrophication
A six-stage process

5. Oxygen – is used up quickly

by this huge number of micro-
organisms. The process of
breakdown is respiration, i.e. the
micro-organisms respire the
organic material and use oxygen
in doing so.
 Eutrophication
A six-stage process

6. Suffocation – of fishes and

other aquatic animals due to lack
of oxygen in the water.
Eventually almost all oxygen is
removed from the water, so there
is insufficient for larger
organisms, and they subsequently
die.
 Eutrophication
A six-stage process

6. Suffocation – of fishes and

other aquatic animals due to lack
of oxygen in the water.
Eventually almost all oxygen is
removed from the water, so there
is insufficient for larger
organisms, and they subsequently
die.
understand the effects of
deforestation, including
leaching, soil erosion,
disturbance of the water
cycle, and of the balance
in atmospheric oxygen
and carbon dioxide.
Deforestation
“ … involves the
large scale cutting
down of trees for
timber, and to
provide land for
agricultural uses.”
 Deforestation
Leaching Soil
erosion

Water Effect on
cycle atmosphere
 Deforestation
Leaching Soil
erosion

Water Effect on
cycle atmosphere
 Deforestation
Leaching Soil
Removal of the trees
exposes the soil beneath
erosion
directly to rain, which
washes nutrients out of the
soil into surrounding
streams and waterways

Water Effect on
cycle atmosphere
 Deforestation
Leaching Soil
erosion

Water Effect on
cycle atmosphere
 Deforestation
Leaching Soil
The soil is physically
removed from its location
erosion
and washed down into
streams and rivers where it
will accumulate (silt) and
effectively block
waterways.

Water Effect on
cycle atmosphere
 Deforestation
Leaching Soil
erosion

Water Effect on
cycle atmosphere
 Deforestation
Leaching Soil
With trees present, much
transpiration occurs
erosion
through the leaves into the
atmosphere. When trees
are cut down this water
movement is stopped.

Water Effect on
cycle atmosphere
 Deforestation
Leaching Soil
erosion

Water Effect on
cycle atmosphere
 Deforestation
Leaching Soil
Photosynthesis in the
leaves of trees maintains
erosion
the balance in the
atmosphere between
oxygen and carbon
dioxide. Removing trees
disrupts this delicate
balance.
Water Effect on
cycle atmosphere
 Deforestation

http://www.global-greenhouse-warming.com/deforestation.html
 Deforestation

Every second, an area of rainforest

equivalent to two U.S. football fields
is destroyed.

http://www.global-greenhouse-warming.com/deforestation.html
 End of Section 4 Lesson 4

In this lesson we have covered:

• the effects of human activity on the environment

• air pollution
• acid rain
• carbon monoxide poisoning
• the greenhouse effect
• eutrophication
• deforestation