Human Impacts On The Temperate BiomeHuman populations are quite high in the temperate broadleaf forest due to fairly pleasant climatically and very productive of harvestable plant and animal life. Because the soil is excellent for agriculture, much of it has been cleared for this purpose. In addition, hardwood trees are valuable for timber, so these forests have been severely altered for thousands of years even before extensive farming.
|
Human Impacts On The Grassland BiomeGrasslands are sadly being threatened by human impacts. They are disappearing due to dividing up the land for farming and urban development. Dividing up the land for farming is bad because the animals of the grasslands don't have any way to move around.
|
Human Impacts On The Desert Biome Many types of human activites affect the desert biome. Like off roading, when we run our vehicles over the desert soil and carve the tracks into the soil that will scar the land for many years. These tracks can kill off vegitation in the desert. When the vegitation is hurt so are the animals. Animals that rely on the sandy desert floor for camouflage can also be harmed greatly.
|
Human Impacts On The Tropical Biome
Positive:
1. Human Activity in the Rainforest Biome has allowed for the discovery and implementation of many different medicines, nearly 120 prescription medications today are derived from plants in the tropical rainforest, nearly ⅔ of these drugs are known to have cancer fighting properties, not only are the drugs used to combat cancer, they are key in fighting malaria, heart disease, hypertension, bronchitis, diabetes, arthritis, and other medications. Human exploration of the rainforest has yielded important medical progress for mankind, the tropical rainforest’s diverse climate has allowed for an extremely diverse biome, the diversity has allowed for it to be called “Nature’s medicine cabinet.” With the effective natural remedies that it possesses to cure many human illnesses and diseases, human exploration of the rainforest has unlocked an extremely vital source of medicine.
2. Research has shown that harvesting the renewable and sustainable resources already present in rainforests is worth more than the industries currently replacing rainforest habitat. By replacing rainforest vegetation with cattle operations, an approximate profit of $60 per acre is generated for the owner. Harvesting habitat for a lumber industry will generate approximately $400 per acre. However, using the natural nuts, fruits, seeds and edible plants already present in the rainforest, it has been found that tropical rainforests, as they occur naturally, are worth more than the industries they are being replaced with. This research proves that naturally occurring rainforests can provide many of the worlds needs as they stand.
Negative:
1. Deforestation - Human activity and development in the tropical rainforest has led to the depletion of habitat for many of the earth's species. Environmentalists estimate that we are losing 137 plant, animal, and insect species every day due to rainforest deforestation. This continual process is due to the industries of mining, lumber, and agriculture. The economic development in these areas are polluting tropical rainforests, reducing the habitat of numerous species, and producing loud and disturbing noises from the machinery. More and more of the natural vegetation is being replaced with farmland because the fertility of the soil depletes only a few years after it was originally cleared. Rainforests once covered about 14% of the earths land surface; now they cover approximately 6%. The issue and effects of deforestation is greatly affecting the most biologically diverse biome in the world.
2. Overexploitation: Human activity and development in the tropical rainforest has lead to massive amounts of forest land being converted into other human uses such as mining or agriculture. Overexploitation of the rain forests Natural resource is a highly damaging impact that humans have on the rainforest, massive amounts of trees are cut down in the rainforest which are used for the timber industry, this cutting down of the trees causes a massive drop in the habitat of the forest’s organisms and the machinery used to complete this process provide a massive source of pollution and habitat destruction. Approximately 80% of the rainforests nutrients comes from trees and plants. That leaves 20% of the nutrients in the soil. when trees are over exploited conditions change very quickly, the soil dries up and causes erosion. Poaching and hunting are a major issue in the tropical rainforest, exotic creatures are being over hunted causing their populations to go into the danger zones and on the verge of extinction. Furthermore, the rainforest is being used up at an exeptional rate for mining purposes: oil, gold and iron ore are being mined at a massive rate.
1. Human Activity in the Rainforest Biome has allowed for the discovery and implementation of many different medicines, nearly 120 prescription medications today are derived from plants in the tropical rainforest, nearly ⅔ of these drugs are known to have cancer fighting properties, not only are the drugs used to combat cancer, they are key in fighting malaria, heart disease, hypertension, bronchitis, diabetes, arthritis, and other medications. Human exploration of the rainforest has yielded important medical progress for mankind, the tropical rainforest’s diverse climate has allowed for an extremely diverse biome, the diversity has allowed for it to be called “Nature’s medicine cabinet.” With the effective natural remedies that it possesses to cure many human illnesses and diseases, human exploration of the rainforest has unlocked an extremely vital source of medicine.
2. Research has shown that harvesting the renewable and sustainable resources already present in rainforests is worth more than the industries currently replacing rainforest habitat. By replacing rainforest vegetation with cattle operations, an approximate profit of $60 per acre is generated for the owner. Harvesting habitat for a lumber industry will generate approximately $400 per acre. However, using the natural nuts, fruits, seeds and edible plants already present in the rainforest, it has been found that tropical rainforests, as they occur naturally, are worth more than the industries they are being replaced with. This research proves that naturally occurring rainforests can provide many of the worlds needs as they stand.
Negative:
1. Deforestation - Human activity and development in the tropical rainforest has led to the depletion of habitat for many of the earth's species. Environmentalists estimate that we are losing 137 plant, animal, and insect species every day due to rainforest deforestation. This continual process is due to the industries of mining, lumber, and agriculture. The economic development in these areas are polluting tropical rainforests, reducing the habitat of numerous species, and producing loud and disturbing noises from the machinery. More and more of the natural vegetation is being replaced with farmland because the fertility of the soil depletes only a few years after it was originally cleared. Rainforests once covered about 14% of the earths land surface; now they cover approximately 6%. The issue and effects of deforestation is greatly affecting the most biologically diverse biome in the world.
2. Overexploitation: Human activity and development in the tropical rainforest has lead to massive amounts of forest land being converted into other human uses such as mining or agriculture. Overexploitation of the rain forests Natural resource is a highly damaging impact that humans have on the rainforest, massive amounts of trees are cut down in the rainforest which are used for the timber industry, this cutting down of the trees causes a massive drop in the habitat of the forest’s organisms and the machinery used to complete this process provide a massive source of pollution and habitat destruction. Approximately 80% of the rainforests nutrients comes from trees and plants. That leaves 20% of the nutrients in the soil. when trees are over exploited conditions change very quickly, the soil dries up and causes erosion. Poaching and hunting are a major issue in the tropical rainforest, exotic creatures are being over hunted causing their populations to go into the danger zones and on the verge of extinction. Furthermore, the rainforest is being used up at an exeptional rate for mining purposes: oil, gold and iron ore are being mined at a massive rate.