Habitat Destruction by Jeremy Wong https://padlet.com/s2014011261/t6yklbri4fd2zotn by Jeremy Wong and Michael Tsang en-us 2023-06-06 03:33:16 UTC 2023-08-18 01:36:18 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f42c.png What is Biodiversity? s2014011131 https://padlet.com/s2014011261/t6yklbri4fd2zotn/wish/2615422614 - Variety of all organisms in a particular habitat
- A high level is desirable because different organisms play different and crucial roles in their habitats
- Example: grass (producer), zebras (primary consumer) and leopards (secondary consumer) all support each other in a savannah ecosystem by forming a food chain, if one organism disappearance, the other organisms will be threatened]]> 2023-06-06 03:43:08 UTC https://padlet.com/s2014011261/t6yklbri4fd2zotn/wish/2615422614 Increased Demand of Area for Housing, Crop Plant Production and Livestock Production s2014011131 https://padlet.com/s2014011261/t6yklbri4fd2zotn/wish/2615423638 1. Deforestation:  
- The clearing and thinning of forests by humans 
- Loss of forest benefits such as carbon sequestration and water regulation
- e.g. In Africa, Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire has lost over 80% of the forest since 1990s

2. Soil Degradation: 
- The decline in soil condition caused by improper use or poor management by humans for agricultural, industrial or urban purposes
- Caused by intensive crop production practices such as tillage, monoculture, and excessive use of fertilisers 
- Loss of soil fertility, soil structure and biodiversity

3. Water pollution: 
- Contaminates water sources, degrades water quality and renders it toxic
- Can harm or kill aquatic organisms and disrupt ecosystems
- eg. India, The Ganges is the 5th most polluted river in the world, many citizens go there to excrete, shower and wash clothes, threatening wildlife (the Ganges River Dolphin has been endangered since 1996)
]]> 2023-06-06 03:45:00 UTC https://padlet.com/s2014011261/t6yklbri4fd2zotn/wish/2615423638 b) Extraction of natural resources s2014011131 https://padlet.com/s2014011261/t6yklbri4fd2zotn/wish/2615425848 - Definition: Withdrawal of materials from the environment for human use, including fossil fuels (oil, gas, and coal), rocks and minerals

- Many countries that contains a lot of resources under their land would create underwater pipes to extract raw materials such as crude oil underwater 
- It takes up space, disrupts animals, and destroy their habitat via foreign materials and construction
- These would also pollute the ocean if the pipes leak out oil and contaminate the surrounding water]]> 2023-06-06 03:49:24 UTC https://padlet.com/s2014011261/t6yklbri4fd2zotn/wish/2615425848 The Significance of Food Webs s2014011261 https://padlet.com/s2014011261/t6yklbri4fd2zotn/wish/2615427735 - Food chains are inaccurate
- Organisms interact with more than just one or two other organisms in its habitat
- Organisms act as a food source for organisms above its trophic level as well as population control for organisms below it
- Natural balance is key for a healthy ecosystem]]> 2023-06-06 03:52:30 UTC https://padlet.com/s2014011261/t6yklbri4fd2zotn/wish/2615427735 c) Fresh water and marine pollution s2014011131 https://padlet.com/s2014011261/t6yklbri4fd2zotn/wish/2615428379 Definition: Marine pollution is a combination of chemicals and trash, most of which comes from land sources and is washed or blown into the ocean. (National Geographic)

- The main threat to water quality is the presence of too much nutrients, such as phosphorus and nitrogen
- Primarily comes from agriculture and waste water. 
- Cause an increase in the growth of plants and algae, such as algal blooms. 
- Blocks sunlight from reaching other plants, depletes the oxygen in the water as they decay
- Leading to the death of fish and other aquatic organisms.
- imbalanced ecosystems and reduced biodiversity.

]]> 2023-06-06 03:53:55 UTC https://padlet.com/s2014011261/t6yklbri4fd2zotn/wish/2615428379 Biodiversity s2014011131 https://padlet.com/s2014011261/t6yklbri4fd2zotn/wish/2615430520 Biodiversity. (n.d.). Biodiversity. https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/biodiversity]]> 2023-06-06 03:58:27 UTC https://padlet.com/s2014011261/t6yklbri4fd2zotn/wish/2615430520 How Human Impacts Influence Food Webs s2014011261 https://padlet.com/s2014011261/t6yklbri4fd2zotn/wish/2616390326 - Humans deliberately (hunting) or indirectly (land reclamation) affect the populations of organisms
- Organism becomes endangered (at risk of extinction) or extinct
- Predators of the organism lose a food source and are significantly affected; their populations will dwindle
- Prey of the organism lose a predator and many can survive and reproduce without risk of being eaten; their populations will explode
- Therefore, removing an organism from the food web disrupts balance of predators and prey in their habitat

- For example, when humans hunt sharks for their fins in certain areas, the stingray population booms because they lose their natural predators]]> 2023-06-07 00:20:16 UTC https://padlet.com/s2014011261/t6yklbri4fd2zotn/wish/2616390326 What is Deforestation? s2014011261 https://padlet.com/s2014011261/t6yklbri4fd2zotn/wish/2616606124 - Example of habitat destruction
- "Clearing or thinning of forests by humans" (Britannica) , basically destruction of forests via removal of trees
- Amazon rainforest: famous statistic of "1 football field disappearing per 6 seconds"

Reasons for deforestation:
- Agricultural expansion: more land to grow crops (fertile soil) and rear animals for meat and products
- Wood extraction: harvesting wood for furniture, paper, products etc.
- Infrastructure expansion: to urbanise the land taken up by forests to build settlements or use for other purposes (urban sprawl) (geo takers will know this well)]]> 2023-06-07 03:35:58 UTC https://padlet.com/s2014011261/t6yklbri4fd2zotn/wish/2616606124 Reasons for Habitat Destruction s2014011261 https://padlet.com/s2014011261/t6yklbri4fd2zotn/wish/2616612511 Deforestation | Definition, History, Consequences, & Facts. (n.d.). Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/deforestation

A. (2022, September 20). Soil degradation. NSW Environment and Heritage. http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/land-and-soil/soil-degradation

Resource extraction - Understanding Global Change. (n.d.). Resource Extraction - Understanding Global Change. https://ugc.berkeley.edu/background-content/resource-extraction/

Agency, E. P. (n.d.). Freshwater and Marine. Freshwater and Marine | Environmental Protection Agency. https://www.epa.ie/environment-and-you/freshwater-and-marine/

Contributor, G. (2022, January 20). The Ganges: river of life, religion and pollution. Geographical. https://geographical.co.uk/culture/the-ganges-river-of-life-religion-and-pollution

Marine Pollution. (n.d.). Marine Pollution. https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/marine-pollution]]> 2023-06-07 03:43:05 UTC https://padlet.com/s2014011261/t6yklbri4fd2zotn/wish/2616612511 Negative Impacts of Humans s2014011261 https://padlet.com/s2014011261/t6yklbri4fd2zotn/wish/2616612758 “Should We Bring Extinct Species Back From the Dead?” Science | AAAS, 6 June 2023, www.science.org/content/article/should-we-bring-extinct-species-back-dead.
Sottosanti, Karen. “Food Web | Definition, Ecosystem, Food Chain, and Examples.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Dec. 2022, www.britannica.com/science/food-web.
]]> 2023-06-07 03:43:24 UTC https://padlet.com/s2014011261/t6yklbri4fd2zotn/wish/2616612758 Case Study: Deforestation s2014011261 https://padlet.com/s2014011261/t6yklbri4fd2zotn/wish/2616613019 Fahad, and Fahad. “How Does Deforestation Lead to Frequent Floods and Droughts?” Earth Reminder, Mar. 2022, www.earthreminder.com/how-does-deforestation-lead-to-floods-and-droughts.
Ho, Sally, et al. “Amazon Rainforest: The Devastating Impact of Brazil’S Pro-Deforestation Policies.” Green Queen - Award-Winning Impact Media - Alt Protein & Sustainability Breaking News, 29 June 2021, www.greenqueen.com.hk/research-devastating-impact-of-brazilian-governments-pro-deforestation-policies.
“How Plants Use Carbon Affects Their Response to Climate Change.” Imperial News, 20 July 2018, www.imperial.ac.uk/news/187327/how-plants-carbon-affects-their-response/#:~:text=Plants%20take%20in%20%E2%80%93%20or%20'fix,down%20sugars%20to%20get%20energy.
Mulhern, Owen. “We Lost a Football Pitch of Primary Rainforest Every 6 Seconds in 2019.” Earth.Org, Nov. 2020, earth.org/data_visualization/we-lost-a-football-pitch-of-primary-forest-every-6-seconds-in-2019/#:~:text=Nearly%20a%20third%20of%20that,seconds%20for%20the%20entire%20year.
NASA Earth Observatory. Tropical Deforestation. earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/Deforestation/deforestation_update3.php#:~:text=Direct%20causes%20of%20deforestation%20are,single%20direct%20cause%20for%20deforestation.
National Geographic Society. “Save the Plankton, Breathe Freely.” National Geographic Society, 30 Jan. 2023, www.nationalgeographic.org/activity/save-the-plankton-breathe-freely/#:~:text=Ask%3A%20Where%20does%20the%20oxygen,oxygen%20comes%20from%20other%20sources.
Pimm, Stuart L. “Deforestation | Definition, History, Consequences, and Facts.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 June 2023, www.britannica.com/science/deforestation.
Wcmc. “Earth’s Biodiversity Depends on the World’s Forests - UNEP-WCMC.” UNEP-WCMC, www.unep-wcmc.org/en/news/earths-biodiversity-depends-on-the-worlds-forests.
“What Is Erosion? Effects of Soil Erosion and Land Degradation.” World Wildlife Fund, www.worldwildlife.org/threats/soil-erosion-and-degradation#:~:text=Deforestation,can%20actually%20worsen%20soil%20erosion.
]]> 2023-06-07 03:43:44 UTC https://padlet.com/s2014011261/t6yklbri4fd2zotn/wish/2616613019 Effects and Consequences of Deforestation s2014011261 https://padlet.com/s2014011261/t6yklbri4fd2zotn/wish/2616773370 - Reduced biodiversity and extinction: habitat, provides food and shelter for organisms
- Loss of soil: rooting of trees protects soil from erosion; soil is swept into rivers, new plants cannot grow
- Flooding: roots of trees resist for floods on surface; underground: roots bring water to underwater reservoirs, for example Bangladesh's land has gone from 15% to 5% in forest cover, and thus more flooding occurred in recent years
- Increased carbon dioxide in atmosphere: trees and plants take in carbon dioxide, therefore net increase of carbon dioxide; greenhouse effect in which carbon dioxide in the atmosphere traps heat from the sun and causes global warming (think Amazon)
]]> 2023-06-07 06:43:12 UTC https://padlet.com/s2014011261/t6yklbri4fd2zotn/wish/2616773370