human influences on the environment

Question 1

how is sulphur dioxide formed?

Answer 1

formed when fossil fuels are burned and combines with water droplets in air

Question 2

what are consequences to organisms from sulphur dioxide?

Answer 2

can be carried into atmosphere falling as acid rain which is more acidic with a lower ph than usual causing harm to species such as lichens

Question 3

what effect does acid rain have on lakes?

Answer 3

edification of soil leaving of some ions into lakes kill fish root hairs less efficient at absorbing minerals so tree growth slowed adificaition of lakes death of bacteria and algae death of fish and amphibian eggs change in ecosystem

Question 4

how can reduce acid rain and restore balance?

Answer 4

reduce amount of fossil fuels being burnt renewables

Question 5

what is meant by monitoring lichen?

Answer 5

lichen=indicator species as indicate different levels of so2 monitoring patterns of lichen growth can be used to monitor levels of pollution

Question 6

what are biological indicators?

Answer 6

lichens= biological indicators to indicate different levels of so2 
zone 1 -orange high
2-leafy moderate
3-shrubbery very low levels 
4-clean air

Question 7

where does co come form?

Answer 7

substances containing carbon are burnt in limited supply of oxygen co is formed

Question 8

how does co bind to haemoglobin?

Answer 8

haemoglobin binds more strongly with co than oxygen inhaled for period of time more haemoglobin becomes bound so can’t bind with o

Question 9

how does this effect amount of oxygen carried around body in blood?

Answer 9

can’t bind with oxygen theres little oxygen carried around body and lack of oxygen reaching cells so lose consciousness

Question 10

what effect does this have on the rate of respiration?

Answer 10

rate of respiration decreases as little oxygen in bloodstream

Question 11

what effect can this have on organism ?

Answer 11

loe consciousness and die as oxygen can’t reach cells so organs stop working

Question 12

why is the greenhouse effect necessary?

Answer 12

it maintains the surface of the earth at a stable temperatue

Question 13

what is the greenhouse effect?

Answer 13

radiation is emitted from the sun primarily visible light with small amounts of infra-red heat and uv radiation
visible light=short wave length and passes through atmosphere unaffected
earths surface absorbs solar energy and re-emits it as longer wave infred heat
some of heat energy passes back through atmospheric gases and into space
some of heat energy is absorbed by gases in atmosphere that re-emit it back to earth

Question 14

what are 3 main gases found in atmosphere?

Answer 14

methane sulphur dioxide carbon monoxide

Question 15

what would happen if no greenhouse gases ?

Answer 15

earth would cool down too much as loses too much heat species would die as too cold enzymes denature no plants grow

Question 16

whats causes of increasing co2

Answer 16

increasing methane agriculture
increasing nitrous oxide
burning fossil fuels
decomposing of waste

Question 17

what does increased co2 have on earths atmosphere?

Answer 17

increased amounts of greenhouse gases = more long wave is being re-emitted to earth and less escapes to space heating up earths atmosphere

Question 18

what impact does heating the earth have?

Answer 18

ice melting sea levels rise
changing ocean currents
warmer water
changing global rainfall patterns high temp=more evaporation from surface of sea =more rain other areas = decrease in rain changing ecosystems species extinct harder to adapt

Question 19

whats role of methane ?

Answer 19

bigger effect than co2 on warming

Question 20

where does methane come from?

Answer 20

produced when micro-organisms ferment larger organic molecules to release energy decomposition of waste buried in ground by microorganisms fermentation by microorangims in stomach of cattle
fermentation by bacteria in rice fields

Question 21

how does water pollution lead to oxygen level decrease?

Answer 21

outflow from sewage treatment plants is high in organic matter which provides nutrients for decomposers e.g. bacteria which decompose organic matter they respire aerobically, this requires a lot of oxygen so biological oxygen demand BOD is high oxygen levels decrease rapidly which lead to decrease in invertbrates and fish require high levels of oxygen, number of organisms adapted to living in low oxygen increase, distance from outflow increases levels of orange matter decrease so oxygen increases

Question 22

what do indicator species do in water polluted areas?

Answer 22

species predominate in section of river indicate pollution levels greater BOD organisms which require high levels of oxygen decrease and and vice versa

Question 23

what are animals found in water with high BOD?

Answer 23

low levels of respiration sludge worm at tailed maggot blood worm

Question 24

what are animals found in water with low BOD?

Answer 24

high levels of respiration mayfly nymph stonefly nymph shrimp

Question 25

which minerals do inorganic fertilisers contain and why do farmers add them to crops ?

Answer 25

nitrates and phosphates are added to soil some is washed from soil by rain into nearest pond add to crops to make grow better

Question 26

what is leaching?

Answer 26

when fertilisers are washed by rain from soil into nearest pond or lake

Question 27

what is eutrophication?

Answer 27

when a pond / river receives too many nutrients and becomes depleted of organisms

Question 28

how does eutrophication happen?

Answer 28

Farmers add soluble fertilisers to soil leached from soil algae efficient at utilising additional nitrates multiply rapidly form blanket over surface algae bloom which blocks sunlight and prevents from reaching submerged plants makes them unable to photosynthesis =die sink to bottom which makes orangic matter for dead bacteria so numbers increase break down matter oxygen decreases from aerobic respiration BOD increases, algae dies as bacteria use all nitrates water becomes ANOXIC without oxygen so aerobic organisms like fish die

Question 29

what is problem with eutrophication in warm weather?

Answer 29

algae bloom is bigger ad grow faster

Question 30

why is eutrophication more common in still water?

Answer 30

in river algae bloom is swept away

Question 31

why is not common with organic fertilisers?

Answer 31

less soluble

Question 32

what are the effects of deforestation?

Answer 32

``` reduction in soil fertility flooding and landslides changes in recycling of materials climatic changes species extinction habitat loss medicinal loss soil erosion disturbance of evapotranspiration carbon cycle reduced biodiversity balance of atmospheric gases ```

Question 33

whats reduction in soil fertility?

Answer 33

no trees/plants to return minerals to soil when they die no tree roots to hold soil together crops planted in deforested areas rapidly use up minerals from soil and they get leached

Question 34

whats flooding and landslides?

Answer 34

heavy rainfall on deforested land isn't held up 25% of rainfall is absorbed by foliage 50% absorbed by root systems water accumulates in river valleys causing lip slides

Question 35

whats changes in recycling of materials?

Answer 35

reduced transpiration and drier atmosphere affect water cycle rain heat absorption lost temp rises more frequent +intense winds

Question 36

what are climatic changes?

Answer 36

co2 rise and less is absorbed o2 loss as less produced by photosynthesis drier atmosphere soil wetter

Question 37

whats species extinction?

Answer 37

dependant on forest conditions home so lose home hold medicinal purposes lose medicines reduced biodiversity means less stable