Module IV 2 - Natural Resources - Mankind - Agostino Desanto
Module IV 2 - Natural Resources - Mankind - Agostino Desanto
Module IV 2 - Natural Resources - Mankind - Agostino Desanto
The biosphere encompasses all of the locations on the earth where life may be found. The
biosphere covers everything, from plants' deepest root systems to the bleak environment
of ocean bottoms, lush rain forests, and high mountaintops.
The Earth is described by scientists using spheres. The lithosphere is the solid surface layer
of the Earth. The atmosphere is a layer of air that exists above the lithosphere. Water on
the Earth's surface, in the ground, and in the air make up the hydrosphere.
Because life exists on land, in the air, and in the water, the biosphere covers all three
realms. Despite the biosphere extending around 20 kilometers (12 miles) from top to
bottom, almost all life exists between approximately 500 meters (1,640 feet) below the
ocean's surface and roughly 6 kilometers (3.75 miles) above sea level.
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Ecosystems can be further split into communities, which are smaller biotic entities.
Organisms in a stand of pine trees, on a coral reef, and in a cave, a valley, a lake, or a
stream are examples of communities. The living component of the community, the
organisms, is the most important concern; abiotic environmental elements are ignored.
A community is made up of different species populations. There may be numerous species
of insects, birds, and animals in a stand of pines, each with its own breeding unit but reliant
on the others for survival. Individuals, solitary functional units that may be identified as
organisms, make up a species. Beyond this, the biosphere's units are organ systems made
up of organs, tissues made up of cells, cells made up of molecules, and molecules made up
of atomic elements and energy. As a result, as you go higher from atoms and energy, you'll
see that each succeeding level has fewer units, larger and more intricate patterns.
Humanity has been one of the primary drivers of global change, including climate change,
stratospheric ozone depletion, deforestation, biodiversity loss, acidification, pollution, and
desertification (see, for example, Turner et al. 1990).
The human aspects of global environmental change research focuses on the human drivers
of change, the effects of those changes on people and social groups, and how humans
adapt to such changes.
Industrialization and urbanization are two reasons, both of which are driven by human
needs and desires, such as the need for water, food, and shelter. Water and food shortages,
floods and droughts, health hazards, and resource disputes are among the consequences.
Adaptation, such as growing alternative crops, and even migration from regions most
impacted by environmental changes, as well as mitigation, such as decreasing gas emissions
into the atmosphere, are examples of responses to these changes.
People have a critical role in preserving the biosphere's energy flow. People, on the other
hand, can sometimes stifle the flow. When people destroy forests or burn fossil fuels like
coal and oil, for example, oxygen levels in the atmosphere drop and carbon dioxide levels
rise. Oil spills and industrial pollution pose a hazard to aquatic life. How people interact
with other living things inside the zone of life will determine the biosphere's destiny.
Daily, modern technology has lessened our need on the biosphere. However, it has resulted
in increasing resource exploitation. Rapid population expansion, agricultural modernization,
industry, and urbanisation have all resulted in a significant increase in water demand. This
indicates that water is scarce in some regions of the biosphere. Drought, dam construction,
irrigation, and population increase, for example, have caused the Hamoun Wetlands in Iran
to dry up. Biofuels, as an alternative to fossil fuels, are also economically utilized. As a
result, vast swaths of land are being removed to plant biofuel crops. As a result, local food
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and fuel costs will rise, and indigenous people living in the area may find it difficult to
obtain the resources they require to survive.