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QUESTION;
A. explain ten (10) human impacts on the ecosystem (10 marks)

The ecosystem encompasses all living things (animals, plants and microorganisms) and non-
living things (earth, climate, soil, sun, weather, and atmosphere). Below is a list of human
activities that impact the eco system;

Deforestation

Deforestation occurs when a forest or stand of trees is removed, converting the land to a non-
forest use. This changes the ecosystem drastically and results in a dramatic loss of biodiversity.
With an exponential expansion in human beings, more food, materials, and shelter are being
manufactured at stupendous rates, mostly stemming from forestry. Deforestation can be the
result of timber harvesting or of clearing land for agricultural, commercial, or residential use.

It increases greenhouse gases within the atmosphere, which leads to further global warming. The
loss of biodiversity and trees alters the ecosystem and can result in aridity and erosion. It also
results in climate change and extinction, and it can lead to desertification if on a significant
enough scale.

Overpopulation & Overconsumption

Overpopulation has grown into an epidemic since mortality rates have decreased, medicine has
improved, and methods of industrial farming were introduced, thus keeping humans alive for
much longer and increasing the total population. One of the most severe effects
of overpopulation is the degradation of the environment. Humans consume large amounts of
resources for their own needs. Some examples include the mining of natural resources like coal,
the hunting and fishing of animals for food, and the clearing of forests for urbanization and wood
use.

The extensive overuse of nonrenewable resources, like fossil fuels, can cause great harm to the
environment. The larger the population, the more fossil fuels will be used, and this results in
copious amounts of carbon dioxide into the air- threatening the extinction of thousands of
species.

Emission of Carbon Dioxide and Other Greenhouse Gases

The emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, namely methane and hydro
fluorocarbons (HFCs), are human-induced through the combustion of fossil fuels and the use of
man-made products. In a bid to generate energy, the world has continued to depend on carbon-
rich fossil fuels, namely gas, oil and coal. Carbon dioxide levels are said to be surprisingly
higher than ever in history. As a result, global temperatures are on the rise contributing to sea-
level rise and extreme weather events like heat waves, flooding, tsunamis, and droughts. The sea-
level rise and extreme weather events have, in turn, altered ocean and land ecosystems, impacted
food chains and biodiversity, and intensified desertification.

Overhunting and Overexploitation

Overhunting and overexploitation of natural resources through activities like overfishing and

mining have caused a reduction in the number of varied plant and animal species. In other words,
the diverse existence of animal and plant species in different habitats has been widely affected by
overhunting and overexploitation. These human activities do not give room for the
replenishment, growth, or new development of already exploited or harvested products.

Genetic Modifications

The globe’s escalating demand for food products has prompted scientists to resort to the use of
genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to increase crop yields. GMOs also come with the
advantage of being more tolerant of extreme temperatures, the ability to flourish with less water,
and better ability to resist parasites and diseases. On the other hand, GMOs also come with new
biological elements that can impact natural ecosystems in numerous ways. One is changing the
natural ways of competition or predation. Secondly, soil microbial populations regulating the
flow of phosphorous, nitrogen and other important elements can equally be impacted.

Production of Black Carbon

Black carbon particles have been generated by human activities for hundreds and hundreds of
years. Black carbon particles are materials emitted into the atmosphere as smoke and are
produced from cooking with solid animal fuels, burning firewood, diesel car exhausts, and the
burning of trees. The presence of these particles in the atmosphere creates a heat-absorbing layer
that gives rise to increased global temperatures, thus compounding the global warming effect.

Destruction of the Reefs

Ocean reefs are the globe’s richest oceanic ecosystems, but human activities have led to their
destruction by upsetting the natural flow of nutrients and energy that support plant and animal
species in the marine world. Water pollution, climate change, overfishing and acidification of
marine waters are the repercussions of human activities that have caused the destruction of coral
reefs.

Plastic Production

The invention of plastic has created one of the most problematic pollution problems ever
witnessed on the face of earth. Waste plastic is everywhere on earth, even in the oceans. Plastics
remain in the environment for thousands of years and have long-lasting consequences on the
fragile ecosystems and regulatory cycles. The chemicals present in the plastics are released in the
waters, interfering with animal’s endocrine systems and changing their reproduction patterns.
They can also cause rapid cell division, which may result in cancers.

Agriculture

With the ever-increasing number of the world’s population, there is similarly a soaring demand
for sufficient food. The population growth rate is hence driving the world to clear forests in order
to create more room for agriculture.

Draining Streams/Rivers and Destruction of Critical Freshwater Aquifer Recharge Areas

(Water Pollution)

Various anthropogenic activities have heavily destroyed freshwater supplies such as rivers,
streams, and aquifers. Intensive agriculture is a leading cause on account of the large amounts of
chemical fertilizers, herbicides and other agrochemicals that find a way into waterways.

B. state five (5) categories of Environmental hazards (5marks)

Environmental hazards can also be classified into interrelated categories (biological, chemical,
physical, social & cultural) based on the properties of their causes

Biological hazards 

These are organisms, or by-products from an organism, that are harmful or potentially harmful to
human beings. They include pathogenic bacteria, viruses and parasites, and also toxins (poisons)
that are produced by organisms. Biological hazards are the cause of the majority of human
diseases. For example, bacteria cause cholera, tuberculosis, leprosy, relapsing fever and many
diarrheal diseases; viruses are responsible for hepatitis B and C, HIV, measles and polio; and
there are many diseases caused by parasites. Some human parasites are external and live on the
skin and hair, for example, mites that cause scabies.
Chemical Hazards

Chemical hazards are toxic substances, which cause damage to living organisms. Air

pollutants (such as secondhand smoke or carbon monoxide), heavy metals, and pesticides are a
few examples. We can be exposed to these contaminants from a variety of residential,
commercial, and industrial sources. Sometimes harmful environmental contaminants occur
biologically, such as those from mold or a toxic algae bloom. Toxins can be classified based on
their origin, purpose, chemical structure and properties, or effects.

Physical Hazards

Physical hazards are additional forces that can imperil humans. Physical hazards may arise
naturally such as natural disasters (earthquakes, wildfires, landslides, etc.) or extreme weather.
Others may arise from human structures or activities (traffic accident, building collapse, injury
from mechanical equipment, strain on the body from repeated movements, etc.) Some physical
hazards, such as explosions or radiation, can arise from natural or human sources.

Cultural/practice-related hazards

Culture is the knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, customs and habits that are acquired by people
as members of society. It is also the common ways of life and set of thoughts and feelings shared
by the members of a society. Just as there are cultural practices that are good for health, such as
breastfeeding a child, there are also cultural practices that adversely affect health and these can
be considered to be cultural hazards. There are practices that are widely accepted and found in
different areas of the world that can be hazards for health; for example, the belief that evil spirits
are the source of diseases, practices of storing drinking water uncovered, open defecation and not
hand washing before meals and after latrine use.

Hygiene and health promotion and community mobilization are critical interventions that help
improve practices that are not useful to the community. To change human behavior away from
undesired practices, you need to change knowledge and attitudes.

Social hazards

Poverty and illiteracy are examples of social hazards. We know that poor and uneducated people
get sick more frequently, compared to wealthier and more educated people. Alcoholism, obesity,
smoking and drug abuse are also social hazards that affect our health. A person with such habits
is, over time, degraded, not respected by society, physically and mentally dissatisfied, and
ultimately is likely to suffer with chronic illnesses such as lung and cardio-vascular diseases.