Unit 7: Impact of Humans Study Guide

Objective: This study guide will help you review the most IMPORTANT information from each lesson, and help
you prepare for the unit test. You CANNOT use this study guide on the test! I suggest you print and study this
with your Learning Coach before you take the test.

7.2 Consumption of Mineral Resources

● As the population of the world increases, so does the need for food, clothing, and shelter. We use many
natural resources to produce these.
○ An example of this is steel. Steel is used in construction of buildings, ships, tools, appliances…
As there were more people, the demand for these products also increased.

7.4 Conserving Mineral Resources

● Human use of natural mineral resources, like fossil fuels, can have a big impact on the environment.
○ Mining mineral resources can destroy habitats and pollute the ground, water, and air. Mining
depletes the resources as well as releases harmful gases.
○ Transporting the mined resources uses more fossil fuels.
● Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide into the air. Increased carbon dioxide in the air causes a
greenhouse effect in which heat is trapped close to Earth’s surface.
● Many areas are switching to alternative sources of energy, like wind, nuclear, solar, and hydropower.
These sources don’t release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
● There are many things you can do around your home to conserve, or use less, resources. For example:
○ Turn off lights when you leave a room
○ Use energy efficient LED light bulbs
○ Recycling drink cans or bottles

7.6 Consumption of Bioresources

● Only about 1% of Earth’s habitable land today is urban area. This includes cities, towns, villages, roads,
etc. They may seem like a small percentage. However, millions of people can live in a single city (such
as in a high rises), which takes up a small percentage of land. It takes a lot more land to make enough
food for the same number of people.
● When humans change the way they use land, it has an impact on the environment. The bigger the
change, the more the environment is impacted. Often, this impact is negative. In many cases, there is
an entire chain of consequences. Over time, the consequences increase in size and scale and become
longer lasting.
○ Here’s an example: when forests are cleared to make room for agricultural land, habitats are
destroyed. If enough habitat destruction occurs, it can lead to the extinction of the organisms
that live there. This can throw off the delicate balance of food webs. Predators who depend on
those organisms for food can also die off. If too many predators die, the population of prey
animals go unchecked. If these prey animals get overpopulated, they can further damage
habitats by overgrazing.
● Population growth leads to an increase in urban development. This means more concrete, pavement,
and roofing materials. These materials absorb a lot more heat than grass and trees. This leads to the
heat island effect. This is when an urban area has higher average temperatures than nearby rural
areas.
7.8 Conserving Bioresources
● The Landsat Program is used to track land use and to document land changes. These include changes
due to climate change, urban development, drought, wildfires, etc.
● Observe all the green and gray areas in the new Delhi Landsat data map below. The more gray area,
the more the city and surrounding suburbs have expanded. This could mean increases in habitat loss,
flooding, pollution, runoff, and water contamination.

● One method of minimizing the human impact of urban development is increasing green space. Green
spaces provide habitats for insects, birds, and other animals. Plant roots help reduce runoff and
erosion. Some cities are increasing green spaces by building parks and rooftop gardens. Trees and
other plants provide shade and absorb less heat than concrete.