Impacts of Humans on

Ecosystems
Ecology and Conservation
 Essential Idea
Human activities impact on ecosystem function.

Nature of Science
Assessing risks and benefits associated with
scientific research—the use of biological control
has associated risk and requires verification by
tightly controlled experiments before it is
approved.
 IB Understandings
► Introduced alien species can escape into local
ecosystems and become invasive.
► Competitive exclusion and the absence of predators
can lead to reduction in the numbers of endemic
species when alien species become invasive.

► Pollutants become concentrated in the tissues of

organisms at higher trophic levels by biomagnification.

► Macroplastic and microplastic debris has accumulated

in marine environments.
 IB Applications
►Application: Study of the introduction of cane toads in
Australia and one other local example of the introduction of
an alien species.
►Application: Discussion of the trade-off between control of
the malarial parasite and DDT pollution.
►Application: Case study of the impact of marine plastic
debris on Laysan albatrosses and one other named species.
 IB Skills
►Skill: Analysis of data illustrating the
causes and consequences of
biomagnification.

►Skill: Evaluation of eradication programmes and

biological control as measures to reduce the impact of
alien species.
Impacts of Humans on Ecosystems

There are many CAS

opportunities to raise
awareness of the harm
humans are causing to
our planet.

There is also the

opportunity to work
on mitigating these
harms.
Competitive Exclusion
❓ Define competitive
exclusion.

Two species with

identical niches cannot
coexist.
The better adapted
species will outcompete
and drive the less well
adapted species to
extinction.
Alien Species
❓ Define invasive species.

Alien species become

invasive species if they
cause harm to the natural
ecosystem.
Alien species are
organisms that have been
introduced to an
ecosystem, and do not
occur there naturally.
 Invasive Species and Competitive Exclusion
Invasive species often replace native (endemic)
species by competitive exclusion.
The alien species may become an invasive
species if they have a better chance of survival
than the native species due to:
➢ The absence of predators in the new
habitat
➢ The absence of diseases in the new
habitat.
➢ Faster rate of reproduction
➢ Larger size/more aggressive
➢ Higher reproductive rate
 Competitive Exclusion of Red Squirrels

Read the linked article on

the squirrels in the UK

❓ Explain the trends in

squirrel populations in
the UK and Ireland. Maps showing grey squirrel spread and red squirrel decline 1945, 2000 & 2010 by Craig Shuttleworth & Red
Squirrel Survival Trust
Grey Squirrels are an Invasive
Species ❓ Explain why grey squirrels out-
compete red squirrels.

Grey squirrels are larger and

stronger and out-compete red
squirrels for food and habitat.
The grey squirrels reproduce
faster than red squirrels.
The grey squirrels are immune
to the squirrelpox virus which
kills the red squirrels.
Biological Pest Control

❓ Define biological pest

control.

Biological pest control

uses a disease or a
natural predator of a
pest species to reduce
the population of the
pest.
Cane Toads - A Failed Attempt at Biological
Control control sugar cane beetles.
Cane toads were introduced to

However, the toads failed to

control the beetles, but became
an invasive species.
Read the linked article on cane
toads in Australia

❓ Outline why the

introduction of cane
toads was a failure in
Australia.
 Cane Toads - A Failed Attempt at Biological
Control
Cane toads were introduced to control cane
beetles which were damaging sugar cane crops.
► The toads did not reduce the population of the
beetles.
► The toads competed successfully with native
Australian insect-eaters
► They reproduce quickly, and do not have any
natural predators in Australia.
► The cane toads continue to spread and
damage ecosystems in Australia.
 NoS - Assessing Risks and Benefits

Scientist should assess the risks and benefits

associated with scientific research.
The use of biological control has associated risks
and requires verification by tightly controlled
experiments before it is approved.
The cane toad is a clear example where scientists
should have carried out carefully controlled trials
before releasing an alien species into an
ecosystem.
 Invasive Species Near You
The cane toad and the grey squirrel are two examples of invasive species.

The IB expects you to have studied two examples of the introduction of alien
species.

The IB would like you to have studied a local example of an alien species.

You can use the Global Invasive Species Database to identify alien species
near you.
Biomagnification

❓ Define biomagnification.

Toxins become more

concentrated in the tissues
of organisms as you move
up a food chain.
 DDT and Ospreys

Read the linked articles from the

Wildlife Journal Junior and
Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage.

❓ Explain how DDT (used to kill

insects) affects ospreys.
DDT and Ospreys
 DDT and Ospreys
DDT was used to kill insect pests.
► Some insects survived, but DDT was found in their tissues.
► DDT is stored in fat tissue, and does not readily break down.
► Insects are eaten by fish, which are eaten by ospreys.
► High concentrations of DDT accumulated in the tissues of ospreys, as they eat
many fish containing DDT.
► This is an example of biomagnification.
► DDT causes the shells of the ospreys to be very thin.
► The shells break during incubation, resulting in the death of the offspring.
► The biomagnification of DDT caused the osprey population to decrease.
 DDT and Shell Thickness

❓ State the relationship between

the concentration (Log10) of DDT
and eggshell thickness

There is a negative correlation,

as the concentration of DDT
increases, there is a decrease in
the thickness of eggshells.
DDT and Shell Thickness
DDT use was banned in 1972.
❓ State the effect of banning DDT
on the bald eagle population.

The bald eagle population has

increased since DDT was
banned.

There are other conservation

factors what will also have
contributed to the increase in
the bald eagle population.
 DDT and Malaria

DDT kills many of the mosquitoes

that transmit malaria to humans.
Malaria is caused by a plasmodium
carried by mosquitoes.

Read the the linked article on the

use of DDT.

❓ State what happened to the number of probable and confirmed cases of

malaria when DDT was not used, according to the graph.
Pros and Cons of DDT being used to Prevent
Malaria
Pros
An effective and cheap method of
killing mosquitoes
When DDT was discontinued, cases
of Malaria increased
Alternative strategies not as
effective as DDT
Reduces health costs of treating
malaria
Cons
Potential consequences of human
exposure include cancer, reduced
fertility, and birth defects
Persists in the environment for many
years
Negatively affects many organisms in
an ecosystem
 Plastics
Microplastics – produced by the
Macroplastics – large visible debris. physical breakdown of
More than 1 mm across. macroplastics. Less than 1mm
across.
Plastics
Plastics are a range of
organic synthetic materials
that persist in the
environment.
Macroplastic and
microplastic debris has
accumulated in marine
environments.
Plastic pollution is a problem
for ecosystems and human
health.
 Problems with Plastics in Marine Ecosystems

Read the linked article.

► Both macroplastic and microplastic

debris is ingested by marine animals,
which mistake the debris for food.
► Plastics may damage the stomach of
animals or cause them to stop feeding
(by taking up space in the digestive
tract).
 Problems with Plastic in Marine Ecosystems

► Plastic debris will leach chemicals into

the water and also absorb toxic
contaminants called persistent organic
pollutants (POPS).

► This leads to the biomagnification of

persistent organic pollutants within
marine animals.
Laysan Albatross and Plastics
Read the linked article
Laysan albatrosses mistakenly
consume macroplastics when
feeding.
Adults feed the chicks plastic.
There is evidence that the
consumption of plastic is the
cause of death of many of
these birds.
Turtles and Plastics

Read the linked

article.

❓ State why turtles,

such as loggerhead
turtles, consume
plastic bags.
 Turtles and Plastics
► Sea turtles will commonly mistake plastic bags for
jellyfish (one of their primary food sources), or
consume plastic when there is a shortage of food
► Ingestion of the plastic can be fatal, as the plastic
can become lodged in the esophagus and cause
future feeding problems
► Plastic debris can also become wrapped around
the turtle, restricting movement and
developmental growth
► It is estimated that plastic pollution harms 100
000 sea turtles and other marine animals each
year (WWF)
Review
 Essential Idea
Human activities impact on ecosystem function.

Nature of Science
Assessing risks and benefits associated with
scientific research—the use of biological control
has associated risk and requires verification by
tightly controlled experiments before it is
approved.
 IB Understandings
►Introduced alien species can escape into local ecosystems
and become invasive.
►Competitive exclusion and the absence of predators can
lead to reduction in the numbers of endemic species when
alien species become invasive.
►Pollutants become concentrated in the tissues of organisms
at higher trophic levels by biomagnification.
►Macroplastic and microplastic debris has accumulated in
marine environments.
 IB Applications
►Application: Study of the introduction of cane toads in
Australia and one other local example of the introduction of
an alien species.
►Application: Discussion of the trade-off between control of
the malarial parasite and DDT pollution.
►Application: Case study of the impact of marine plastic
debris on Laysan albatrosses and one other named species.
 IB Skills

►Skill: Analysis of data illustrating the causes and

consequences of biomagnification.

►Skill: Evaluation of eradication programmes and

biological control as measures to reduce the impact of
alien species.