Thursday, September 25, 2008

Changing Biomes - 9/25/08

What ways has human-environment interaction affected the size of Earth's biomes?

31 comments:

Anonymous said...

Humans have cut down forests and cleared fields for farming in various biomes. This has caused what was previously a forest biome to turn into anything from savanna to desert biomes. The plants these people have cleared used to contain erosion in these biomes. Now, without the trees erosion has run rampant taking away the fertile topsoil and leaving barren land behind. This process is refered to desertification. It is only one of the many ways humans have adversely affected biomes throughout the world. They have also irrigated desert biomes and grown crops in them driving out the native vegetation and killing a lot of lizards. So, in most parts human-environment interaction with biomes has been bad for biomes.

Tommy said...

Humans have greatly affected the world around us. From dams to deforestation, we have constantly changed, destroyed, rebuilt, and adapted to nature. Earth's biomes are specific regions where certain types of plants grow consistently. For example, the desert is a biome where cacti and small shrubs grow, but little else. Like almost everything else in nature, humans have affected the biomes. Probably the best example is the rainforests. Because of the rich soil, many people think that it would be good farmland, so they cut down the rainforest. This is probably the most affected biome. However, we have also changed the other biomes such as forests with the logging industry. Most of the time, the logging industries replant any trees they cut down, but sometimes they simply raze whole forests and move on to the next one without any compensation. These are just two examples of how human-environment interaction has affected Earth's biomes.

Anonymous said...

Responding to what Tommy said I agree that logging is bad for
biomes and that people shouldn't farm in the rainforest. Human-Environment Interaction is mostly harmful to biomes and should be stopped. I disagree that anything humans do to biomes is good for the biomes. Even dams cause animals to lose their habitat.

Postscript: I'm not an environmentalist. I don't really care about the environment.I am only acting like a environmentalist because I want to know how it feels like to be an environmentalist. So, don't think I'm an environmentalist.

Tommy said...

Responding to what Frank said...
I agree that humans have hurt many biomes. In fact, I referred to a lot of what you said in my post. However, you forget that recently, in the past 100 years, we have become very aware of our environment and are taking steps to aid it in many ways. For instance, we have planted many trees, which expands the forest biomes. The Christmas tree industry has probably aided coniferous forests because we now plant many fir trees and allow them to grow. While we do eventually cut them down, they still count as part of the coniferous forest and therefore expand the forest biome.

Rick Per. 1 said...

Some ways that human-environment interactiobn has affected the size of Earths biomes in many ways. One is that we pollute our water sources which, although that doesnt necesarilly ruduce the water, it does make less of what we can use of it. Also, cutting down trees is continually lessining the size of the forests greatly. unfortunately, wood is greatly needed to conyinue building all of our buildings. Also, the hunting in our society affects the forests as well because with all the animals being killed there is a lot more small animals and plants so there is an unbalanced ecosystem.

Anonymous said...

Responding to what Rick said, I believe that you make good points. Humans do cause biomes harm through their attempts to build up society. I wish to add to this as humans have also caused biomes to shrink through the process of farming. Yes, farming. Where once massive grasslands once grew in middle america now they have been all but replaced by farms. This, stems from society's failure to check it's population growth and so we have a population problem that causes biomes to be destroyed.

Ajay said...

Humans have drastically altered the Earth's biomes. With logging, dams, farming, and many other human activities, biomes like the forest biome can morph into other biomes, like the savanna or desert biomes. Destruction of forests can lead to erosion, causing one biome to turn into another. Because of this, the forest biome is rapidly shrinking in the world.

Ajay said...

@Frank: I completely agree that humans have many negative impacts on the environment, and that our large population plays a large role. However, from my understanding of what you wrote, it seemed like you were suggesting population control of some kind. In my opinion, this is too extreme a measure.

Tommy said...

Responding to Frank's response to Rick...
I see where you are coming from when you state that farming has reduced the size or many biomes. However, I think you may have neglected to consider the fact that the crops, although they were planted by humans, are still part of the Savanna biome. Thus, the biome is not actually shrinking. Admittedly, some of the plants that grow naturally in that biome are being replaced, but it is still nature. Now, if it were replaced by a new city, then the biome would shrink, because it is replaced with man-made and artificial objects.
I was also a bit confused by your comment about "society's failure to check it's population growth..." Correct me if I am wrong, but it sounds like you are suggesting something along the lines of "1984" where the population is controlled by the government. I think that is far too drastic and is essentially murder, or at least violation of human rights.

Rachel Pd. 1 said...

Human-environment interaction has affected the size of earth's biomes. Many people have cut down forests for fields and buildings. Many of the plants that were in this certain biome died because they grow in that certain biome. Also, without the trees erosion is much more devastating and it destroys a lot of the land takes away the homes of many animals. Human-environment interaction has affected all of the biomes in serious ways that can destroy the way we live.

Rachel Pd. 1 said...

@ Ajay: I agree with you. With people logging and building dams the forest biomes in the world are rapidly deteriorating. If we do not do something then many plants and animals will become extinct.

Priya Vij, per 1 said...

Human Environment Interaction has affected the Earth's biomes in a negative way. One way is that we burn down forest's in order to make homes, buldings, and other human devepopment. In turn, the nature is sometimes unable to grow back therefore the biome will eventually chage into that of a desert biome because of the soil erosion as there was no roots to hold the soil in place because the HUMANS burnt the trees down.

The greenhouse affect is also a way that human environment interaction affects biomes. Melting polar ice caps are a result of global warming. Certain biomes need certin living conditions to thrive. However, what if these conditions chage as a reslut of global warming? Then the biome will have to adapt to the new conditions and if it can't adapt, then it will just simply chag.e This all relates to human environment interaction because WE are the cause of global wamring. All of factory gasses, car exhausts, and aerosol cans, etc. are changes biomes as we speak!!!!!!!!!

Priya Vij, per 1 said...

Responding to Frank. I agree with you that the we certainly have a problem on our hands with the growing negative affects that Human Environment Interaction is having on our Earth and its biomes. However, this may seem off of the topic but I would like to take a moment to say that regardless of how Much we are concerned about the environment we all must be conscientious to a certain extent. We don't need to become environmentalists but we do need to take the invisible steps in our daily lives to stop the plundering of our environment as you have stated in your initial blog response.

I would also like to add that because of our interaction with the environment all biomes are constantly changing into one another and they are all interlinked because of the things that humans do in their daily lives.

Ajay said...

@Tommy: I disagree with your point that biomes are unaffected by farming. While humans are planting crops that possibly may have grown there naturally, they are still altering what would have occured naturally. This, in time, could lead to other changes, such as erosion or climate change, causing the biome to shrink or become another biome.

Brandon Pd 1 said...

Unfortunately, humans have greatly affected the current size of Earth’s biomes. The majority of this destruction has been noted in the 20th century. The largest form of destruction currently present is the destruction of animal habitats. As our global population surpasses 6.7 billion individuals it becomes necessary to expand our civilization. In the expansion process grasslands and forests have been plowed. Essentially this drives wildlife away. Shrinking the size of animal biomes. The other primary cause is natural resources. We require wood, stone, metals, and etc. for our survival. In the process of acquiring these materials we destroy rainforests, forests, and plains. In some cases, such as wood, some animals require it for their survival. These can be viewed as the primary causes for the demise of Earth’s biomes.

Brandon Pd 1 said...

I would also have to agree with Ajay. Tommy farming does affect biomes. By plowing land for a farm you could easily destroy the main food for a small parasite. This parasite may be the survival for another creature. Etc. You could directly affect the food chain which could lead to adverse side affects in the future.

Brandon Pd 1 said...

Priya, your comment about global warming can not be justified. If and only if global warming was real could a indirect link be established. Yes, burning down forrests is a proven link to animals biomes shrinking but global warming is not.

Lauren Bacon- period 1 said...

Without a doubt, human-environment interaction has affected the size of Earth’s biomes. For instance, we repeatedly chop down trees, thus destroying temperate forests, boreal forests, and tropical rain forests. The need for housing developments does not justify the destruction of forests and the sacrifice of the numerous plants and animals within them. In addition to the construction destroying forests, forest fires seem to run rampant in boreal forests. Though they are sometimes caused by seasonal changes, fires are usually the result of careless humans while camping. As for grasslands (prairie grasslands in particular), many of them have been transformed into farmland by humans. Desert biomes are also being threatened. In, not only desert biomes, but most other biomes as well, roads are built. The construction of roads destroys habitats and endangers wildlife, such as the coyote. It is evident that the forest biomes are rapidly shrinking, the grasslands are decreasing in amount, and the desert biomes are currently in jeopardy. As you can clearly see, human-environment interaction has drastically affected the size of the biomes.

Lauren Bacon- period 1 said...

Responding to Brandon’s last response to Priya. Her comment about global warming is justified because it does exist. I agree with Priya; the awful gases coming from our factories and vehicles are causing global warming, and global warming is bringing negative effects to the barren regions. As Priya said previously, the polar ice-caps are melting as an indirect result of our harmful activities. Sorry, Brandon.

Priya Vij, per 1 said...

Reponding to Brandon. From reading your response to me, it seems that you do not believe that global warming is occurring. How is this possible? Why else would the polar ice caps be melting? Why is the Earth getting hotter and hotter by the year? Im sorry but I must say that it is quite evident that Global warming is a fact. IS the whole world/government freaking out for no reason at all? I think not. This in turn tells us that global warming is heating the earth causing some "cold living" biomes to die off. Now how is this related with human-environment interaction? WEll, the earth is heating up as a result of all of the junk we are releasing into the ozone layer-aerosol cans, car exhausts, etc.

Rick Per. 1 said...

In respose to Tommy's response to Franks response to my response, I agree with you in the fact that the growing of crops is a part of nature and is therefore not shrinking the biome in that regard, but if we excess farm the land we could shrink the useable growing space the land provides. Also, i agree with you that the "population control" is a little drastic in that respect. Killing people off so others can eat more, when much of America's population is overweight to begin with, so I dont think were necesarilly space or food deprived.

Brandon Pd 1 said...

Global warming does not exist because of some simple reasons, which are overlooked.

Earth goes through a cycle of temperature changes. We have only accurately measured global temperature for the past 100 years. In these 100 years a developing trend can be spotted. In the 1930’s-1940’s, Earth’s average temperature increased. Between 1960-1970, the temperature dropped. When Earth’s temperature dropped people panicked and believed we were experiencing global cooling! Sounds similar, doesn’t it. Now twenty years later the reverse has happened. The temperature has increased slightly and people panic. The major reason for this is Al Gore. His documentary 'An Inconvenient Truth' was actually proven false in the past month when Earth’s temperature decreased.

Ok, now you may ask “Well I heard on the news…” Forget it, the news is filled with liberal liars. Liberals control almost all of the news. “Why would they lie to us?” is another question you may ask yourself. Well, the answer is quite clear. Just recently NBC listed a few common reasons on how you could cut down on your carbon footprint. One of the methods they listed was buying new CFL (Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs). NBC recommended the GE brand. Well guess what! NBC owns GE! Sounds to me like a scam to make some easy money. If you want reliable sources, get them from independently operated laboratories, which have no political bias.

If you are not brainwashed by the news, surely movies and celebrities will. Movies such as ‘The Day after Tomorrow’ dramatize extreme climate change; this kind of change is impossible. Now you should know that but the movie’s special effects and plot remove your last sense of sanity. Now for the list of celebrities!

Brad Pitt – Hosted a series on environmentally friendly architecture.

Keanu Reeves – Narrated ‘The Great Warning’

Leonardo DiCaprio – Produced a short segment on his website about global warming.

And who can forget one of the biggest liars ever! (Not so much a celebrity!)

Rachael Carson! – The self-proclaimed scientist who published “Silent Spring” which ultimately banned DDT, a potent pesticide from being sprayed! As a result millions died in Africa and 3rd World Countries from mosquito carried diseases. The deaths increased at such a tremendous rate the WHO (World Health Organization) reevaluated DDT and gave it a clean bill of health. And thanks to the continued spraying millions of lives are being saved in Africa.

And your final statement of us putting “junk” into the air I would have to reject. When you refer to “junk” I believe you mean Chlorofluorocarbons or (CFC’s). Aerosol cans? They were banned from using CFC’s in the 1970’s! Before any of this worry started about global warming. Car exausts? Blame the auto companies. They spend millions of trying to research exotic forms of alternative energy when that money could be spent to improve the efficency of catalytic converters, whose design has changed very little over 30 years.

As you can see all these pathetic lies about global warming are created by the auto companies, the news, etc. to make money! Global warming should be no more of consern then the sun burning out!

Rick Per. 1 said...

In response to Brandon's 4th comment, I agree with you that global warming isnt as bad as people are making it out to be. Like you said, the Earth's climate changes and it has nothing to do with us. The Earth is constasntly changing and moving and there's nothing we can do about that. Although, I do believe that while the emissions our cars and such give off arn't destroying the Earth, they do pollute the air and make it pretty dirty to breathe in.

Brandon Pd 1 said...

Yes, that statement you present is true. Trucks and cars pollute and make the air very disgusting to breathe.

Now like I said. If we spent money on methods to clean our exhausts, a more noticable change would occur.

Lauren Bacon- period 1 said...

Responding to Rachel’s first comment. You are absolutely correct when you point out the cause and effect relationship between the factors affecting the size of Earth’s biomes. As you said, the trees are cut down, which causes erosion, which causes the animals to lose their homes. Though I did not see that one thing can lead to another, I now see it. I completely agree with you; thank you for giving me this realization.

Rachel Pd. 1 said...

@Lauren: I agree with you about your point that housing developments destroy much of a forests plant and animal life. There are a lot of houses out there that are for sale and if we just stopped building new ones then maybe we can prevent the destruction of more animals and plants. Your point is 100% correct.

Priya Vij, per 1 said...

Responding to Brandon. I realize that you are giving many reasons as to why global warming is not running rampant in the world, however I still feel like it exist. But, I would like to add that your argument is very logical and it was almost convincing. Even though we disagree, we both realize that something has to be done about the biomes. This has been a good argument and rthis good go aon forever but I dont' think that our opinions are ever going to match.

Andy Waldo, p.1 said...

Human-enviroment interaction affected the size of earth's biomes a great deal. I think the bigggest affect are the cities humans have built.

Anonymous said...

Human-enviorment interaction has to do with the size of the earths biomes because humans have taken away many forests and other biomes in oreder to build. Homes are now being built on which used to be a healthy green forest. Humans have also used desert biomes to plant crops, needing to irrigate the land and sometimes ending up soil salinizing the soil. Natural landforms such as lakes are being dammed off in order to be used to power cities and such. Human-enviorment interaction had changed the size of bhomes very much over the past years.

Anonymous said...

In responce to Andy's comment, I agree with you. Human-environment interaction has affected biomes by the building of major cities. :) good job.

Anonymous said...

Ajay-
When you say that humans have affected the earth's biomes I agree with you on every level. You are right, humans have changed biomes by logging, dams, and farming.