About 1600 years ago, Polynesians discovered the Hawaiian islands.

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2 About 1600 years ago, Polynesians discovered the Hawaiian islands. They realized that the islands had limited resources, so they made rules that would make those resources last. For every coconut palm they cut down, they planted 2. They would not fish during fish mating seasons. They also cleared forests for farming, but made sure to preserve the necessities (like fruiting trees).

3 In the late 1700 s, new settlers started arriving in Hawaii. Americans Europeans Asians These people saw profit. They tore up the landscape to make agricultural plantations for things like sugar cane and pineapples. This also used a lot of the available freshwater. They started massive fishing operations. Many fish that were once plentiful are now almost extinct.

4 Each continent on Earth is like Hawaii, an island. All of Earth s organisms share limited resources. And as the human population grows, there s an increasing demand on those limited resources such as: Air Water Land Living Things Particularly food sources like cows and crops

5 Humans are the main source of environmental change. Human activities that affect the biosphere: Hunting & Gathering Agriculture Industry Urban Development

6 These activities require Energy and transform the biosphere. In fact, a recent study showed that global human activities use as much energy as all of Earth s other multicellular species combined!

7 For most of human history, our ancestors obtained food by hunting and gathering. Prehistoric hunters and gatherers changed the environment by hunting some animal species to extinction. For example: Wooly Mammoths, Giant Ground Sloths, and saber-toothed cats. North American examples: Cheetahs, Zebras, and Yaks.

8 Some cultures still survive by hunting and gathering. In our society, some individuals survive by hunting and gathering. Others see it as a hobby. Survivalists (off-the-grid) Hunters (deer, bear, quail, turkey, etc.) Don t forget the nut-jobs! Subsistence Hunting is a form of hunting that makes relatively few demands on the environment.

9 Agriculture is a broad term that describes farming and raising animals. Started about 11,000 years ago. Farming Increased the amount of food produced and offered a Stable food source. Because of this, people began to gather in large settlements around farms. Believe it or not, these people gathering is what led to things like governments, laws, writing, and education.

10 The development of agriculture has never stopped. Even today, farmers and scientists are working on creating food sources that are bigger, better, faster growing, easier to grow, more nutritious, etc.

11 In the 1800 s, agriculture saw a boost in innovation. Irrigation New Crop Varieties Why/How? Farming Machines allowed farmers to work larger areas in the same amount of time. Plowing Planting Harvesting

12 Monoculture is another innovation where large fields are planted with a single crop year after year. Fertilizers & Pesticides soak into the ground. Fertilizer and/or pesticide that s good for corn may not be good for carrots or lettuce.

13 The Green Revolution was an effort in the 1950 s by governments and scientists to increase food production using new intensive farming practices that would greatly increase production of rice, wheat, and other crops. The benefits of this effort were: Prevention of food shortages Increased food production

14 of The Industrial Revolution the 1800 s introduced factories and machines which had an enormous effect on the biosphere. Basically, this is what gave us modern conveniences, greater efficiency, greater stability, and greater mobility. Housing, clothing, automobiles, farm equipment, trains, airplanes. Opened the door for more! Computers, robotics, space exploration, satellites, rockets, etc.

15 So, what was the impact? In the 1800 s, they didn t know about the dangers. Factories dumped waste in rivers, belched smoke into the air, and poured other waste products onto the ground. Modes of transportation used (and most still use) fossil fuels that burn off and pump pollutants into the air. Don t forget about leaks! Cars leak oil and other fluids onto the roadways just like boats leak oil and gas into the water.

16 Even today, we re using up our Fossil Fuel reserves. This is the resource we use for most of the energy required to produce and power the machines we use. Coal Oil Natural Gas And we can t really replace it

17 Urban Development is the Building and Expansion of cities and towns. Suburban Growth is the continued spread of suburban communities. This growth often destroys: Farmland Possible Farmland Natural Habitats