ECOLOGICAL ISSUESHow humans impact on species’ habitat.

Overpopulation

40% of the land is devoted to human food production

50% of the earth’s land has been altered by humans

Nitrogen fixation is used by humans more than all of the other processes combined

Frog/Toad Populations

Frogs undergoing extinctions. Frogs create important chemicals for antibiotics. Lots of species have already gone

extinction Why? The frog has permeable skin that

is letting in the pollution in their bodies causing death and eggs not hatching.

The Panamanian Golden Frog extinct in the wild and only housed in conservatories (picture above)

Southern gastric brooding frog completely extinct

DDT and biomagnifications Sprayed on crops and ran off to

oceans/streams/rivers Plankton got contaminated and got

eaten by a secondary consumer and that would get eaten by a tertiary consumer, then all were effected. When it gets to bigger species it

becomes more contaminated and built up in the fat tissue.

DDT in birds

Birds eggshells thinning and causing birds to die. Major decline of bald eagle, brown

pelican, peregrine falcon and osprey After the 40 years California Condors still

affected because they feed on sea lions, still have continued thinned egg shell problems.

Deforestation

Causes flooding, erosion and climate change

Caused by logging, cattle ranching and shifted cultivators.

New buildings in place of forests. Only 8.6 acres of rainforest remain Loss of habitat for creatures where

70% of animals live in forests and die without them.

Habitat Loss

Habitat loss causes about affect about 86% of threatened birds, 86% of mammals, and 88% of amphibians. Some species include numbat, woma,

Giant Gippsland earthworm

Desertification

Where a land dries out*bodies of waters* and turns into a desert/arid land.

Loss of vegetation Lands become

unsustainable/unlivable conditions. Causing animals to die due to dehydration.