Effects of Urbanization on Coastal Ecosystems

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Effects of Urbanization on Coastal Ecosystems

• By
• Christina Barkel cbarkel_at_umich.edu
• Alex Blouin ablouin_at_umich.edu
• Michael McCarthy mikemcc_at_umich.edu
• Global Change 2, Section 7, Group 4

http//www.smu.edu/sociology/
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Hypothesis
Urbanization has numerous adverse effects on the
environment.
What are these effects? Where are the most
affected areas located? Why are these areas
affected?
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• We are testing the hypothesis that coastal areas
  are the most affected by urbanization because of
  their
• High Population Densities
• Location near diverse, fragile ecosystems

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Methods of Research

• GIS Independent Research Used Geographic
  Information System Analysis to compare Global
  trends of Urbanization, extreme cases of
  threatened Biome regions, etc.
• Scholarly Research Used information from
  scholars and scientists to make more predictions
  about Global Trends

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Results
http//www.swi-austria.org/source/informationen/st
ories_veranst/urbanization.jpg
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Threatened Biomes
Yellow Areas Critically Threatened Biomes
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Yellow areas are critically threatened biomes.
The circled areas indicate particularly urbanized
areas to the north, coastal cities of Peru and
Ecuador, to the south, developed cities of Chile.
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Specific Examples
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Areas Most Affected by Water Pollution

• An Ocean-by-Ocean Study

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• In considering the damage humanity has placed
  upon the Earths aquatic ecosystems, it is
  important to note that not all areas have been
  affected in the same way.
• Specific areas have been affected in different
  ways due to the way humanity lives around the
  world.
• As such, pollution control and restoration must
  be focused on certain areas more than others.

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The Atlantic Oceanand Surrounding Areas

• Four areas are most in need of restoration.
• The Gulf of Mexico due to eutrophication.
• The Black Sea due to a variety of human wastes.
• The Amazon River drainage area due to chemical
  pollution.
• The lakes of sub-Saharan and Western Africa due
  to eutrophication.

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The Indian Ocean

• The Eastern coast of Africa due to microbial
  pollution.
• Indonesia due to solid wastes.
• India and the Indian sub-continent, due to
  chemical and microbial pollution.

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The Pacific Ocean

• China due to eutrophication, specifically
  resulting in the increase in red algal blooms.
• The Islands of Oceania due to radionuclides and
  solid waste.

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The Southern Ocean

• Antarctica and the surrounding coastal waters due
  to a specific loss of ozone and the related
  effect upon the UV ray levels of the Earth. This
  increase greatly affects the photosynthesis
  processes of plankton.

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The Arctic Ocean

• Areas throughout the Arctic Ocean due to chemical
  pollution, especially because of global currents.

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The Connection

• Through data gathered from ArcGIS, the GIWA
  Report, and research, it is clear that
  urbanization is connected to the worlds most
  problematic pollution areas.
• Every area has been affected by the rapid growth
  of people in some way.
• Trends show that continued urbanization will lead
  to a continued abundance of pollution in the
  worlds water.

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Urbanization increases Eutrophication

• The process by which excessive amounts of
  nutrients cause an increase of algae growth
• These nutrients, like nitrogen and phosphorus,
  come from fertilizers and wash away with rainfall
• This increased growth upsets natural balance of
  the ecosystem and degrades the environment

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Nutrient Loading
Image http//www.greenfacts.org/images/glossary/a
lgae-bloom.jpg
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Urbanization increases Arsenic Poisoning

• Urban areas release large amounts of waste metals
  into local watersheds
• These metals compromise the safety of the areas
  water supply
• EX Bangladesh

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Effects of Arsenic Poisoning
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pics/bg-coring-lrg.jpg
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singer-arsenic/arsenic_project_sufferer_picture16.
jpg/asset_small
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Urbanization Increases Erosion

• Soil from construction sites washes away during
  rainfall and clogs natural water systems
• This leads to sewer overflows which release
  waste, oil, litter and other toxic materials into
  areas coastal environment

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Implications
Urbanization continues to increase exponentially
around the world. Understanding its effects on
the environment is vital for safe and productive
development in the future. Now that we know the
negative effects of urbanization on coastal
ecosystems, we can extend rescue and conservation
techniques to the effected areas
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Solutions

• Restoration and Regulation of Tidal Hydrology
• Shoreline Stabilization and Erosion Control
• Stockpiling and Planting
• Fertilization and Protection
• Habitat Enhancement

http//www.csc.noaa.gov/coastal/implementation/imp
lementation.htm
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• Pollution and habitat modification are
  relatively widespread but can be addressed
  through long-term natural resource planning,
  stronger political will and the strengthening of
  institutions responsible for environmental
  management and enforcement (GIWA, 2006).

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Conclusions

• Urbanization has negative affects on the coastal
  ecosystem and environment in general
• Urbanization is highly concentrated along coastal
  regions which exacerbates the issue
• There are effective ways to prevent these
  negative effects, also many innovative methods
  for restoration

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