ManMade Disasters Part Deux

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Man-Made Disasters Part Deux

• Loss of Biodiversity, Deforestation and
  Desertification

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Biodiversity

• Refers to great variety of life forms on the
  earth
• 3 Levels
• Genetic Diversity
• Species Diversity
• Ecosystem Diversity

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Why is biodiversity important?

• We depend on it!
• GHG regulated by plant life
• Agricultural production made possible

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How is biodiversity lost?

• Destruction of ecosystems
• Introduction of new species

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New Species Sea Lamprey

• Eel-like fish native to the costal regions of
  the Atlantic Ocean

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Sea Lampreys

• Entered the Great Lakes through the Welland Canal
• Attacked lake trout and white fish
• Responsible for the population decrease of these
  fish

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DEFORESTATION

• Destruction of an Ecosystem!
• Why are forest important?
• Effects of Deforestation
• Local
• Global

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Global Effects of Deforestation

• Loss of culture for certain Aboriginal Groups
• Global warming consequences

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Cascading Effect

• The idea that the disappearance of one species
  has a profound effect on all those species around
  it

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• Amazon Rain Forest Read Along

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DESERTIFICATION

• What is Desertification?
• The process by which a productive dryland area is
  degraded to the point that is becomes
  unproductive
• How does it begin?

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Cases of Desertification

• Mostly Human Activity
• Over-cultivation
• Over-grazing
• Deforestation
• Inappropriate farming techniques

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Consequences

• New places to grow food
• Malnutrition and starvation
• Increased GHG emission
• Loss of Biodiversity

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• Desertification in Sahel Exercise