Causes of water pollution include: * Increased sediment from soil erosion * Improper waste disposal and littering * Leaching of soil pollution into water supplies The effects of water pollution include decreasing the quantity of drinkable water available, lowering water supplies for crop irrigation and impacting fish and wildlife that require water of certain purity for survival. 3. Soil Pollution Soil, land pollution is contamination of the soil that prevents natural growth and balance in the land
Consequences The most conspicuous effect of cultural eutrophication is the creation of dense blooms of noxious, foul-smelling phytoplankton that reduce water clarity and harm water quality (Figure 2). Algal blooms limit light penetration, reducing growth and causing die-offs of plants in littoral zones while also lowering the success of predators that need light to pursue and catch prey (Lehtiniemi et al. 2005). Furthermore, high rates of photosynthesis associated with eutrophication can deplete dissolved inorganic carbon and raise pH to extreme levels during the day. Elevated pH can in turn ‘blind' organisms that rely on perception of dissolved chemical cues for their survival by impairing their chemosensory abilities (Figure 3) (Turner & Chislock 2010).
This combination makes waters toxic to crayfish, clams, fish, and other aquatic animals. It also affects the food sources of herbivores and insects. How does acid rain affect the environment? Acid rain has a hand in global warming as well which is rapidly changing climates around the world. With the climate changes many plants and animals are having to relocate or are dying because they are not fit for the changes in their surroundings.
On the positive side the dam is a renewable energy source but environmentally speaking it has done more damage than good. The construction of the TGD has had a huge negative impact on the environment all along the river. The controlled water flow has caused a decrease in water quality and changed the niche of many wild life species. Fish can’t simply swim up and downstream freely anymore which can affect their diet and matting patterns. The water behind the reservoir has destabilized some of the steep hills on the edges of the water causing landslides that can be very dangerous.
Rainforest in reality have shallow and relatively infertile soil. The reasons behind this soil having these qualities is because heavy rainfall causes important nutrients needed for a fertile environment to be washes away and/or dissolved into the lower layer of the soil (leaching) thus leaving the forest floor infertile. Once leaching has occurred and removed these nutrients, trees become unable to access fertile soil and remain healthy. Many rainforest trees have developed adaptations which allow them to reach down into the lower levels of soil and receive these nutrients. Such adaptation is known as a “Buttress Roots”.
Another problem that the rainforests encounter is the medical side. Certain plants are removed for medicines, herbal shampoo and perfumes. Gold mining in the rainforest can also be a threatening problem. It can pollute rivers that other animals are dependent on. Furthermore, mercury spreads and destroys plants and animals in the area.
In addition, if the soil is already saturated with water, it cannot absorb much more, which leads to an increase in runoff. Land cover, such as vegetation or man-made surfaces, also affects the movement and infiltration of water. Water that doesn't infiltrate the ground is called surface runoff. When water flows over land, it follows a path to the lowest point, running down hills to creeks, streams, and rivers until it eventually reaches a sea or ocean. Rainwater and melted snow and ice that move too quickly to infiltrate the ground become runoff.
When acid rain falls, it sometimes raises the levels of acids in certain soils, removing nutrients from the soil that helps plants grow. Because the nutrients are removed from the soil, it makes it hard for plants and trees to resist diseases, insect infestation and bad weather. Acid rain also raises the acidity of steams, rivers, and lakes, which can harm and sometimes kill life in the water. The acids in acid rain also react with the CaCO3 in marble and limestone, which can cause damage to statues and buildings. Lakes with limestone beds are less affected by acid rain because the limestone reacts with the acids in acid rain.
Climate change: Fresh water is becoming increasing scarce in the future partly due to climate change. Climate change has a several impacts on these proportions, the main one being is that warming causes ice caps to melt which contaminate the freshwater supply. Over the next century, Africa will be at risk of experiencing decreases in water resources, especially in areas that are already water-stressed due to droughts, population pressures, and water resource extraction. As temperatures rise, snowpack is declining in many regions and glaciers are melting at unprecedented rates, increasing flood risks. Droughts are likely to become more widespread, while increases in heavy precipitation events would produce more flooding.
How Cities Affect Climate Definition of climate change: |Main Entry: |climate change | |Part of Speech: |n | |Definition: |any long-term significant change in the weather patterns of an area | |Example: |Climate change can be natural or caused by changes people have made to the land or atmosphere. | As greenhouse gases build up, the earth’s climate is changing. Human activities are the cause of this. If this continues at this rate, droughts, floods and other types of extreme weather will become more constant and in turn could affect food supplies. There are many plants and animals that will not be able to adjust to these patterns and may become extinct.