Humans have altered natural systems that sustain their lives and economies in at least 8 major ways to meet increasing needs and wants of their growing population including:

Questions –

1) Humans have altered natural systems that sustain their lives and economies in at least 8 major ways to meet increasing needs and wants of their growing population including:

• Reducing biodiversity
• Increasing use of net primary productivity
• Increasing genetic resistance in pest species and disease-causing bacteria
• Eliminating many natural predators
• Introducing harmful species into natural communities
• Using some renewable resources faster than they can be replenished
• Disrupting natural chemical cycling and energy flow
• Relying mostly on polluting and climate-changing fossil fuels

In your daily living do you think you contribute directly or indirectly to any of these harmful environmental impacts?  Which ones?  Explain.  Note that this question will not necessarily be graded on correctness as long as your explanation is thorough.

2) Below is a chart showing some of the major changes that took place in the United States between 1900 and 2000.

Which two of these changes do you think had the biggest impact on the US ecological footprint?  Note that this question will be not be graded on correctness as long as your explanation is thorough.

3) The chart below shows selected population data for two different countries A and B.

(Data from Population Reference Bureau 2007. World Population Data Sheet)

*note: cbr and cdr are per 1000 people per year

1000. a) Calculate the rates of natural increase (due to births and deaths, not counting immigration) for the populations of Country A and Country B. Based on these calculations and the data in the table, for each of the countries, suggest whether it is a more-developed country or a less-developed country, and explain the reasons for your answers. To calculate the rate of natural increase subtract cdr from cbr. Remember that both are per 1000 people per year.   For example the cbr for country A is 43/1000.

6. b) Describe where each of the two countries may be in terms of their stage in the demographic transition (Figure 6.14 in your text book). Discuss factors that could hinder either country from progressing to later stages in the demographic transition.

1. c) Explain how the percentage of people under 15 years of age in each country could affect its per capita and total ecological footprints.