HUMANS: A DAMAGING INFLUENCE

Wetlands Act as sponges – absorb excess

water, filter water

Crucial for birds – migration

Wetlands Being destroyed by industry,

agriculture, housing

Burns Bog – dumping ground for Vancouver

Mangroves Unique trees – live in salt water!

Good for juvenile fish

Shoreline protection

Mangroves Cut down for urban

development and aquaculture Puts many species at risk for

extinction (crocodiles, turtles, snakes, etc)

Coral Reef Help break the force of wind and

waves

Coral Reef Humans love dynamite and

blowing things up – coral reef blown up for shipping lanes or fishing

Coral Reef

Coral Reef Coastal development, coral

mining, oil spills, silty runoff from deforested hillside

Coral Reef “Global Warming” causing

bleaching:

Coral sensitive to temperature change, when stressed releases an algae which helps keep it coloured

Acceleration of Extinction Extinction is natural – survival of

the fittest

Humans speeding up the process

Acceleration of Extinction Destruction of tropical rainforest

– biggest accelerant

Some developments – ex. wildlife corridors

Chemicals & Farming Farmers need to produce large

quantities of food

Population up, food production up

Chemicals & Farming Overproduction of crops leading

to infertile soil

Chemicals to enhance

Chemicals & Farming Smart: crop rotation

Not so smart: adding more chemicals

Chemicals & Farming Pesticides/herbicides kill both

the good and bad

Then more chemicals to bring back the good!

Chemicals & Farming Dead zones

South Okanagan Valley Many rare plants and animals

(tiger salamander, spadefoot toad)

“pocket desert”

South Okanagan Valley Wine festival getting bigger,

need more vineland

Extirpation – becoming locally extinct

Burrowing Owl 1% of suitable habitat left

Agriculture, urban development, etc taking land