P6 Interactions — Man and the Environment (Concept Map)
Primary 6 Science — Concept Map
Created by Miss Clarissa Ng · www.clartutors.com
Man and the Environment
Man's activities change the environment — for better or for worse
negative impacts
Deforestationsoil erosion → desertification, landslides, water pollution · disrupted rainfall → drought
Pollutionair · water · land · noise — each with causes, effects and ways to reduce it
Depletion of natural resourcesas the world population grows, demand rises, so resources are used up faster than they can be replaced
resources
Renewable or notnon-renewable resources such as fossil fuel and nuclear fuel can be depleted
Living or non-livingresources are living (biotic) — animals, plants, fungi and bacteria — or non-living (abiotic) — sand, clay, metals, air and water
knock-on effects
Global warmingmore greenhouse gases (CO₂, water vapour, methane, ozone) → more heat trapped → ice caps melt → sea levels rise
Water pollutionacid rain corrodes buildings · eutrophication kills aquatic animals · oil harms birds and marine life
Soil erosionwithout the roots of trees to hold the soil together, it is washed into rivers and lakes
positive impacts
Conservationreduce (most effective) · reuse · recycle
Reforestationplanting young plants where forests were cleared; restores habitats for endangered species and moderates global warming
land and noise pollution
Landrubbish spreads germs and attracts pests; biodegradable rubbish rots, but plastics, metals and glass pile up in landfills
Noiseunwanted sound disturbs rest, causes stress and can cause deafness
air and water pollution
Airdust and smoke harm the lungs; acidic gases make acid rain that corrodes buildings and makes soil and water too acidic; CFCs destroy the ozone layer
Wateruntreated sewage spreads disease; oil and mercury build up along the food chain
what we can do
Reduce, reuse, recyclereducing what we use is the most effective, then reusing, then recycling
Cleaner air and waterswitch off idle engines, take public transport, choose CFC-free products
Land and noisebin rubbish properly, use natural predators of pests instead of chemicals
Man's activities can harm the environment — reducing what we use, reusing and recycling, and replanting forests can reverse some of that harm