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4 Effects of Everyday Activities on the Ecosystem
4.14 Discussion Questions
1. Global warming could be making severe weather events more frequent. What are
the reasons that disasters are increasingly becoming expensive and frequent?
2. Explain the way higher temperatures can affect the water cycle and result in
drought in Africa.
3. Explain how the effects of drought or flooding on the water cycle could affect
people and their property.
4. After learning about the way global warming could affect the water cycle, explain
ways the water cycle can influence global warming and reduce temperature
change.
5. How can we reverse the trend of extinction that we are currently experiencing?
6. Suggest four mechanisms on how sustainable development goals can be aligned
to address the increasing number of disasters.
7. Discuss the importance of eutrophication on organisms. How can eutrophication
be used as a positive avenue for livelihoods?
8. Discuss six measures that can be undertaken to save the giant panda.
9. How can the WEMA project be replicated across Africa successfully?
References
Andrews, J. A., & Schlesinger, W. H. (2001). Soil CO2 dynamics, acidification, and chemical
weathering in a temperate forest with experimental CO2 enrichment. Global Biogeochemical
Cycles, 15(1), 149–162.
Archer, S. R., & Predick, K. I. (2008). Climate change and ecosystems of the southwestern United
States. Rangelands, 30(3), 23–28.
Beyene, Y., Semagn, K., Mugo, S., Tarekegne, A., Babu, R., Meisel, B., et al. (2015). Genetic gains
in grain yield through genomic selection in eight bi-parental maize populations under drought
stress. Crop Science, 55(1), 154–163.
Bonan, G. (2015). Ecological climatology: Concepts and applications. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
Cahill, A. E., Aiello-Lammens, M. E., Fisher-Reid, M. C., Hua, X., Karanewsky, C. J., Ryu, H. Y.,
et al. (2012). How does climate change cause extinction? In Proceedings of the Royal Society
B.. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2012.1890.
Cao, L., Caldeira, K., & Jain, A. K. (2007). Effects of carbon dioxide and climate change on
ocean acidification and carbonate mineral saturation. Geophysical Research Letters, 34(5),
1–5. https://doi.org/10.1029/2006GL028605.
Doney, S. C., Fabry, V. J., Feely, R. A., & Kleypas, J. A. (2009). Ocean acidification: The other
CO 2 problem. Annual Reviews, 1(1), 169–192.
Doney, S. C., Mahowald, N., Lima, I., Feely, R. A., Mackenzie, F. T., Lamarque, J. F., et al. (2007).
Impact of anthropogenic atmospheric nitrogen and sulfur deposition on ocean acidification
and the inorganic carbon system. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 104(37),
14580–14585.
EMDAT. (2017). Global reported natural disasters by type. Retrieved November 04, 2019, from
http://www.emdat.be/.
EMDAT. (2019). Number of recorded natural disaster events, all natural disasters. Retrieved
November 11, 2019, from http://www.emdat.be/.
4 Effects of Everyday Activities on the Ecosystem
4.14 Discussion Questions
1. Global warming could be making severe weather events more frequent. What are
the reasons that disasters are increasingly becoming expensive and frequent?
2. Explain the way higher temperatures can affect the water cycle and result in
drought in Africa.
3. Explain how the effects of drought or flooding on the water cycle could affect
people and their property.
4. After learning about the way global warming could affect the water cycle, explain
ways the water cycle can influence global warming and reduce temperature
change.
5. How can we reverse the trend of extinction that we are currently experiencing?
6. Suggest four mechanisms on how sustainable development goals can be aligned
to address the increasing number of disasters.
7. Discuss the importance of eutrophication on organisms. How can eutrophication
be used as a positive avenue for livelihoods?
8. Discuss six measures that can be undertaken to save the giant panda.
9. How can the WEMA project be replicated across Africa successfully?
References
Andrews, J. A., & Schlesinger, W. H. (2001). Soil CO2 dynamics, acidification, and chemical
weathering in a temperate forest with experimental CO2 enrichment. Global Biogeochemical
Cycles, 15(1), 149–162.
Archer, S. R., & Predick, K. I. (2008). Climate change and ecosystems of the southwestern United
States. Rangelands, 30(3), 23–28.
Beyene, Y., Semagn, K., Mugo, S., Tarekegne, A., Babu, R., Meisel, B., et al. (2015). Genetic gains
in grain yield through genomic selection in eight bi-parental maize populations under drought
stress. Crop Science, 55(1), 154–163.
Bonan, G. (2015). Ecological climatology: Concepts and applications. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
Cahill, A. E., Aiello-Lammens, M. E., Fisher-Reid, M. C., Hua, X., Karanewsky, C. J., Ryu, H. Y.,
et al. (2012). How does climate change cause extinction? In Proceedings of the Royal Society
B.. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2012.1890.
Cao, L., Caldeira, K., & Jain, A. K. (2007). Effects of carbon dioxide and climate change on
ocean acidification and carbonate mineral saturation. Geophysical Research Letters, 34(5),
1–5. https://doi.org/10.1029/2006GL028605.
Doney, S. C., Fabry, V. J., Feely, R. A., & Kleypas, J. A. (2009). Ocean acidification: The other
CO 2 problem. Annual Reviews, 1(1), 169–192.
Doney, S. C., Mahowald, N., Lima, I., Feely, R. A., Mackenzie, F. T., Lamarque, J. F., et al. (2007).
Impact of anthropogenic atmospheric nitrogen and sulfur deposition on ocean acidification
and the inorganic carbon system. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 104(37),
14580–14585.
EMDAT. (2017). Global reported natural disasters by type. Retrieved November 04, 2019, from
http://www.emdat.be/.
EMDAT. (2019). Number of recorded natural disaster events, all natural disasters. Retrieved
November 11, 2019, from http://www.emdat.be/.