How do humans change ecosystems

Clearing prairies to plant crops is a negative change to ecosystems because

• 1. people plant trees to replace the ones they cut down.

• 1. the way organisms interact in food webs is disrupted.

• 1. humans are using the land to build farms instead of homes.

• organisms interact in the same ways before and after the change

Anything that people add to the environment that harms living things is considered

• pollution

• chemical waste

• damage

• human development

All the goods and services people need or want are either made of __________ or produced using them.

• plants

• animals

• chemicals

• . natural resources

A*er an ecosystem has been destroyed, it

• . sometimes can be restored

• always slowly recovers on its own

• can never recover from the damage.

• usually returns back to how it was before.

A(n) ________ species is a non-native organism that causes harm to the environment.

• native

• natural

• extinct

• invasive

Describe one way that pollution is harmful to an ecosystem.

• It can kill living things and change food chains/webs

• It makes the air smell bad

• The sun gets too hot

• The water gets too cold

The Burmese python is a snake native to South Asia. Young snakes were brought into the United States and sold as pets. When the snakes grew too large to care for, some owners released them into the natural environment. In Florida, where the climate is warm and wet, Burmese pythons can survive and reproduce. Which fact about Burmese pythons makes them an invasive species?

• They swim and climb trees

• They have natural enemies in Florida

• They cause harm to their new ecosystem

• They are the largest snake species in Florida

Fresh, drinkable water is a natural resource. There are many ways that your school uses fresh water. Water is needed for drinking, to cook foods, and for cleaning floors and windows. It is also needed to flush the toilets! One school decided to find another way to flush the toilets. The school collected rainwater that fell on its roof and used it for flushing. What engineering problem did this solution help solve?

• How can a toilet flush better

• How can we make sure our drinking water is clean?

• How can we use less fresh drinking water at school

• How can we provide enough water for a growing population?

Strip mining is a method of mining that removes soils, plants, and rocks from Earth’s surface. How does strip mining affect the ecosystem?

• . It is a long-term disruption because all the organisms are removed or move away

• It is a short-term disrupon because all the organisms can interact as soon as the mining is done

• It does not disrupt the ecosystem at all because the organisms are not affected by mining equipment.

• It does not disrupt the ecosystem because strip mining is how people get some natural resources.

Does a factory such as an oil refinery have a positive or negative effect on ecosystems, and why?

• A posive effect, because factories provide energy for plants and animalti

• A positive effect, because waste from factories does not disrupt ecosystems

• A negative effect, because factories produce pollution which harm living things

• A negative effect, because burning fuels releases helpful chemicals into the air