5. Human Impact on Interdependence

As more and more people need food, materials, and places to live, we often get these things from cutting down trees. This process, known as deforestation, can harm the environment. Trees are super important because they make oxygen, and lots of different animals and plants live in forests. So, when we cut down too many trees, it can threaten their existence, which is a big problem for taking care of our planet1.

Overfishing2 is a big issue because it reduces the amount of sea life in the water, and this can make entire ecosystems collapse. The fishing industry often focuses on catching specific types of fish that people like to eat, but this can leave many environments without an important part of the food chain. When there are fewer fish in the ocean, it affects the food for other marine animals, and their numbers start to decline.

As the population increases, the world needs a lot more food. Because of this, forests are being cleared to make more space for farming.

Forests are important for animals because they provide food and shelter. Forests also play a big role in the balance between living things and the environment. Unfortunately, modern agricultural practices are harming these environments and causing destruction of wildlife3. 

Fig. 5.3 Agricultural practices affect the balance of ecosystems.

Watch this video4 to know more: 

Water pollution happens when harmful substances, like chemicals or tiny organisms, make a stream, river, lake, ocean, or another water source dirty. This pollution makes the water unsafe for people and the environment.

Chemicals and heavy metals from factories and cities can make water harmful. These pollutants are bad for underwater life, often making it harder for animals to live and reproduce. They also move up the food chain, which is why big fish like tuna can have a lot of toxins, like mercury.

Marine ecosystems, which are environments in the ocean, face threats from marine debris. This includes things like plastic bags and soda cans that end up in the sea, creating a kind of trash soup. Fishing gear and other debris harm more than 200 different marine species by causing problems like choking, suffocation, and starvation5.

Fig. 5.4 Water pollution disrupts ecosystems

Watch this video6 to understand the effects of water pollution: 

Overhunting and overexploitation have had a big impact on the variety of animals and plants in different places. These activities by humans stop resources from growing back or new ones from forming.

Fig. 5.5 Overhunting is a threat to the balance in nature

A mass extinction is a short phase in geological time when a large number of different species, including bacteria, fungi, plants, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates, disappear. It's essential to understand that, in terms of geological time, what we call a 'short' period can last thousands or even millions of years. The Earth has gone through five mass extinction events before, with the last one happening 65.5 million years ago, causing the extinction of dinosaurs. Experts now think we're currently experiencing the sixth mass extinction.

Unlike past events where species disappeared due to natural causes, the sixth mass extinction is happening because of what humans are doing. This is mainly because we are using land, water, and energy in ways that are not good for the environment, and also because of changes in the climate.

Each species interacts with many others in specific ways that benefit people, providing things like clean air, water, and healthy soils for growing food efficiently. When a species disappears or its numbers drop significantly in an ecosystem, it affects other species and how the ecosystem works, impacting the benefits it offers. This also increases the risk of species going extinct. Monitoring these changes is crucial because they show how healthy the overall ecosystem is. If species populations drop a lot, it's a sign that the ecosystem is breaking down, indicating a larger problem.

Right now, the rate at which species are going extinct is estimated to be 1,000 to 10,000 times higher than what would happen naturally without human influence. Although extinctions are a normal part of evolution, the current rates of species decline and extinction is high enough to threaten important ecological functions that support human life, such as a stable climate, predictable rainfall, and productive farms and fisheries.

If we don't change our actions, we'll keep losing vital biodiversity rapidly. Fixing this will take a long time, and the planet will be less able to support us and future generations8.

Watch this video9 to know more: 

Vid. 5.3 Sixth mass extinction