How do human activities affect nutrient cycling and ecosystem health?

Human activities can disrupt nutrient cycling and harm ecosystem health in various ways.

One of the most significant ways that human activities affect nutrient cycling is through the use of fertilisers in agriculture. While fertilisers can increase crop yields, they can also lead to nutrient imbalances and pollution of waterways. Excess nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, can cause algal blooms and oxygen depletion in aquatic ecosystems, leading to the death of fish and other organisms.

Deforestation and land-use changes also disrupt nutrient cycling by altering the balance of nutrients in the soil. When forests are cleared, the nutrients stored in the biomass are lost, and the soil becomes less fertile. This can lead to soil erosion, nutrient depletion, and reduced productivity of crops and other vegetation. Deforestation also contributes to the carbon cycle imbalance, further affecting nutrient cycling.

Human activities can also affect nutrient cycling by altering the balance of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The burning of fossil fuels and deforestation have led to an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, which can affect the growth and nutrient uptake of plants. This can have cascading effects on the entire ecosystem, as changes in plant growth can affect the food web and nutrient cycling. Learn more about the causes of climate change due to these activities.

Additionally, the destruction of habitats due to human activities reduces biodiversity, which is crucial for maintaining healthy ecosystems. More information on the impact of biodiversity and habitat destruction is available.

A-Level Biology Tutor Summary: Human activities like using too much fertiliser, cutting down forests, and burning fossil fuels disrupt how nutrients cycle through the environment, harming the health of ecosystems. This can lead to water pollution, soil problems, and changes in plant growth, affecting everything living in those ecosystems. Essentially, our actions can unbalance nature, leading to various environmental issues.