Publication Date
1985
Description
At present the impact of humankind on the Earth System is substantial and will become greater as we continue to add over 80 million people to the global population each year. Collectively the human species utilises over a third of the total fresh water that is available, as well as an equivalent amount of the total terrestrial productivity. Possil energy is being consumed at a prodigious rate and fuels, among other things, over a half a billion vehicles. To support the large human population the Earth has been greatly reconfigured with much of the land utilised for grazing and agriculture. Over a billion head of cattle are now being bred by humans along with comparable numbers of sheep and goats. To grow crops, over 140 million tons of fertiliser are being applied to the land, much of which enters the water table, and even the atmosphere, having unintended and detrimental effects. The combined effects of industrialisation and land use changes have resulted in the alteration of the composition of the atmosphere, which is having both direct and indirect effects on the biosphere. In addition to land use and atmospheric change, human activity has dramatically altered of the biotic configuration of the Earth through the breakdown of biogeographic barriers. We now have a vast cosmopolitan flora and fauna, much of which supports human activities, but some of which (the weeds and pests) result in enormous economic losses. It is clear that as the human population continues to grow many of these inadvertent and detrimental effects on the functioning of the biosphere are going to become increasingly severe. It is going to take the best efforts of all of us collectively, as scientists and stewards of the land and as individuals, to bring ways to mitigate and even adapt to the changes that are occurring. We must learn and act to live sustainably with our natural resource base,
Citation
Mooney, H A., "Human Impact on Terrestrial Ecosystems - What we know and What we are doing about it" (1985). IGC Proceedings (1985-2023). 2.
(URL: https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1993/speeches/2)
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Human Impact on Terrestrial Ecosystems - What we know and What we are doing about it
At present the impact of humankind on the Earth System is substantial and will become greater as we continue to add over 80 million people to the global population each year. Collectively the human species utilises over a third of the total fresh water that is available, as well as an equivalent amount of the total terrestrial productivity. Possil energy is being consumed at a prodigious rate and fuels, among other things, over a half a billion vehicles. To support the large human population the Earth has been greatly reconfigured with much of the land utilised for grazing and agriculture. Over a billion head of cattle are now being bred by humans along with comparable numbers of sheep and goats. To grow crops, over 140 million tons of fertiliser are being applied to the land, much of which enters the water table, and even the atmosphere, having unintended and detrimental effects. The combined effects of industrialisation and land use changes have resulted in the alteration of the composition of the atmosphere, which is having both direct and indirect effects on the biosphere. In addition to land use and atmospheric change, human activity has dramatically altered of the biotic configuration of the Earth through the breakdown of biogeographic barriers. We now have a vast cosmopolitan flora and fauna, much of which supports human activities, but some of which (the weeds and pests) result in enormous economic losses. It is clear that as the human population continues to grow many of these inadvertent and detrimental effects on the functioning of the biosphere are going to become increasingly severe. It is going to take the best efforts of all of us collectively, as scientists and stewards of the land and as individuals, to bring ways to mitigate and even adapt to the changes that are occurring. We must learn and act to live sustainably with our natural resource base,
