Ecology in Terms of Human Activities on the Environment

Running Head Ecology in Terms of Human Activities on the Environment

Ecology in Terms of Human Activities on the Environment

Recent decades , high population growth rates resulting in overpopulation have been singled out as one of the major factors that have greatly contributed to the declining economies and environmental degradation . Environmental degradation is already a serious problem in some parts of the world , calling for urgent remedial measures . Some regions have already run out of uncultivated cultivable land and water and in some parts people are forced to cultivate steep , unsuitable land

.From a demographic point of view , the large proportion of children creates a built-in momentum for future population growth . When these data are considered together with a more refined measure of population density , namely , number of persons per square kilometer of land possible for cultivation , it becomes obvious that the Earth is experiencing greater population pressure on land resources than two decades ago . In many regions of the world , the lush forests and woodlands disappeared leaving barren infertile fields in their stead . Another problem is that the majority of population is almost source of energy for cooking and space heating in the home (Gotelli 2001 . The main problem is that land resources are limited and population redistribution can go only so far . Taking into consideration that land is the only major resource many nations has , future projections of fast population growth spell trouble . As the population continues to grow , one can expect not only increased deforestation but also increased poaching in parks and game reserves , soil erosion overgrazing , overfishing , and general overexploitation of the available resources (Population Growth 2000 . Ecologically delicate areas such as hillsides and steep slopes are being cleared for cultivation . Production (chemical , oil , iron , textile , etc ) also increases growth rates . It will cause more pollution , water use , metal mining and coal production . Soils can withstand only a number of years of continuous or nonstop use . After that , mineral leaching , hardpanning , and soil erosion set in . Population pressures have resulted in two broad categories of consequences : the ecological impact and the socioeconomic impact (Population Growth 2000 .From a purely theoretical point of view , rapid population growth can be slowed down in only three ways : by extensive permanent emigration , by a sustained rise in mortality , or by a sustained fall in fertility . As the World Bank has noted , emigration is difficult today because all of Malawi 's neighbors have similarly high population growth rates and are struggling with severe developmental constraints . The regulation of population growth can be exercised through family planning programs and social policies aimed to education the population about contraception and family planning issues . For this reason , a special education programs should be aimed to educate people about family planning and birth control . Following Gotelli (2001

Population policy should be integrated with social policies that address a range of poverty reduction and human development objectives Particular emphasis should be placed on better infant and child health education of girls , and overall improvements in the...