Unit 3: biodiversity, human activities and climate change.

Biodiversity:
 Refers to number of different species in different groups of organisms.
 It is also define as the difference of genes, species and ecosystem as well as
their interactions with their environment
 South Sudan is rich in birdlife with 800 species.
 Biodiversity comprises of all organisms, species, populations, their
dissimilarity, their interactions of communities and ecosystem.
 There are 1,412,500 species globally, and about 30,000 are endangered
species.
Endangered species
 Are species that are at risk of extinction because of their rapid decrease in
their population.
Threatened species:
 Are species which are vulnerable to extinction in the near future.
Table below show endangered species, threatened species and rare species in
South Sudan.
s/no Name Status
1 Elephant Vulnerable
2 Mongalla gazelle Vulnerable
3 Shoebill stork Vulnerable
4 Black-crowned crane Vulnerable
5 Hippopotamus Vulnerable
6 Leopard Near threatened
7 Beisa Oryx Near threatened
8 Eastern chimpanzee Endangered
9 Northern giraffe Endangered
10 Wild dog Endangered
11 Rhinoceros Critically endangered

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South Sudan is known to be the only Country in Africa with both species of eland
such as common eland and derby eland
Types of biodiversity
1. Genetic diversity
 Are all the various genes in all organisms
2. Species diversity
 Are all the various species including variations among members of the same
species.
3. Ecosystem diversity.
 Are all the various habitats, ecological communities and ecological
processes.
Biodiversity hotspots:
 Are regions of the world with extremely large concentration of species.
Global biodiversity hotspots:
 Island of Madagascar
 The cape region of South Sudan
 Indonesia
 Montane forest
 Tropical rainforests
Direct values of biodiversity:
 Most of the medicines are extracts from organisms.
 The domesticated crops are derivatives of wild plants
 Wild fish and other marine life provided food to humans.
Indirect values of biodiversity.
 It support biogeochemical cycles
 Waste disposal
 Fresh water catchment
 Soil erosion control
 Climate control
 Ecotourism

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Deforestation
 Refers to cutting down of trees.
Effects of deforestation
 Reduction in soil fertility
 Flooding and silting of water ways.
 Recycling of carbon dioxide and reduction of oxygen.
 Climatic changes.
 Species extinction
Habitat destruction
 Is the outright destruction of the natural ecosystems by human activities.
Pouching:
 Is the illegal hunting of wild animals.
 This lead to the reduction of the population of the species.
Overfishing.
 Refers to the act of catching too many fish in an aquatic system.
Overfishing is controlled by the following ways.
 Selecting the correct mesh size and shape allowing immature fish to
escape.
 Limiting the quantities of fish each fisherman can catch per day.
 Creating protected none fishing areas particularly the breeding grounds.
 Controlling the size and number of fishing boats.
Ex- situ conversation
 Is the preservation of components of biological diversity outside their
natural habitats.
 This involves conservation of genetic resources as well as wild species.

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Examples of ex-situ conversation
 Captive breeding zoos
 Botanical gardens
 Safari parks
 Tissue culture
 Seed banks
In-situ conversation
 Is the on-site conversation of genetic resources in natural populations of
plant or animal species.
Examples of in-situ conversation.
 Nature reserves
 National parks
 Marine parks
 Biosphere reserves
Pollution:
 Is a process which leads to adverse harmful changes in the environment.
Types of pollution
 Air pollution
 Water pollution
 Soil pollution.
Air pollution
 Is the presence of pollutant substances in the air at a concentration that
interferes with human health.
Causes of air pollution
 Introduction of sulphur oxide in the atmosphere
 Spraying of Aerosols such pesticides, fungicides and herbicides
 Chlorofluorocarbons
 Smoke and fumes produced in areas with heavy industries.
 Sound produced from heavy machines, vehicles and airplanes

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  Dust produced in quarries or in dusty roads.
 Cutting down trees that interferes with carbon cycle.
 Radioactive emissions from mines, atomic bombs and nucleus reactants.
Control of air pollution
 Building of chemical industries away from residential areas
 Use of alternative sources such as wind or hydro-electric power
 Massive planting of trees to balance carbon dioxide level in the atmosphere
 Use of lead free fossil fuels.
 Filtration of waste gases to remove harmful gases.
Water pollution
 Is the contamination of water bodies.
Causes of water pollution
 Spilling of oil into water bodies
 Discharge of industrial wastes into water
 Discharge of untreated sewage into water
 Introduction of agro-chemicals into water
 Discharge of hot water into water bodies.
Control of water pollution
 Treat sewage and industrial wastes before discharge into water bodies
 Use of biological control of insects and other pests
 Use of safe methods of controlling pests and diseases
 Use of organic farming
 Educating all farmers on use of agrochemicals.
Climate change.
 Refers to variation in the statistics over many years, decades or even
centuries.

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Five vital signs of the planet’s climate change.
 Change in carbon dioxide concentration
 Change in global temperature
 Change in arctic sea ice
 Change in land ice
 Change in sea level.
Examples of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
 Water vapour
 Carbon dioxide
 Chlorofluorocarbons
 Methane
 Nitrogen oxide.
 The life on earth would have not evolved without the greenhouse effect.
 The concentration of greenhouse gases makes the atmosphere more effective
in preventing heat loss into the outer space.
Causes of global climate change.
 Increase of greenhouse gases.
 Deforestation
 Volcanic activities and industrial wastes such as sulphur aerosols and black
carbon.
 Natural causes of climate change such as changes in the sun’s output and
volcanic eruptions.
Black carbon.
 Is the soot produced by incomplete combustion from industries, traffic,
outdoor fires and burning of coal.
Effects of climate change.
 Increased temperature
 Frequent extreme weather
 Rising sea levels
 Increased carbon dioxide

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Effects of global warming in South Sudan.
 Increased crop failure due to desertification
 Loss of grazing lands and water for livestock.
 Reduction in biodiversity habitats in wetlands and forests
 Reduction in water flowing in the river.
 Reduction of tourism to the country.
Methods of controlling global warming.
 Use of renewable energy sources.
 Reduce cutting down of trees.
 Increase planting trees.
 Build more efficient buildings that reduce less air conditioning.
 Move near your workplace to reduced reliance on car.
Three main problems of Earth’s atmosphere.
 Ozone layer depletion
 Acid rain formation.
 Greenhouse effect.
Ozone layer:
 Is layer in the earth’s atmosphere containing a high concentration of
trioxide.
Types of ozone layers.
 High-level ozone (stratosphere ozone or protective ozone)
 Low-level ozone (ground level or troposphere ozone or harmful ozone)
The high-level ozone depletion increases with chlorite released.
 Reduction of high-level ozone exposes biodiversity to harmful ultraviolet
radiation from the sun which increases the risk of:
 Skin cancer
 Cataracts
 Mutation
 sunburns

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Preventive measures of ozone depletion.
 Reduce destruction of high-level ozone layer
 Eliminate the production and use of chlorofluorocarbons
 Avoid using products that contain chlorofluorocarbons
 Government should ban the use of chlorofluorocarbons

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