POLLUTION
AND
THE WETLANDS
Introduction
• Seventeen percent of North Carolina’s 5.7 million acres are
wetlands. Ninety-five percent of North Carolina’s wetlands are
found in the coastal plains. A wetland is part of a watershed
(geographic are that drains to a single body of water) or a
drainage basin. They are covered by shallow water and have soils
waterlogged to the surface. Over time the wetlands have been
drained and transformed into industrial facilities, as well as, a
use for waste disposal. The wetlands are effected by the
biosphere, lithosphere, atmosphere, and the hydrosphere.
Problem
• What is polluting the Great Dismal Swamp?
Invasive Species
• Erosion causes
increases in the
amount of inorganic
sediment in the
water, inviting
foreign species of
sponge and diatom
that need less light
to take over water
habitats.
Asterionella formosa
Invasive Species:
Fish and Animals
• Invasive fish, such as
the Northern
Snakehead, destroy
underwater
ecosystems.
• Animals, such as pets
that can no longer be
cared for, can become
invasive if enough are
released.
Invasive Species: Plant World
• Plant species such as
•
•
Purple Loosestrife,
Mile-a-Minute, and
Tree-of-Heaven
displace and destroy
native foliage.
Even native plants can
become invasive. Good
examples are sweet
gums and maples.
Water plants such as
water hyacinth spread
quickly and reduce
water quality.
Pollution
• Swamps act as
sinkholes, grabbing
any contaminants in
water and sucking
them in.
• Pollution from
sewage, dump sites,
spills, and storage
areas are problems.
What is Soil Erosion?
* movement of soil particles by
wind, gravity, or water
Soil Erosion (cont.)
• Wind & Water
• Fertilizers &
Sediments
• Algae Production
Cause/Effect Relationships
• Precipitation
• Erosion
• Runoff
Fertilizers
• Organic Fertilizers
• Mixed Fertilizers
• Chemical Fertilizers
Purpose of Wetlands
• Protection
• Soil
THE ATMOSPHERE
Principle Gases of Dry Air
•What is the
Atmosphere
made of?
0.93%
Carbon Dioxide,
0.04%
20.95%
Nitrogen
Oxygen
Argon
Carbon Dioxide
78.08%
Recycling of Atmospheric
Materials
• The amount of a given substance leaving
the atmosphere = the amount of the same
substance entering the atmosphere over
the same period of time
Atmosphere to other spheres
• Biosphere
Atmosphere
• Atmosphere
Biosphere
• Atmosphere
Lithosphere
Air Pollutants
Air Pollutant
Major Sources
Effects
Carbon Monoxide
Automobile Exhaust
Reduces delivery of
oxygen to body tissues;
impairs vision reflexes
Nitrogen Dioxide
Burning of fossil fuels in
power plants & automobiles
Irritates lungs & contributes
to acid rain and smog
Sulfur Dioxide
Burning of fossil fuels in
power plants, oil refineries,
paper mills, volcanoes
Irritates respiratory system
contributing to acid rain
Particulate Matter
(dust, smoke, soot, ash)
Factories, power plants, oil
refineries, paper mills,
volcanoes
Contributes to respiratory
problems linked to cancers
Lead
Smelters, Battery Plants
Damages nervous &
digestive systems
Ozone
Reactions of nitrogen
oxides & hydrocarbons in
the presence of sunlight
Reduces lungs functions &
causes inflammation
Acid Rain
• How does Acid Rain
form?
– Forms when pollutants
such as sulfur dioxide and
nitrogen oxides react with
water vapor in the air
• The resulting acid
precipitation can fall as
rain or snow
Acid Rain (Cont.)
• Unlike normal rain,
which has a pH of 6,
Acid Rain has a pH
of 5
– It harms both plant
and animal life
– It also harms forest
by stripping away
vital nutrients from
the soil.
THE WATER CYCLE
 What is the Water Cycle?
 What are the processes?
Where does the water go?
Contaminated Groundwater
•Groundwater contamination is any addition
of undesirable substances to groundwater by
human activities.
•Contaminant sources in urban areas include
gas stations, dry cleaners, garbage dumps,
snow-disposal dumps, and industrial sites.
RUNOFF
• Surface runoff is one of the
•
•
causes of erosion of the earth's
surface.
It is instead forced directly into
streams or storm water runoff
drains, where erosion and
siltation can be major problems,
even when flooding is not.
Increased runoff reduces
groundwater recharge, thus
lowering the water table and
making droughts worse,
especially for farmers and others
who depend on water wells.
Floodwater
• Major storms, such as hurricanes, fill
streets with flooded water.
• This will contaminate the water, harming
the plants and animals.
• Humans depend on plants and animals for
food.
Conclusions
• Our wetlands are affected by many forms
of pollution. We need to find ways to
prevent, or restrict this.
• We need our wetlands to filter our waters,
keep soil in place, and provide fish and
game.
Recommendations
• Heavy fines on businesses and farms that
•
•
•
•
pollute our wetlands, water, and air.
Plant vegetation in areas where erosion is a
problem.
Ensure that boats coming in to port are cleaned
of plant matter right away.
Prevent the sale of invasive plants/animals.
Use prescribed burns to destroy invasive plants
and bring back native species.
Reflections
• We learned that Earth System Science
involves the interaction between the
spheres and that pollution relates to every
sphere group.
• We learned that group work is important
in Problem Based Learning, and that each
person must do their share of the work.
One person cannot do all the work.
Bibliography
• Asterionella Formosa." 13 Aug. 2007
•
•
•
<http://www.nrel.colostate.edu/projects/lvws/pages/accessto
data/lakecreatures/phytoplankton/diatoms/asterionellaformosa.htm>.
Burdige, Ph.d., David J., Jennifer Slate, Ph.d., Jeremy Hicks (m.s.
Student), Melissa Frazier (undergraduate Student), and Sean
Donalty (undergraduate Student). "RECENT AND HISTORICAL
ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE IN LAKE DRUMMOND,." Department
of Biology, Northeastern Illinois University. 13 Aug. 2007
<http://www.vwrrc.vt.edu/publications/SRNoNum-2004
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Bibliography (cont.)
• FIGHTING FIRE WITH FIRE: PRESCRIBED BURNS HELP PRESERVE DISMAL
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•
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•
•
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<http://www.stockton.edu/~wcedars/treeplnt.html>.
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Bibliography (continued)
• www.fws.gov/northeast/greatdismalswamp/History.htm
• www.soil.ncsu.edu/assist/Wetlands/
• http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/planets/earth/
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• http://geoscape.nrcan.gc.ca/ottawa/groundwater_e.php
• http://www.clw.csiro.au/cecr/images/groundwater.jpg
• http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/aquifers
• http://En.Wikipidea.org/wiki/Chemical_fertil.
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•
•
•
•
•
•
www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfd/library/documents/glossary/S.htm
www.knowledgebank.lrri.org/glossary/Glossary/O.htm
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g>
Acknowledgements
• Class Instructors:
– Mrs. Fowlkes
– Dr. Botti
– Dr. Pringle
– Dr. Porter
– Dr. Rossbach
– Mrs. Noble
– Ms. Stamper
– All the members of our group