GGH1502 ASSIGNMENT 1 2020.

GGH1502 ASSIGNMENT 1 2020. What human activities can lead to accelerated eutrophication in permanent bodies of water such as lakes and dams? How do these human activities affect aquatic life? Discharges of industrial wastewater Sewage discharge Agriculture and Intentional addition of fertilizers to enhance biomass density of important fish species. Due to these human activities, eutrophication takes place leading to algal blooms restricting the penetration of light and when there is reduction in the amount of light predators will experience a significant reduce in their ability to catch their prey. Algal blooms can become harmful because they produce certain toxins that can be colligated with public health threats, lakes and dams shriveling in size, the water becoming polluted and experiencing sedimentation in the bodies of water and resulting in marine plants and other form of life in the marine dying or even struggling to survive, the overall water quality degradation and destruction of economically important fisheries. Question 2 2.1 On which continent is Lake Alemaya situated? Africa. 2.2 Identify the biome in which Lake Alemaya is situated, and give two characteristics of this biome. The Lake Alemaya is situated in Montane. Its characteristics includes: grasslands and shrublands. 2.3 In which country is Lake Alemaya situated? In addition, name the two landlocked neighboring countries. The lake Alemaya is situated in Ethiopia. The two landlocked neighboring countries are: Sudan and South Sudan. Question 3 Study Figures 1 and 2 and describe in two sentences how water levels have changed since 1986. There was a drastic decrease in water levels in the Lake Alemaya since 1965 and in 2007 only a small ratio of the water levels is visible, compared to the water levels in 1965. Question 4 Study Table 1 and answer the following questions: This study source was downloaded by from CourseH on :41:31 GMT -06:00 This study resource was shared via CourseH 4.1 Explain the change of the acidity level of the lake between 1986 and 2000. Why has this occurred? Acidity has decreased and there is an increase in the pH levels and therefore that shows the lake has became more alkaline. Sedimentation and salinization as well occurred. 4.2 Which parameter has not changed significantly between 1986 and 2000? Water temperature Question 5 Explain the reasons for the considerable change that has occurred in Lake Alemaya over this period.  Poor farming practices: causes soil erosion which can cause flooding and river pollution by plant food .e.g. overgrazing, uncontrolled fuel etc.  Irrigation and loss of water through evaporation and evapotranspiration Irrigation causes a negative impact on the natural river flow together with a discharge of inferior quality water drainage. Irrigation can lower the quality of water, water table and introduce saltwater intrusion in coastal areas. Evaporation overtime inclines to lower levels of water in ponds and wetlands and as for evapotranspiration tends to act in making the soil dry and affects plant’s growth and forests reduce water yield.  Over population Water is an element of life for every living thing and being on earth. The more population we have the more the demand for water intensifies causing more, if not worse strains and mounts pressure on water resources, leading to a greater increase of water pollution and conflicts over existing water supplies  Overutilization of water We use water for many activities (e.g. domestic use and livestock) and when water is overutilized the land tends to deplete leading to a change in that climate area. It can cause desertification, whereby farmers will incessantly have to find new land to raise crops. Water overuse can as well lead to water crises such as water shortages.  Climate change Climate change can be referred to as an unusual change in the global temperatures, rainfalls, wind patterns, precipitation and other measures of the climate lasting for longer or several decades. This mostly caused by human intervention e.g. burning of fossil fuels, such as natural gases, coal This study source was downloaded by from CourseH on :41:31 GMT -06:00 This study resource was shared via CourseH and oil. When these materials are burned, they cause a discharge of gases into the Earth’s atmosphere called greenhouse gases resulting in floods, unusual hot and cold temperatures, droughts and etc  Deforestation Forests improve the quality of water by minimizing soil erosion, absorbing polluting chemicals and sediment reduction. The responsibility of plants and trees is to extract underground water from the soil and returning it to the atmosphere, now when deforestation occur exuberant rainforests turn into barren desserts and water not being able to be released back into the atmosphere and this causes the water cycle to lose its balance. Deforestation can result in loss of trees and other vegetation, fewer crops, soil erosion, unnecessary flooding, desertification, multiplied greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and etc Question 6 Describe the possible impacts of these changes on the livelihood of the population living in this area. Think about the political, social, environmental and economical impacts.