Examples of the influence of natural conditions on humans. Show the examples known to you the influence of natural conditions on the economic activity of people. Other tutorials on this topic

Natural conditions affect almost all aspects Everyday life population, features of its work, rest and life, people's health and the possibility of their adaptation to new, unusual conditions.

The total assessment of natural conditions is determined by the level of their comfort for a person. To measure it, up to 30 parameters are used (duration of climatic periods, temperature contrast, climate humidity, wind regime, the presence of natural foci infectious diseases etc.).

According to the level of comfort stand out:

extreme territories(polar regions, high mountains
areas of high latitudes, etc.);

uncomfortable areas areas with severe natural
conditions that are unsuitable for the life of an unadapted population;
subdivided into cold humid(arctic deserts, tundra), arid
territories (deserts and semi-deserts), as well as mountainous areas;

hyper-comfortable areas - areas with limited
favorable natural conditions for the resettled population,
subdivided into boreal(temperate forests) and semiarid(steppes
temperate zone);

comfortable areas - areas with little
deviations from the natural optimum for the formation of a permanent
population;

comfortable areas - areas with almost ideal
environmental conditions for the life of the population, are characteristic of
southern part of the temperate zone, in Russia are represented by minor
areal areas.

The largest part of our country - the coldest in the world (the average annual temperature of the territory of Russia as a whole is below -5 degrees Celsius) - belongs to extreme and uncomfortable territories. However, the bulk of the population lives in regions with pre-comfortable and comfortable conditions. Within their limits - in Central Russia, in the North Caucasus, in the Middle Volga region - there are 25 subjects of the Russian Federation, most of the largest urban agglomerations.

concept "natural conditions" already in itself presupposes one or another type of economic activity. It is natural conditions that often predetermine the economic diversity of human activity, the sectoral specialization of individual regions, and the pace of economic and social development. At the same time, it is essential that the influence of natural conditions on the national economy is ambiguous and largely depends on the level of development and the economic situation of the country or region.

Natural conditions are of paramount importance for those industries National economy that operate outdoors. First of all, it is agriculture, forestry and water management. Their specialization and efficiency of development are directly related to soil fertility, climate, and the water regime of the territory. They also influence transport and many other industries and

economic spheres.

It is known, for example, that when organizing the extraction of minerals, not only their reserves and qualitative characteristics are taken into account, but also the conditions of their occurrence, which directly affect the method, scale and cost of extraction. In the practice of the mining industry, it often happens that not the richest, but relatively poor, but located in more favorable natural conditions, become the most economical deposits.

Almost all types of construction are in great dependence on natural conditions. Its cost is predetermined by such terrain parameters as soil strength and watering, the degree of seismicity, swampiness of the territory, the presence of permafrost, mountainous terrain, etc. The creation of the same type of functional facility in the northern and northeastern regions of Russia can be an order of magnitude more expensive than in the south of the European territory of the country.

The natural parameters of the territory have a significant impact on the organization of urban utilities. Thus, the cost of heating, water supply, sewerage, lighting of dwellings, as well as their construction, also differ significantly depending on the climate and engineering and geological conditions. In the northern regions of Russia, the heating season lasts up to 10 months a year compared to 4-5 months in the south of the country. Correspondingly, the costs also increase.

In the north and in other regions with extreme natural conditions, there is a need to create special technical equipment adapted to these conditions, for example, with an increased margin of safety. In the northern version, this is the ability to withstand low temperatures, in the southern version, high temperatures, and for regions with a monsoon climate, the ability to work normally in especially humid conditions. For Russia, most of the territory is located in precisely such - extreme natural conditions - this is especially significant.

Special attention deserves the question of the natural conditions for agriculture, where they have played and are playing a decisive role. The specialization and efficiency of the agricultural sector of the economy, especially for Russia, are directly related to the natural fertility of soils, climate, and the water regime of the territory.

The way different crops are grown and farm animals are raised depends on agro-climatic conditions - resources of Shmat in relation to the interests (requests) of agriculture. The influence of climatic conditions on agricultural production can be quantified through agro-climatic indicators. Agricultural assessment of the climate is based on a comparison of the agro-climatic conditions of the territory with

requirements of ecologically different cultivated plants to their life factors.

Obviously, agro-climatic conditions have significant differences from place to place. Understanding the patterns of agro-climatic differentiation is necessary not only for managing the agricultural sector of the national economy, but also for the purposes of political and economic analysis. It has been calculated, for example, that the agro-climatic potential of the United States is approximately 2.5 times higher than that of Russia. It follows from this natural scientific fact that, at equal costs, the productivity of US agriculture will always be higher by at least the same amount than in our country.

When assessing agro-climatic conditions, as, indeed, for a number of other practical purposes, they use data on zonal differences in the country's territory. On the territory of Russia there is a change natural areas from north to south: arctic deserts, tundra, forest-tundra, forests (subdivided into subzones of taiga and mixed and broad-leaved forests), forest-steppes, steppes, semi-deserts and subtropics.

1) Tell us what nature gives a person.

Nature provides all the means to meet the material and spiritual needs of man (breathing air, food, drink, shelter, raw materials for industry, places for recreation)

2) How do natural conditions affect human life and activities?

Natural conditions determine the population density in the territory, lifestyle, type of housing, clothing. Natural conditions determine the development of the economy, the specialization of agriculture and industry.

3) What components of the natural complex are most susceptible to human influence?

Atmospheric air, water, soil, vegetation and animal world.

4) What is Natural resources?

Natural resources are the bodies and forces of nature, which at a given stage in the development of the productive forces of society can be used as commodities or means of production, and the social utility of which changes under the influence of human activity.

Questions at the end of the paragraph

1. What types of natural resources have been mastered by man for a long time, which ones - recently?

Soil, water, forest resources have long been mastered by man. With the development of the economy, the range of used mineral resources. Under the influence of scientific and technological progress, old industries are expanding and old industrial areas are getting a "second wind", new industries are being created, new territories are being developed, and the number of minerals involved in production is increasing. In the modern economy, almost all known to science are used. chemical elements and their compounds, the energy of the atomic nucleus. Even water and air, which until relatively recently were considered only as means of the biological existence of man and all life on Earth, began to work on a large scale in production processes and serve as the same raw material as ore or wood.

Nesterova I.A. The influence of natural conditions and natural resources on territorial organization Society // Encyclopedia of the Nesterovs

The territorial organization of society is influenced by many factors. One of them is the presence of certain natural resources and the peculiarities of the climate and other natural conditions.

The concept and types of natural factors

Despite evolution, natural factors continue to play a significant role in human life. Natural factors is a broad concept that includes such important elements as natural resources and natural conditions. In addition to them, it also includes such concepts as the sustainability of landscapes and the ecological situation.

Consider each element that makes up natural factors. First of all, let us turn to the interpretation of the concept of "natural conditions.

Under natural conditions It is customary to understand the totality of the most important natural characteristics of the territory, reflecting the main features of the components of the natural environment or local natural phenomena.

It is natural conditions that have a direct impact on the life and way of life of the population. Details of what depends on natural conditions are shown in the figure below.

The components of the natural environment are: climate, geological environment, surface and ground waters, soils, biota, and landscapes. Separately, it is necessary to highlight the spread of local natural phenomena. What it is? Local natural phenomena represent especially dangerous natural phenomena and anomalies, as well as foci of infections.

Of no less interest are climatic conditions. They influence through the ratio of heat and moisture. Thermal resources determine the energy of plant growth.

The territory of Russia is the largest in the world and is 17,125,191 km². On the territory of the Russian Federation there is a climatic diversity. However, most of the territory is in cold climates. This has an impact on the characteristics of economic activity.

At the same time, it should be emphasized that Russia as a whole is the northernmost and coldest country in the world, which affects its economy, economy and the development of society. 10 million km2 is occupied by permafrost.

The fact is that the specifics of permafrost must be taken into account when building and laying cables, when installing power lines, etc.

The second climatic factor is moisture. Precipitation Frequency affects agriculture, housing and communal services and other important elements of the life of the territories.

No less important are relief features and geological structure . Influencing all components of the natural environment, the relief contributes to the emergence of differences in landscapes and at the same time is itself affected by natural zonality and altitudinal zonality.

Engineering-geological conditions of the area include factors such as interconnection of layers earth's crust, the state of the upper layers. These factors affect the engineering and economic activity of the territories, as they perform the following tasks, presented below.

Accounting mining and geological conditions vital in all areas of economic activity, but especially in urban planning, transport and hydraulic engineering construction.

Separately, the soil factor should be mentioned. The soil is important for agriculture and construction. In this aspect, we single out the structure, chemical composition and soil density. The value of soil lies in its ability to supply plants with nutrients.

Let's take a look at biota. Biota is understood as a historically established set of living organisms living in any large area, i.e. fauna and flora of this area. The characteristic of the natural conditions of the area also includes an assessment of vegetation and wildlife.

So, natural factors play an important role in human life. They determine his life, leisure and state of health. Based on this, we can safely say that natural factors affect the territorial division and local self-government.

Classification of territories according to the level of comfort

Now we will consider each type of territory separately from the point of view of its features of potential. As you can see in the figure, the territories are:

• extreme territories;
• uncomfortable areas;
• comfortable areas;
• hyper-comfortable areas;

Let's start, of course, with extreme territories. They are the most difficult to economic development regions. These include: polar regions, alpine regions of high latitudes, etc.

Then come the territories that are less difficult for life and economic life, which are called uncomfortable areas. They are characterized by harsh conditions, a harsh climate, which is unsuitable for the life of an unadapted population. Such territories include: arctic deserts, tundra, arid territories and mountainous regions.

For life, hyper-comfortable territories are considered more or less comfortable. These are areas where natural conditions are limitedly favorable. The settlers feel quite comfortable in such territories. Hypercomfortable territories boreal and semiarid.

And finally, the most comfortable for life are precomfortable areas and comfortable areas. Precomfortable areas include areas with minor deviations from the natural optimum for the formation of a permanent population. Comfortable areas are those areas where conditions are almost ideal for the life of the population. Such territories are located in the southern part of the temperate zone; in Russia, they are represented by small areas.

Natural conditions are very important for those branches of the national economy that operate in the open air. This is, first of all, agriculture, as well as water and forestry. Construction is very dependent on natural conditions. Hence the difference in financing of the same objects in different territories.

Natural disasters and cataclysms

All kinds of cataclysms and natural disasters have a strong influence on the development of territories. They act as a specific form of natural conditions.

The following natural disasters are considered the most common and dangerous for humans:

• earthquakes,
• floods,
• tsunami,
• hurricanes and storms
• tornadoes,
• typhoons,
• collapses.
• landslides,
• sat down,
• avalanche,
• forest and peat fires.

Typical examples of adverse natural phenomena are droughts, frosts, severe frosts, thunderstorms, heavy or prolonged rains, hail and some others.

Many areas need protection from natural disasters. This significantly increases the cost of construction and maintenance of municipalities and communications. In addition, the cost of technologies adapted to increased loads or capable of preventing dangerous impacts is much higher.

Plan:

1. The concept of natural conditions and their characteristics

2. The influence of natural conditions on the life and economic activity of people

3. Adverse and dangerous natural phenomena

Natural conditions have played and continue to play an important role in the life and development of human society. Undoubtedly, scientific and technological progress has significantly influenced the growth of human power in relation to nature.

Since 1992 - the year of the UN Conference on the Environment in Rio de Janeiro - it has become generally accepted that the paramount condition for the sustainable development of individual countries and all of humanity as a whole is the totality of natural factors.

Taking into account and adequate understanding of the role and place of natural development factors are of vital importance in the field of management at almost all territorial levels in modern conditions. The concept of "natural factors" usually includes the following categories: natural conditions, natural resources, landscape sustainability and ecological situation.

natural conditions- a set of the most important natural characteristics of the territory, reflecting the main features of the components of the natural environment or local natural phenomena.

They influence the life and economic activity of the population, the settlement of the population, the development and distribution of productive forces, and their specialization depend on them. They determine the cost, and, consequently, the competitiveness of manufactured products, which is especially important for countries with a significant distribution of extreme natural features, including Russia.

Among the components of the natural environment, as a rule, climate, geological environment, surface and ground waters, soils, biota, landscape or landscape conditions as a whole are considered as characteristics of natural conditions.

The specificity of the natural conditions of the area depends on its location in a particular natural zone, the presence in it of a certain combination of natural landscapes.

natural areas- large divisions of the geographical envelope, expressed in the form of wide belts of the earth's surface, united by the similarity of such characteristics as the amount of solar radiation, moisture, type of soil, vegetation and wildlife.

natural landscapes- these are relatively homogeneous parts of the geographic shell, distinguished by a regular combination of its components and phenomena, the nature of their relationships. Along with natural ones, anthropogenic, or cultural, landscapes are also distinguished, characterized by a varying degree of purposeful or spontaneous transformation of the original natural natural complexes.

Landscape- the main category of territorial division of the natural environment. The processes of matter and energy exchange between landscape components (rocks, soils, vegetation, etc.) determine their structure. Both natural and anthropogenic landscapes are subject to rhythmic and irreversible changes, so both are objects of regulation in human activity.

Among the landscape-forming factors that form the most important properties of landscapes, there are external (cosmic and geodynamic) and internal (manifested in the processes of interaction of individual natural components) factors. All landscape-forming factors are also divided into zonal (climate, soil, vegetation) and azonal (relief, geological structure).

In management in general and in regional politics in particular, landscapes are considered as natural base life and economic activity of people. At the same time, such features as their genesis, type, resistance to anthropogenic influences, aesthetic merits, degree of disturbance or preservation, and the nature of anthropogenic influences are taken into account.

The allocation of natural zones and landscapes is based on the climatic features of the territory, which are manifested primarily in the ratio of heat and moisture.

Climate- this is the average long-term weather regime in a particular area. Being the result of a variety of natural processes that continuously occur in the atmosphere, the climate of the Earth and its individual regions is constantly changing, significantly affecting people's lives.

Heat is the most important climatic factor. Thermal resources determine the energy of plant growth. The amount of heat required to complete the vegetation cycle (growth period) is called the biological sum of temperatures. It should be emphasized that this most directly affects the economy of the country, the economy, many aspects of the life of the population and politics.

The consequence of climatic conditions is permafrost, sometimes called permafrost, widespread in states northern hemisphere. The specifics of permafrost must be taken into account when creating engineering structures: pipelines, bridges, railways and etc.

Water(humidification), primarily in the form of precipitation, is the second most important climatic factor. The lack of water, as well as its excess, adversely affect the development of both agriculture and the economy as a whole, bringing significant costs to the budget.

The most important factor in the formation of natural specificity is relief. Influencing all components of the natural environment, it contributes to the emergence of various landscapes. Over the past centuries, the formation of anthropogenic relief has become widespread. Man influences the relief directly (mining and technical works, hydraulic engineering, etc.) and indirectly through other components of the natural environment. For example, the reduction of forests in the savannas contributes to desertification and the development of aeolian landforms; overgrazing leads to increased water erosion, etc.

For agriculture and a number of other sectors of the economy, soil conditions are of paramount importance. The soil- this is a special natural body, formed as a result of the transformation of the surface layer of the earth's crust, air and biota and combining the properties of animate and inanimate nature. The value properties of the soil are reflected in its fertility - the ability to provide plants with digestible nutrients and moisture and create conditions for harvesting. Natural and artificial fertility is distinguished. Comparative qualitative assessment of soils according to the developed scales in relation to a given area is carried out using grading.

Biota is understood as a historically established set of living organisms living in any territory, i.e. flora and fauna of the area. The characteristic of the natural conditions of the area also includes an assessment of vegetation and wildlife.

Vegetation is a set of plant communities (phytocenoses). One or another type of vegetation has a significant impact on the development of the economy - agriculture, forestry, and other opportunities.

Animal world- a set of animal communities living within a particular area.

Natural conditions affect almost all aspects of the daily life of the population, especially its work, leisure and life, people's health and the possibility of their adaptation to new, unusual conditions.

The total assessment of natural conditions is determined by the level of their comfort for a person. For its measurement, up to 30 parameters are used (the duration of climatic periods, temperature contrast, climate humidity, wind regime, the presence of natural foci of infectious diseases, etc.).

According to the level of comfort, there are:

Extreme territories (polar regions, alpine regions of high latitudes, etc.);

Discomfort territories - areas with harsh natural conditions, unsuitable for life of non-indigenous, unadapted population; subdivided into cold humid (arctic deserts, tundra), arid territories (deserts and semi-deserts), as well as mountainous areas;

· hypercomfortable territories - areas with limited favorable conditions for the resettlement population; subdivided into boreal (forests of the temperate zone) and semiarid (steppes of the temperate zone);

Precomfortable territories - areas with minor deviations from the natural optimum for the formation of a permanent population;

Comfortable territories - areas with almost ideal environmental conditions for the life of the population; characteristic of the southern part of the temperate zone, etc.

The concept of natural conditions in itself presupposes one or another type of economic activity. Natural conditions predetermine the economic diversity of human activity, the sectoral specialization of individual regions, and the pace of economic and social development. At the same time, the influence of natural conditions on the national economy is ambiguous and largely depends on the level of development and the economic situation of the country.

Natural conditions are of paramount importance for those branches of the national economy that operate in the open. First of all, it is agriculture, forestry and water management. Their specialization and efficiency of development are directly related to soil fertility, climate, and the water regime of the territory. Transport and many other sectors of the economy are also under their influence.

For example, when organizing the extraction of minerals, not only reserves and quality characteristics are taken into account, but also the conditions of their occurrence, which directly affect the method, scale and cost of extraction. In practice, it often happens that not the richest, but relatively poor, but located in more favorable natural conditions, become the most economical deposits.

Almost all types of construction are in great dependence on natural conditions. Its prime cost is predetermined by such terrain parameters as strength and watering of soils, degree of seismicity, swampiness of the territory, presence of permafrost, mountainous terrain, etc.

The natural parameters of the territory have a significant impact on the organization of urban utilities. Thus, the cost of heating, water supply, sewerage, lighting of dwellings, as well as their construction, also differ significantly depending on the climate and engineering and geological conditions. In the northern regions of Russia, the heating season lasts up to 10 months, and in the south of the country 4-5 months.

The question of natural conditions for agriculture deserves special attention. The specialization and efficiency of the agricultural sector of the economy are directly related to the natural fertility of soils, climate, and the water regime of the territory.

Ways of growing various crops and breeding farm animals depend on agro-climatic conditions - climate resources in relation to the needs of agriculture.

Agro-climatic conditions have significant differences from place to place. Understanding the patterns of agro-climatic differentiation is necessary not only for managing the agricultural sector of the national economy, but also for the purposes of political and economic analysis. It has been calculated, for example, that the agro-climatic potential of the United States is approximately 2.5 times higher than that of Russia. It follows from this that for equal costs, the output of US agriculture will always be higher.

When assessing agro-climatic conditions and for a number of other practical purposes, they use data on zonal differences in the country's territory.

Unfavorable and dangerous natural phenomena or natural disasters inherent in certain areas are a specific form of natural conditions.Disaster is a dangerous natural phenomenon that causes emergency situations. Under emergency refers to a critical situation in a certain area that has developed as a result of a natural disaster or a man-made accident and entailed human casualties, damage to human health or the environment, significant material losses and disruption of normal living conditions for people.

Earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, hurricanes and storms, tornadoes, typhoons, landslides, landslides, mudflows, avalanches, forest and peat fires are among the most common and at the same time dangerous for mankind natural disasters. Typical examples of adverse natural phenomena are droughts, frosts, severe frosts, thunderstorms, heavy or prolonged rains, hail and some others.

By genesis, all the main types of adverse and dangerous natural phenomena are divided into hydrometeorological and geological-geomorphological. Among the less common ones, there are also solar-cosmic (magnetic storms, meteorite impact), biogeochemical (soil salinization, biogeochemical corrosion) and biological (reproduction of agricultural pests, epizootics, etc.).

floods are among the most common hazards. They threaten almost ¾ of the earth's surface. Usually, seasonal floods are observed on the rivers, associated with the manifestation of regular climatic factors, in particular with the melting of snow (for example, the Lena River). Often, catastrophic floods are caused by heavy rainfall.

The largest Chinese river, the Yellow River, is especially famous for its catastrophic floods, in the valley of which more than 80 million people live. More victims are recorded here than in all other regions combined. She holds the most tragic record in the history of mankind: in the fall of 1987, the water level in the Yellow River rose by 20 m. 300 settlements were flooded, about 2 million people were left homeless, the death toll reached 1 million.

Floods have been and continue to be a formidable and insidious element for humans. According to UNESCO, over the past century, 9 million people have died from them. The material damage they cause is colossal.

The most important prerequisite for effective flood protection is their accurate forecast. Flood protection can be active (construction of dams, dams, diversion channels, regulation of river beds) or passive (warning and evacuation of people, their use of places that will certainly not be flooded, etc.).

earthquakes- the most significant geological element in its consequences. Every year, about 10 thousand people die from them in the world, and material damage, according to far from complete data, reaches 400 million dollars.

Earthquakes are generated by shock seismic waves and elastic vibrations of the earth's crust. In addition to natural earthquakes, there are and can be destructive earthquakes caused by human activity - flooding of deep reservoirs, oil production, injection of industrial wastewater into the bowels, creation of deep quarries, etc.

The destructive power of earthquakes is characterized in conditional intensity points. In Russia, a 12-point intensity scale has been adopted to describe the result of an earthquake.

The most catastrophic earthquake in the Chinese province of Shaanxi (1556) with the death toll of 830 thousand people is considered.

Other widespread geological hazards of exogenous origin include landslides, rockfalls, mudflows, and coastal abrasion.

Despite the undoubted achievements of science and technology, vulnerability modern society for natural disasters is constantly increasing. The number of victims of unfavorable and dangerous natural phenomena annually increases by approximately 6%. This is due to the rapid growth of the population and the high concentration of the population in cities; environmental degradation causing dangerous natural processes.

Floods, tropical storms, droughts and earthquakes cause the greatest economic damage in the world.

In accordance with the population density, the degree of human impact on the environment also changes. However, with the current level of development of productive forces, the activity of human society affects the biosphere as a whole. Mankind, with its social laws of development and powerful technology, is quite capable of influencing the secular course of biospheric processes.

Air pollution. In the course of their activities, a person pollutes the air environment. Above cities and industrial areas, the concentration of gases in the atmosphere increases, which in rural areas are contained in very small quantities or are completely absent. Polluted air is harmful to health. In addition, harmful gases, combining with atmospheric moisture and falling out in the form of acid rain, degrade soil quality and reduce crop yields.

The main causes of air pollution are the combustion of fossil fuels and metallurgical production. If in the 19th century the combustion products of coal and liquid fuel entering the environment were almost completely assimilated by the vegetation of the Earth, at present the content of harmful combustion products is steadily increasing. From furnaces, furnaces, exhaust pipes of cars, a number of pollutants enter the air. Sulfur dioxide, a poisonous gas that is easily soluble in water, stands out among them.

The concentration of sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere is especially high in the vicinity of copper smelters. It causes the destruction of chlorophyll, the underdevelopment of pollen grains, the drying and falling of the leaves of the needles. Part of SO 2 is oxidized to sulfuric anhydride. Solutions of sulphurous and sulfuric acids, falling with rain on the surface of the Earth, harm living organisms, destroy buildings. The soil acquires an acidic reaction, humus (humus) is washed out of it - an organic substance containing components necessary for the development of plants. In addition, it reduces the amount of salts of calcium, magnesium, potassium. In acidic soils, the number of animal species living in it also decreases, and the rate of decay of litter is slowed down. All this creates unfavorable conditions for plant growth.

Billions of tons of CO 2 are released into the atmosphere every year as a result of fuel combustion. Half of the carbon dioxide produced by the combustion of fossil fuels is absorbed by the ocean and green plants, and half remains in the air. The content of CO 2 in the atmosphere is gradually increasing and has increased by more than 10% over the past 100 years. CO 2 prevents thermal radiation into space, creating the so-called "greenhouse effect". Changes in the content of CO 2 in the atmosphere significantly affect the Earth's climate.

Industrial enterprises and cars cause many toxic compounds to enter the atmosphere - nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, lead compounds (each car emits 1 kg of lead per year), various hydrocarbons - acetylene, ethylene, methane, propane, etc. Together with water droplets they form a poisonous fog - smog, which has a harmful effect on the human body, on the vegetation of cities. Liquid and solid particles (dust) suspended in the air reduce the amount of solar radiation reaching the Earth's surface. So, in big cities, solar radiation decreases by 15%, ultraviolet radiation - by 30% (and in the winter months it can completely disappear).

Fresh water pollution. Scale of use water resources are rapidly increasing. This is due to the growth of the population and the improvement of the sanitary and hygienic conditions of human life, the development of industry and irrigated agriculture. Daily water consumption for household needs in rural areas is 50 liters per person, in cities - 150 liters.

A huge amount of water is used in industry. For the smelting of 1 ton of steel, 200 m 3 of water is needed, and for the manufacture of 1 ton of synthetic fiber - from 2500 to 5000 m 3. Industry absorbs 85% of all water used in cities.

More water is needed for irrigation. During the year, 12-14 m 3 of water is consumed per 1 ha of irrigated land. In our country, more than 150 km 3 is annually spent on irrigation.

The constant increase in water consumption on the planet leads to the danger of "water hunger", which necessitates the development of measures for the rational use of water resources. In addition to the high level of water consumption, the shortage of water is caused by its growing pollution due to the discharge of industrial and especially chemical waste into the rivers. Bacterial pollution and toxic chemicals (such as phenol) lead to the death of water bodies. Mole rafting of timber along the rivers, which is often accompanied by traffic jams, also has harmful consequences. When wood stays in water for a long time, it loses its business qualities, and the substances washed out of it have a detrimental effect on fish.

Rivers and lakes also receive mineral fertilizers washed out from the soil by rains - nitrates and phosphates, which in high concentrations can dramatically change the species composition of water bodies, as well as various pesticides - pesticides used in agriculture for pest control. For aerobic organisms living in fresh waters, the discharge of warm water by enterprises is also an unfavorable factor. In warm water, oxygen is poorly soluble and its deficiency can lead many organisms to death.

Pollution of the oceans. The waters of the seas and oceans are exposed to significant pollution. With river runoff, as well as from maritime transport, pathogenic wastes, oil products, salts of heavy metals, toxic organic compounds, including pesticides, enter the seas. Pollution of the seas and oceans reaches such proportions that in some cases caught fish and shellfish are unsuitable for human consumption.

Anthropogenic changes in the soil. The fertile soil layer is formed for a very long time. At the same time, tens of millions of tons of nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus, the main components of plant nutrition, are removed from the soil along with the harvest every year. Humus, the main factor of soil fertility, is contained in chernozems in an amount of less than 5% of the mass of the arable layer. On poor soils, humus is even less. In the absence of soil replenishment with nitrogen compounds, its reserve can be used up in 50-100 years. This does not happen, since cultural agriculture involves the application of organic and inorganic (mineral) fertilizers to the soil.

The nitrogen fertilizers introduced into the soil are used by plants by 40-50%. The rest is reduced by microorganisms to gaseous substances, volatilizes into the atmosphere or is washed out of the soil. Thus, mineral nitrogen fertilizers are quickly consumed, so they have to be applied annually. With insufficient use of organic and inorganic fertilizers, the soil is depleted and crops fall. Unfavorable changes in the soil also occur as a result of incorrect crop rotations, that is, the annual sowing of the same crops, such as potatoes.

Erosion (corrosion) is one of the anthropogenic changes in the soil. Erosion is the destruction and demolition of the soil cover by water flows or wind. Water erosion is widespread and most destructive. It occurs on the slopes and develops with improper cultivation of the land. Together with melt and rainwater, millions of tons of soil are annually carried away from the fields into rivers and seas. If nothing prevents erosion, small gullies turn into deeper ones and, finally, into ravines.

Wind erosion occurs in areas with dry bare soil, with sparse vegetation. Excessive grazing in the steppes and semi-deserts contributes to wind erosion and the rapid destruction of the grass cover. It takes 250-300 years to restore a layer of soil 1 cm thick under natural conditions. Consequently, dust storms bring irreparable losses of the fertile soil layer.

Significant areas with formed soils are withdrawn from agricultural circulation due to the open method of mining minerals occurring at shallow depths. Open-pit mining is cheap, as it eliminates the construction of expensive mines and a complex system of communications, and is also safer. Dug deep quarries and dumps of soil destroy not only the lands to be developed, but also the surrounding territories, while the hydrological regime of the area is disturbed, water, soil and atmosphere are polluted, and crop yields are reduced.

Human influence on flora and fauna. Human impact on wildlife consists of direct influence and indirect changes in the natural environment. One of the forms of direct impact on plants and animals is deforestation. Selective and sanitary cuttings, which regulate the composition and quality of the forest and are necessary for the removal of damaged and diseased trees, do not significantly affect the species composition of forest biocenoses. Another thing is the clear-cutting of a tree stand. Once suddenly in an open habitat, the plants of the lower tiers of the forest are adversely affected by direct solar radiation. In shade-loving plants of the herbaceous and shrub layers, chlorophyll is destroyed, growth is inhibited, and some species disappear. Light-loving plants that are resistant to high temperatures and lack of moisture settle on the site of clearings. The animal world is also changing: the species associated with the forest stand disappear or migrate to other places.

A tangible impact on the condition of the vegetation cover is exerted by the massive visitation of forests by vacationers and tourists. In these cases, the harmful effect consists in trampling, soil compaction and its pollution. The direct influence of man on the animal world is the extermination of species that are food or other material benefits for him. It is believed that since 1600 more than 160 species and subspecies of birds and at least 100 species of mammals have been exterminated by man. The long list of extinct species includes the tour - a wild bull that lived throughout Europe. In the XVIII century. was exterminated described by the Russian naturalist G.V. Steller's sea cow (Steller's cow) is an aquatic mammal belonging to the siren order. A little over a hundred years ago, the wild horse tarpan, which lived in southern Russia, disappeared. Many species of animals are on the verge of extinction or have survived only in nature reserves. Such is the fate of the bison, who inhabited the prairies of North America by tens of millions, and of the bison, formerly widespread in the forests of Europe. In the Far East, the sika deer is almost completely exterminated. Intensified cetacean fishing has brought to the brink of extinction several species of whales: gray, bowhead, blue.

The number of animals is also influenced by human economic activities not related to fishing. The number of the Ussuri tiger has sharply decreased. This happened as a result of the development of territories within its range and the reduction of the food supply. In the Pacific Ocean, several tens of thousands of dolphins die every year: during the fishing period, they get into the nets and cannot get out of them. Until recently, before the adoption of special measures by fishermen, the number of dolphins dying in nets reached hundreds of thousands. Marine mammals are very adversely affected by water pollution. In such cases, the ban on trapping of animals is ineffective. For example, after the ban on catching dolphins in the Black Sea, their numbers are not restored. The reason is that many toxic substances enter the Black Sea with river water and through the straits from the Mediterranean Sea. These substances are especially harmful to baby dolphins, whose high mortality prevents the growth of the number of these cetaceans.

The disappearance of a relatively small number of animal and plant species may not seem very significant. Each species occupies a certain place in the biocenosis, in the chain and no one can replace it. The disappearance of a particular species leads to a decrease in the stability of biocenoses. More importantly, each species has unique, unique properties. The loss of the genes that determine these properties and are selected in the course of long evolution deprives a person of the opportunity to use them in the future for his practical purposes (for example, for selection).

Radioactive contamination of the biosphere. The problem of radioactive contamination arose in 1945 after the explosion of atomic bombs dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Nuclear weapons tests carried out before 1963 in the atmosphere caused global radioactive contamination. During the explosion of atomic bombs, very strong ionizing radiation occurs, radioactive particles are scattered over long distances, infecting the soil, water bodies, and living organisms. Many radioactive isotopes have long half-lives, remaining hazardous throughout their lifetime. All these isotopes are included in the circulation of substances, enter living organisms and have a detrimental effect on cells.

Nuclear weapons testing (and even more so when these weapons are used for military purposes) has another negative side. At nuclear explosion a huge amount of fine dust is formed, which is kept in the atmosphere and absorbs a significant part of solar radiation. Calculations by scientists around the world show that even with a limited, local use of nuclear weapons, the resulting dust will retain most of the solar radiation. There will be a long cold snap (“nuclear winter”), which will inevitably lead to the death of all life on Earth.

At present, almost any territory of the planet from the Arctic to Antarctica is subject to diverse anthropogenic influences. The consequences of the destruction of natural biocenoses and environmental pollution have become very serious. The entire biosphere is under ever-increasing pressure from human activity, so environmental protection measures are becoming an urgent task.

Acid atmospheric impacts on land. One of the most acute global problems of today and the foreseeable future is the problem of increasing acidity of precipitation and soil cover. Areas of acidic soils do not know droughts, but their natural fertility is lowered and unstable; they are rapidly depleted and yields are low. Acid rain causes not only acidification of surface waters and upper soil horizons. Acidity with downward water flows extends to the entire soil profile and causes significant acidification of groundwater. Acid rain occurs as a result of human activities, accompanied by the emission of colossal amounts of oxides of sulfur, nitrogen, carbon. These oxides, entering the atmosphere, are transported over long distances, interact with water and turn into solutions of a mixture of sulfurous, sulfuric, nitrous, nitric and carbonic acids, which fall in the form of "acid rain" on land, interacting with plants, soils, waters. The main sources in the atmosphere are the burning of shale, oil, coal, gas in industry, agriculture, and at home. Human economic activity has almost doubled the release of sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, hydrogen sulfide and carbon monoxide into the atmosphere. Naturally, this affected the increase in the acidity of atmospheric precipitation, ground and ground waters. To solve this problem, it is necessary to increase the volume of systematic representative measurements of atmospheric pollutant compounds over large areas.