Human populations in ecosystem development and sustainability
Human populations both shape ecosystems and depend on them. Growing populations and economic development can disrupt natural ecosystem processes, making long-term sustainability harder to achieve.
Real World
In the Amazon basin, cattle ranching has converted over 800,000 km² of rainforest to pasture since the 1970s, interrupting ecological succession and reducing the forest's capacity to cycle water — threatening regional rainfall patterns that South American agriculture depends on.
Exam Focus
Show two-way interaction: explain how humans alter ecosystems AND how ecosystem change then affects human populations.
Essay Framework
Use PEEL to structure every paragraph. Tap each step for guidance and an example.
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