Human activities significantly affect the planet’s ecology and biodiversity in a highly negative way. Humans are responsible for the contamination of water and soil, and the emission of hazardous gases that deplete the ozone layer, create the greenhouse effect, and contribute to climate change (Lipczynska-Kochany, 2018). In other words, human activities will influence individuals, communities, populations, species, ecosystems, and ecological networks.
Climate change will have multiple negative effects on the planet’s ecology and biodiversity, including sea-level rise due to glacial melting, weather patterns change, and animal extinction. Extreme weather events will have a destructive effect on the planet’s ecosystem. While one area will be covered with water, other regions will suffer from droughts, heat waves, sandstorms, and wildfires. Mass desertification and water scarcity may be regarded as one more potential effect of climate change (Gosling & Arnell, 2016).
Moreover, people will suffer from all types of natural disasters and various infections, such as dengue fever and malaria, and food poisoning. All endangered breeds of animals will disappear, and millions of species that currently live will become extinct due to massive deforestation and a lack of fresh water (Urban, 2015). Moreover, climate change will decrease the populations’ genetic diversity due to rapid migration and directional selection that will hurt the resilience and functioning of the planet’s ecosystem.
As humans are constantly developing, evolution will continue after a million years as well. However, substantial climate change will affect the physical appearance, life span, and lifestyle of humans. For instance, human skin will become darker due to the increased level of radiation, as the ozone layer will not be able to protect the planet as before. A lack of oxygen will cause the enlargement of the lungs and the thoracic cage. In general, the glacial melting, multiple natural disasters, floods and droughts, and various infections may stop the development of humans and their technological progress. People will return to the primitive level of life that will be characterized by hunting and gathering. Life span will potentially decrease due to severe food poisonings and various infections.
The habitat of humans will significantly depend on the areas’ environmental conditions. Although the part of the population may adapt to life in the flooded territories, a prevalent number of humans will settle in terrestrial biomes. Constant natural disasters, such as tornadoes, hurricanes, and wildfires, will not let people construct high sustainable buildings. Moreover, communities will suffer from the shortage of food and fresh water, as climate change will result in glacial melting and ocean acidification that will negatively influence marine life and the entire food chain. In addition, a lack of supplies will be caused by rising sea levels that will destroy a substantial part of agricultural land.
Concerning the interactions between species and humans in particular, due to natural calamities and the spread of disease, the problem with the planet’s overpopulation may be solved in the future. However, people may be divided into separate groups, and the contacts between these communities will be substantively limited. Such segregation may negatively influence the genetic diversity of people. At the same time, the effects of climate change will have a substantial impact on wildlife as animals have insignificant chances to adapt to climate change in comparison with people. The extinction of numerous species and potential isolation caused by environmental conditions will affect the food chain as the balance between predators and prey may be destroyed in particular areas.
References
Gosling, S. N., & Arnell, N. W. (2016). A global assessment of the impact of climate change on water scarcity. Climatic Change, 134, 371-385.
Lipczynska-Kochany, E. (2018). Effect of climate change on humic substances and associated impacts on the quality of surface water and groundwater: A review. Science of the Total Environment, 640-641, 1548-1565. Web.
Urban, M. C. (2015). Accelerating extinction risk from climate change. Science, 348(6234), 571-573. Web.