1. Create a system diagram of how H.I.P.P.O affects biodiversity, and how that effects us as humans.

2. In 200-250 words, describe your diagram and give explanation to the connections in the system.

For my system diagram, I chose to have the Human Population at the center, because we as humans hold much of the blame for loss of biodiversity on this planet. Also, a loss of biodiversity will ultimately come back to affect the human population negatively. First, humans add an incredible amount of pollution into the air, water, ground, and everything in between. We are responsible for dumping chemicals into rivers and streams, as well as garbage in the oceans. Fracking releases harmful chemicals into the ground, which can seep into groundwater reservoirs and expose humans and animals alike to their harsh effects. Another example is bioaccumulation, which was described in the module. Next, there are a number of examples of humans bringing invasive species into new environments, which harm the ecosystems of that area. Invasive species will take over habitats, making it impossible for the indigenous animals to survive. The invasive species may hunt prey that previously was not prey, or they may simply push out indigenous species. Humans are also affecting biodiversity by over harvesting resources that were previously kept in balance and harvested in limitedly. An example of this is over-fishing, were species are being irradiated by industries harvesting enormous amounts of fish to keep up with the heavy demand. Lastly, the human population itself is expanding at a exponential rate. This expanse, which requires more use of land and resources, is a direct cause for biodiversity. As more humans take up space and cities increase in size, we leave no room for animal or plant species which need stable, clean environments to thrive. With this expanse, also comes deforestation, which attributes to habitat loss. This is also an example of over harvesting. All of these things attribute to the loss of biodiversity on this planet, which ultimately hurts the Earth. Without a stable, clean planet to live on, our species may be the bringers of our own destruction.

3. Describe the biodiversity your hometown, and anything that might cause a loss of biodiversity in the environment in 200-250 words.

The biggest affect that my hometown community has on the loss of biodiversity is habitat loss. This is because the surrounding areas around my house and town are littered with large, expansive farms that produce many varieties of food and crops. This has required a large amount of deforestation over a long period of time, but relatively this is of little consequence. Despite the incredible amount of large farms surrounding my hometown, there is also an even larger amount of untouched wilderness, which remains relatively clean for all the species which reside there. Large amounts of land are protected by the state and federal governments in order to keep them in the most pristine condition, in hopes to limit the communities effect not the environment. In addition, there are not many large companies with large amounts of waste to get rid of in my communities. There is only one large plant, which does little to the environment if at all. There is no over harvesting, but there is excessive hunting. Without this though, there would be an overpopulation of deer in the area, and this would lead to a disrupted ecosystem, more car accidents, and less crops. Overall, my hometown of Erie, Pa is a relatively low impacting community on biodiversity.