1 / 19

OPAL Air Survey

This comprehensive overview explores the composition and significance of air, detailing its critical role for life on Earth. It emphasizes the key components of air, including nitrogen and oxygen, and the impact of human activities on air quality, particularly concerning nitrogen pollution. The document introduces bio-indicators like lichens and invertebrates as vital tools for monitoring environmental health. It discusses the harmful effects of air pollution such as smog and acid rain and outlines an engaging survey activity to assess lichen biodiversity as an indicator of air quality.

dugan
Download Presentation

OPAL Air Survey

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. OPAL Air Survey

  2. What is air? • Air is a mixture of gases • Nitrogen 78.09%, Oxygen 20.95%, 1% other

  3. Why is it important?

  4. Life on earth Animals Plants Humans

  5. Humans Inhale : Oxygen (O2) Exhale : Carbon dioxide (CO2)

  6. Air pollution Sources : Vehicles Factories Houses Aerosols Farming Effects: Smog Acid rain Climate change

  7. Nitrogen pollution • Sources: Car fumes, factories, fertilisers • Problem: Producing too much nitrogen • Effects: Acid rain, harming ecosystems, contributing to global warming

  8. Where do you find the most nitrogen pollution? Countryside Suburban City

  9. Bio-indicators • Bio-indicators are living organisms that can be used to monitor the health of an environment or ecosystem. Examples include: • Canaries used by coal miners • Invertebrates in streams e.g. Mayfly nymph

  10. What is a lichen? I have a flattened body I have no roots I have no stem I have no leaves

  11. Lichens – Two lives in one • A lichen is a partnership between a fungus and an alga. • The fungus (mycobiont) provides protection and the alga (photobiont) provides food. • Reproduce by fragmentation or through soredia

  12. Symbiosisor controlled parasitism? • By existing together they can live in places they couldn’t survive on their own.

  13. Where do lichens grow? • Anywhere – even in the most extreme environments Hot Cold African deserts Rocky shores Alpine peaks

  14. Lichen biodiversity • 18,000 identified worldwide 1,700 in Britain • Some lichens are more tolerant to pollution than others Bushy Leafy Crusty I hate nitrogen! I nitrogen!

  15. Spot the lichen 1 2 3

  16. Activity 1 – lichens on trees • Sample 4 deciduous trees – un shaded • Identify the tree species • Measure the girth of the tree • Identify all indicator lichens on one face of the trunk • Look at the twigs of the tree – record lichens • Record insects that you see 1 2 3 4

  17. Tar spot • Fungus Rhytisma acerinum • Sensitive to pollution • Growth is reduced by sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen • The more tar spot the less polluted the air Count as 2 spots

  18. Make your results count Website : www.OPALexplorenature.org Results can also be posted in for free! Enjoy the survey!!!!

More Related