GEOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Other human acitivities which can have lasting effects on wetland ecosystems include stream channelization, dam construction, discharge of industrial wastes and municipal sewage (point source pollution) and runoff urban and agricultural areas (non-point source pollution).

Detailed explanation-2: -Pollutants such as motor oil leaked on parking lots, plastic grocery bags, pesticides, fertilizers, detergents, and sediments are known as nonpoint source pollutants. Stormwater runoff from nonpoint source pollution is one of the most significant threats to aquatic ecosystems in the United States.

Detailed explanation-3: -Deforestation, habitat loss, and agricultural activities. Removing trees and plants, plowing fields, and overgrazing by livestock disrupts roots that stabilize sediment and soil. These human activities can increase erosion rates 10 to 100 times that of non-human geologic processes.

Detailed explanation-4: -How do human activities affect water quality? Urban and industrial development, farming, mining, combustion of fossil fuels, stream-channel alteration, animal-feeding operations, and other human activities can change the quality of natural waters.