Discuss the responses with the students. In many industrialized countries technology has provided a way for farmers to grow crops that yield much more than was previously possible. Technology does not come without a price. Pesticides, used to rid crops of pests that would normally decrease the crop yields, have in many cases proved to be toxic to other species in the environment as well. Pesticides have negatively affected the lithosphere, the biosphere, and the hydrosphere.
Agriculture is also a threat in third world countries.
The tropical rain forests in South America and in Africa are being cleared to grow crops to feed the increasing populations in those countries. Many species of both plants and animals in the rain forests are losing a battle of survival in the name of progress. B. Living space - Ask the students to look at a map or globe of the Earth. Have the students list 10 or 20 of the most populated areas on the planet. Have the students determine the common factors of the sparsely populated areas.