23: Deforestation Flashcards
What type of succession is the one that occurs after a wildfire?
secondary succession
What is deforestation?
the clearing and loss of forest
- humans alter, fragment, and eliminate forests
What are the purposes of deforestation?
- to convert the land for agricultural use (raise cattle and grow crops)
- for new settlements, as population grows
- logging for firewood
- logging for lumber
- extraction of minerals
- increasing forest fires due to climate change
How many people rely on firewood?
about 2 billion people in the world rely on firewood for heating and cooking ; 25% of the human population
Why is cooking on an open fire dangerous?
releases poisonous carbon monoxide and releases greenhouse gases like CO2
What is happening to Haiti?
the use of wood as fuel has led to the deforestation of Haiti
What is land conversion?
forests are converted into farmland, settlements, highways, etc.
What is happening to the Amazon?
Brazil cut down the equivalent of the State of Connecticut in the last year of trees for their trans Amazonian highway project
What is slash and burn agriculture?
under this practice, trees are cut down, allowed to dry and then burned
- by doing this, the soil becomes nutrient rich, then the clear patch of land can be used to grow crops or cattle
What is subsistence agriculture?
a farming family only produces food for themselves
