Ch 25 A Sustainable World Flashcards
what is deforestation
when large areas of forest are destroyed to make way for non forest use e.g. housing
what are the negative effects of deforestation
overgrazing leads to increased rate of soil erosion
after trees are removed there are less products to produce oxygen and remove carbon dioxide
the opportunity to research many natural raw materials are lost
what does extinct mean
there are no members of the species left alive e.g. otters, cornflowers
name three methods of preventing species extinctions
nature reserves
zoo breeding programmes
seed banks
what is conservation
the careful management of the Earth’s natural resources to prevent species from becoming extinct
what is pollution
pollution happens when harmful substances are added to the environment
what are the three main sources of pollution
- Agricultural
- Industrial
- Domestic
what is desertification
the land becomes more arid and the species that once lived there are lost
what is enrichment
when fertilizers are spread, the burritos can be washed off the soil and into rivers and lakeshore
explain industrial pollution
the burning of fossil fuels releases smoke and dust, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and lead which pollute the air. if fossil fuels aren’t fully burned, smoke particles are released into the air. these particles can combine with fog to form smog over cities
what is littering
the careless disposal of rubbish
what problems does littering cause
it can be a health hazard
animals can get caught in it and die
it is unsightly
what is the greenhouse effect
when greenhouse gases act like a blanket trapping the heat from the sun near the earths surface
what is global warming
the increased greenhouse effect is causing the earth to become warmer
what are the effects of global warming
earths weather patterns will change
sea levels will rise
loss of polar ice caps
range of disease carrying insects may increase
