Deforestation and Eutrophication

Question 1

What is deforestation?

Answer 1

The chopping down and removal of trees to clear an area of forest typically for non-natural/economic reasons.

Question 2

Consequences of deforestation

Answer 2

1. Less evapotranspiration: less trees result in less transpiration which can make the local climate, much drier.
2. Leeching: as water runs through the soil, it will dissolve the minerals along the way leaving the soil denuded of essential minerals for plant growth and resulting in infertile soil.
3. Soil erosion: when it rains, soil then gets washed away as there are no tree roots holding it in place anymore. Soil gets easily eroded.
4. More co2, less oxygen: When trees are cut, their stored Co2 is released back into the atmosphere, increasing greenhouse gases. Additionally burning trees also releases more co2 into the atmosphere (burning trees can also lead to animal suffocation). Less trees are available for the consumption of this co2. And there is an imbalance of o2 and xo2 in the atmosphere.

Question 3

What is eutrophication?

Answer 3

A type of water pollution caused untreated sewage from humans, nitrates from fertilisers and pesticides, typically resulting in an excessive growth of plants/algae

Question 4

Process of eutrophication

Answer 4

Fertilisers get washed into the lakes/rivers through rain & from soil. Sewage gets leaked and released into the water systems.

This causes rapid growth of algae, forming algae bloom which BLOCKS sunlight.

Plants underneath algae bloom die due to the lack of sunlight for photosynthesis.

Plants then get decayed and broken down by bacteria, consuming all the oxygen in the water.

Water becomes ANOXIC as all the oxygen levels drop. Other aquatic life die due to lack of oxygen and most biodiversity is then lost.