Deforestation and the Destruction of Peat Bogs

Question 1

What is deforestation?

Answer 1

The cutting down of forests.

Question 2

Why is deforestation done?

Answer 2

1) To provide timber to use as a building material
2) To clear more land for farming, to:
- provide ore food
- grow crops from which biofuels bade on ethanol can be produced
3) To produce paper from wood

Question 3

What are the 4 main problems of deforestation?

Answer 3

1) More methane in the atmosphere
2) More carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
3) Less carbon dioxide taken in
4) Less biodiversity

Question 4

Explain why ‘more methane in the atmosphere’ is a problem caused by deforestation

Answer 4

Rice and Cattle are grown on land that has been ‘deforested’

1) Rice is grown in warm, waterlogged conditions - ideal for decomposers. These organisms produce methane, so more is released into the atmosphere
2) Cattle produce methane and rearing cattle means more methane is released

Question 5

Explain why ‘More carbon dioxide in the atmosphere ‘ is a problem caused by deforestation

Answer 5

1) CO2 is released when trees are burnt to clear land

2) Microorganisms feeding on bits of dead wood release CO2 as a waste product of respiration

Question 6

Explain why ‘Less carbon dioxide taken in’ is a problem caused by deforestation

Answer 6

Cutting down loads of tress means that the amount of CO2 removed from the atmosphere during photosynthesis is reduced.
More CO2 in the atmosphere causes global warming which leads to climate change

Question 7

Explain why ‘Less biodiversity’ is a problem caused by deforestation

Answer 7

Habitats (eg, tropical rainforests) contain many different species so when they are destroyed these species may become extinct - biodiversity is reduced
There are probably lots of useful products we’ll never no about because the organisms that produce the have become extinct. Newly discovered plants and animals are a great source of new foods, new fibres for clothing and new medicines

Question 8

What is biodiversity?

Answer 8

The variety of different species in a habitat - the more species the greater the biodiversity

Question 9

What are bogs? How is peat formed?

Answer 9

Areas of land that are acidic and waterlogged. Plants that live in bogs don’t fully decay when they die, because there’s not enough oxygen. The partly-rotted plants gradually build up to form peat.

Question 10

So the carbon in plants is stored in the [ ] instead of being released into the [ ].

Answer 10

peat

atmosphere

Question 11

Peat bogs are often [ ] so that the area can be used as [ ] , or the peat is cut up and dried up to use as [ ]. Peat is also sold as [ ]

Answer 11

drained
farmland
fuel
compost

Question 12

What happens once peat bogs are drained?

Answer 12

Peat starts to decompose so CO2 is released adding to the greenhouse effect