deforestation & land use Flashcards
list 5 ways humans reduce the amount of land available
-quarrying
-building
-crop growing
-farming
-waste dumping
what are bogs?
areas of land that are acidic and waterlogged
how is peat formed?
-plants that live in bogs don’t fully decay as there’s not enough oxygen
-gradually build up to form peat
what is stored in peat and why?
carbon as plants don’t fully decay so it isn’t released to the environment
what is peat used for?
-drained to be used as farmland
-cut up and dried to be used as fuel
-sold as compost
what is the issue with destroying bogs?
-destroys habitats of some of the animals, plants and microorganisms so reduces biodiversity
what is the issue with draining peat?
-comes into more contact with air and microorganisms start to decompose it
-when microorganisms respire, they use oxygen and release carbon dioxide contributing to global warming
what is the issue with burning peat as fuel?
-carbon dioxide is released contributing to global warming
what is the impact of quarrying?
-destroys habitats
what is the impact of dumping waste?
-more pollution occurs
deforestation
the cutting down of forests
why does large-scale deforestation occur?
-provide land for cattle and rice fields
-grow crops for biofuels
what is the issue with cattle and rice fields?
both release methane which contributes to global warming
what are the 3 main issues with deforestation?
-less carbon dioxide taken in as photosynthesis is reduced due to the lack of trees
-more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere as it is released when trees are burnt and microorganisms feed on bits of dead wood release carbon dioxide as a waste product of respiration
-less biodiversity as habitats are destroyed
