Human Env - land degradation Flashcards
“Referring to either a named rainforest or a semi-arid area you have studied, describe the causes of land degradation on the area” - unlikely
Deforestation - demand for wood for cooking by women - removes roots binding soil together - soil becomes easily eroded & tress cant regrow - infertile soil as no nutrients
Overuse of irrigation - excess water is applied and water is left on soil in water surface run off - becomes waterlogged and salt accumulates poisoning crops - soil temp increases cause no absorption & reflection - leads to deforestation
Overcultivation - growing same crops on same piece of land - soil neutrinos decrease - nutrient depletion and reduce yields - heavy - machienry can then compact the solid if used - steep and arid land then used for the crops
Population increase - high births and low deaths increase population - animals such as cattle/sheep/goats overgraze vegetation cause of how many there are needed for human consumption- Overcultivation - loss of soil depth and fertility - breaks down soil structure
“ describe strategies used to manage rural land degradation, and comment on the effectiveness of these strategies” - common appearance
The place studies
The Sahel Zone
The effects of land degradation - likely to appear
Loss of fertile topsoil through water or wind erosion - leading to the inability of the land to support vegetation - food supply becomes scarce/limited for farmers and their families so they use all their finances for buying food from others in fear of starvation - because scarce they are pricey - leaves families in dangers of the elements as they cannot pay for both food and housing.
Land has become barren and dry as the soil has lost its nutrients - creates rural migration into overcrowded urban areas in the south of the Sahel - because lack of food because land cannot grow crops so they seek crops from elsewhere - conflict happens over these land/resources as people are forced to move - growth of large refugee camps e.g in Mali and caused more pressure on shanty towns
