Last socials test - Land issues notes Flashcards
The deterioration of the productive capacity of the soil for either present or future use.
Land Degradation
What are the four categories of land degradation?
-Erosion
-Chemical Deterioration
-Physical Deterioration
-Desertification
The removal of nutrient rich topsoil by wind or water action.
Erosion
The deterioration of soil from the loss of nutrients as a result of leaching, salinization, acidification, or pollution.
Chemical deterioration
The degradation of land caused by compaction, water logging, or subsidence.
Physical deterioration
The degradation of land through human activities such as agriculture that reduces soil productivity to the point where land resembles a desert.
Desertification
What are the 5 ways humans speed up land degradation
-Deforestation
-Overgrazing
-Overuse of natural vegetation
-Urban/industrial pollution
-Urbanization & urban sprawl
When land is cleared for timber or agricultural use which exposes the soil to erosion.
Deforestation
When too many livestock graze on a particular area which destroys the vegetation and exposes the soil to erosion.
Overgrazing
When people strip the natural vegetation of an area for fuel and building materials leading to erosion.
Overuse of natural vegetation
When the productive capacity of soil is reduced by pollution and it is than unusable for farming.
Urban/ industrial pollution
When expanding towns and cities take over more land that had been used as farmland as well as wildlife habitat.
Urbanization and urban sprawl
What are the 6 groundwater threats
-Pavement
-Runoff
-Wells
-Irrigation
-Over consumption
-Loss of habitat
What are the 4 types of chemical deterioration
-Leaching
-Salinization
-Acidification
-Pollutants
