Nature, Extent, Causes and Consequences of Land Cover Change

Question 1

Define land cover change

Answer 1

Land cover are changes taken place to natural environment due to human-induced (agriculture, urban areas, mining or forestry) causes, natural causes can be included such as cyclones, bushfires or tsunamis

Question 2

Define Climate change

Answer 2

A long term permanent shift in some/or all parts of weather conditions (rainfall, temp. atmosphere composition and conditions) and must occur over a prolonged period of time

Question 3

Agricultural environments

Answer 3

• Plant and animal farming to sustain + enhance human life (anthropogenic biome)
• Types of agriculture: commercial, subsistence & intensive farming
• Farming + nature impact each other + contribute to land cover change as population ^

Question 4

Urban environments

Answer 4

Consist any area of concentrated settlement forms, buildings of non-primary and non-agricultural forms of production (anthropogenic biomes)
- Approx. 50% of all people live in cities w/ large no. of buildings in limited space

Question 5

Biodiversity loss

Answer 5

• Any change on landcover has potential to impact in biodiversity of natural environments and ecosystems
• Biodiversity: number, type and variety of biotic (living) organisms found in an environment or system
• Biodiv. loss = is a decrease in (definition)

Question 6

Affluence

Answer 6

• Having a great deal of money and wealth
• E.g. 20% world’s population & 10% of wealth
• E.g. high level of wealth a country has, the high demand for resources & technology

Question 7

What are the 3 main factors that influence the world’s population and it’s growth rates in the future they are

Answer 7

• humans living much longer
• majority of all population growth will occur in urban areas in developing nations
• fertility rates are declining

Question 8

Define deforestation

Answer 8

• Removal or cleaning of forests generally for agriculture and urban development
• • E.g. fires, clear-cutting for agriculture and logging for timber and degradation for agriculture

Question 9

Define Land reclamation

Answer 9

• where land is gained or created from the sea, wetlands or riverbeds
• e.g. Flevo polder in the Netherlands which is the largest artificial island in the world.

Question 10

Define Expansion & intensification of agriculture

Answer 10

• E.I.A = increasing amount land available —> used for agricultural activities
• deforestation of valuable forest ecosystems + other vulnerable land being cleared

Question 11

Define Industry and mining

Answer 11

• Mining is very important in Australia
  
  • (2014): Australia exports of minerals and energy was valued at $195 billion (is essential element to Australia economy)
  • Australia’s largest open cut gold mine changed land cover of the area + impacted the local environment

Question 12

Define Irrigation

Answer 12

• artificial method of watering plants for agriculture
• asia has 68% of area with equipped with irrigation
• water issues can arise when regions or more share water resources

Question 13

Define loss of food security

Answer 13

Local/regional population is resilient in the event of ecological or natural disasters affecting their food supply.

Question 14

Define monoculture

Answer 14

One type of crop is produced in an anthropogenic biome, often referred to as a monoculture

Question 15

Define pathogens

Answer 15

Health concerns may results due to food shortages or the presence of unmanageable levels of wildlife pathogens

Question 16

Define loss of energy security

Answer 16

Wood as fuel provides over half the energy needs of all less developed countries (LDCs)

Question 17

Define difficulty in providing clean water

Answer 17

Cheaper and efficient to maintain healthy ecosystem in the watershed area than to filtrate water with use of human-made structures

Question 18

Define watershed

Answer 18

Area of land where the water drains into rivers and dams

Question 19

Define loss of social relations

Answer 19

Connections and storyline’s help explain and define the order of social relationships and interactions within the local tribal groups and wider society

Question 20

Define loss of freedom of choice can occur

Answer 20

Local communities will have decreased access to a wider variety of commodities and the ability to earn income from their production

Question 21

Define invasion by non-native species

Answer 21

Potential loss of invasion resistance which means non-native species can invade local biomes and reduce the biodiversity of the area

Question 22

Define the lack of pollination of plants

Answer 22

Reduction of bees; essential to pollination process required for many fruits and vegetables

Question 23

Define the impact of climate regulation

Answer 23

Forests play important role in affecting carbon storage, albedo, evapotranspiration, rising temp.’s and fire regimes