Paper 2 - Human Influences

Question 1

What is the effect of leaching?

Answer 1

• Farmers add nitrate-rich fertiliser to encourage plant/crop growth
• Rain causes fertiliser to run off into rivers (leaching)
• Express nitrate causes algae to bloom
• Algae blocks out sunlight cause other plants to die due to being unable to carry out photosynthesis
• Decomposers break down dead plants but aerobically respirate so take up all of the O2 in the water
• So fish die

Question 2

What is the effect of soil erosion?

Answer 2

• Roots cannot provide an anchorage point
• So soil can be displaces by water

Question 3

What is the effect of disturbance of evotranspiration?

Answer 3

• Reduced evapotranspiration rate decreases water in the atmosphere
• Changes rain patterns

Question 4

What is the effect of disturbing the balance of CO2 and O2?

Answer 4

• Less CO2 removed from atmosphere
• Enhanced greenhouse effect