Rural Flashcards
Human environments P1
Causes of Land degradation
Physical
A lack of rainfall results in droughts which dries out the soil.
Dried out top soil is exposed to being blown away by wind or being washed away by flash floods.
During flash floods, most water is lost to surface run-off and there is very little infiltration of water into the soil.
Human
Overcultivation is a result of farmers not leaving the soil to rest in between harvests. This causes the soil to lose its nutrients.
Rising populations have put more pressure on farmers to grow more food.
Rising population has also increased herd sizes grazing in the Sahel which increases the compaction of the soil by animals walking over it.
Overgrazing by animals strips the soil of vegetation, leaving it exposed to erosion by wind/water.
Rising populations also accelerate deforestation as trees are used for fuel. Trees help bind the soil together.
Cash crops are grown to be sold for profit but if a farmer grows too many of them it strips the soil of its nutrients and can lead to the soil becoming infertile.
Impacts of RLD
Desertification has led to the southward expansion of the Sahara Desert into the Sahel.
In the last 50 years 65 million hectares of the Sahel have turned into desert.
The loss of fertile topsoil through wind/water erosion can lead to the soil being unable to support vegetation (crops)
Farmers have lost their income as a result of poor crop yields
A loss of income may mean that farmers cannot afford paying for things such as education
Crop failure leads to a reduction in food supply
Food supply issues lead to malnutrition and famine
Problems in rural areas lead to migration into already overcrowded urban areas which could result in the growth of shanty towns
Reduction in grazing areas and water are threatening the nomadic way of life, forcing them to settle in villages which increases the pressure on services in these areas.
Some countries are becoming increasingly reliant on international aid to gain access to food and water. This has an impact on development as debt repayments are high.
Stratagies to reduce RLD
Fuel efficient stoves
These use approximately half of the fuelwood as a traditional open fire.
A cheaper alternative to other fuels such as kerosene.
Ripple Africa is a charity that has supplied households with fuel efficient stoves.
Fanya Juu Terraces
This involves digging a drainage channel and throwing the soil uphill to create a ridge.
The ridge prevents the soil being eroded by water as it increases infiltration
This is easy to do and doesn’t require any additional skills/technology
It is labour intensive to do and maintain.
Reduce Herd Sizes
Reducing herd sizes reduces the effects of compaction
Farmers are not always willing to do this as they don’t want to lose a valuable cash source.
This is also a culturally sensitive issue as traditionally, an individual’s status within a tribe is based on the size of his herd.
Afforestation
Planting new trees will held bind the soil together
Trees provide a windbreak to reduce wind erosion
Trees take a long time to grow so this strategy is time consuming
The Great Green Wall has restored 1.2 million hectare of land in Niger
The Acacia tree produces gum which can be sold for profit.
Depending on the species of tree, they may also provide food
Manage grazing areas
Moving the fencing allows farmers to control grazing to prevent overgrazing which will allow the soil to recover
The cost of the material to make fences may be unaffordable and also is typically made from wood.
This involves villages and tribes having to work together when tensions may be high.
Education
Educating farmers about proper irrigation techniques will reduce the risk of salinisation which can cause the soil to become infertile.
This does not cost anything
However, proper irrigation is expensive and therefore farmers may be unable to change their techniques even if they wanted to.
Stone lines
Stone lines are placed along the contours of gently sloping land to promote infiltration which allows fertile top soil to accumulate
This is a simple technology which involves the whole community
Stone lines can double the yield of some crops such as groundnuts
Rural land use conflicts and solutions
Conflicts
Traffic congestion on rural narrow roads (e.g. Kingussie) leads to high levels of air and noise pollution
Tourists park on grass verges leading to erosion
Tourists wander off footpaths widening them (e.g. Ben Macdhui)
Stone walls can be damaged by people climbing over them
Litter if eaten by wildlife or livestock can harm or kill them
Tourists leave gates open causing farm animals to escape
Dogs off leads can worry sheep leading to miscarriages this will reduce the farmers income due to vet bills
Tourists buy second homes pushes prices up for locals and can lead to rural depopulation which can reduce demand for local services which may close
Solutions to traffic
Park and ride schemes have been introduced in Aviemore whereby people leave their cars on the edge of town and get a shuttle bus to busier spots
This is partly effective as it does reduce the number of cars in the area and the amount of air pollution
However, people want to arrive and leave when they choose so may still travel by car.
Car parking fees have been introduced at the Cairngorm Ski Resort to discourage tourists from bringing their cars.
This is effective as the money raised goes towards improving parking facilities
However, most people are happy to pay the fee and therefore does not discourage people from bringing their cars
Solutions to litter
Removing litter bins from places such as Loch Muick will encourage people to take their litter home with them
This is effective because people think that having bins detracts from the natural beauty of the area.
The Ski Club or Great Britain have annual mountain clean ups at Glenshee and Cairngorm Ski areas during the summer when the snow has melted.
This is not as effective as it relies on volunteers to do it and does nothing to stop people dropping litter in the first place.
Park rangers can issue fines to people caught littering.
This is effective because it acts as a deterrent to stop people littering.
Solutions to footpath erosion
Sub-soiling makes paths more durable so they are not eroded as easily.
This is successful because it looks natural and blends in well with the surroundings
However, maintaining paths is costly and time consuming to keep up with the necessary repairs.
The Cairngorms Mountain Heritage Project repairs upland mountain paths across the Cairngorms.
This strategy has successfully repaired 94 km of mountain paths.
