Water Cycles Human Induced Changes Over Time Flashcards
Effects of arable farming on the interception and evapotranspiration
Arable farming increases interception and evapotranspiration
what are the impacts of ploughing on infiltration
ploughing breaks up the surface, increasing infiltration
What are the effects of pastoral farming on infiltration and runoff
Pastoral farming compacts soil, reducing its porosity, reducing infiltration and increasing runoff
What are the impacts of irrigation practices
Irrigation removes water from local rivers, decreasing their flow
What did irrigation lead to in eastern Peloponnesus Greek Argolid plain?
To a 400 m seawater intrusion
What percentage of Argentina’s arable land is covered by soya bean?
60%
What did increased harvesting of soya in Argentina lead to in river Morro basin?
A rise in water tables, increase in overland flow and flooding
Why soya bean harvesting is leading to flooding?
Soy bean has short roots and grows for only a few months each year, thus reducing interception store during the year
What effect did irrigation had on Aral see?
By 2007 Aral see declined to 10% of its original size due to irrigation
On which scale do farming practices mainly have impact on?
Local scale
How contour ploughing in the Gina river (Ethiopia) helps to manage the impacts of flooding?
It reduces soil erosion by 50%, controlling runoff water and increases infiltration
How much of floods in the UK on local scale are attributed to runoff from farmland?
14%
How does deforestation affects the water cycle?
deforestation reduces interception, evapotranspiration and increases infiltration
How much or tropical region of South America was converted to cattle pasture through deforestation?
10%, it generates 1/4 of the world’s river discharge
What is an effect of water abstraction on the surface water stores?
Reduces amount of water in surface stores
