deforestation + peat bogs

• The main reasons for deforestation are to clear land for farming, such as;

  • Raising cattle
  • Food cattle eat
  • Rice
  • Crops that we can grow to use for biogas fuels
• Getting wood from deforestation is called 'logging'.

  • We can use the wood to build things or use it as a fuel.
• (1) The three main problems of deforestation are;

  • The lack of trees means less photosynthesis, so they won't be taking in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and locking it inside themselves anymore.

  This means that more carbon dioxide will be left in the atmosphere, where it can contribute to global warming.
• (2) The three main problems of deforestation are;

  • One of the ways that forests are cleared is by burning them.

  As they burn, they release all of the carbon that they were holding as carbon dioxide.

  • This can cause huge plumes of smoke that can suffocate animals and pollute entire towns.

  This contributes to global warming.
• (3) The three main problems of deforestation are;

  • Habitats that most likely had high biodiversity with lots of different animals and plants living in them have now been destroyed.

  This reduces the biodiversity in the area.

  • As more forests are being destroyed, entire species are becoming extinct.
• Peat bogs are areas of land where the soil is both acidic and waterlogged.

  • This means that the microorganisms that help to decay plants cannot survive.

  The water stops the air from getting in the soil so there is not enough oxygen for aerobic respiration, and it is acidic.

  • Therefore, the partially rotted plants gradually build up and form a substance called 'peat'.
• In peat bogs, the carbon that the plants took in during their lifetime gets stored in the peat instead of being released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.
• Peat bogs are often drained so that they can be used as farmland to raise cattle or crops.

  • As the water is removed and the oxygen flows back into the soil, the microorganisms can start to decompose the dead plants.

  This releases all of the stored carbon as carbon dioxide.
• We often remove the peat purposefully so we can burn it as fuel or use it as compost.

  • This results in the release of carbon dioxide.

  This destroys habitat so reduces biodiversity.