Deforestation & Land Use

• Which human activities does NOT reduce the amount of land available for plants and animals?

  Burning fossil fuels
• Give three reasons for deforestation?

  To clear land for agriculture

  Logging for wood

  Mining 
• 1. There will be fewer trees carrying out photosynthesis and absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This means there is more carbon dioxide contributing to global warming. 
  2. Deforestation often involves burning the trees, which releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
  3. It destroys animals' habitats, meaning that fewer species can survive. This reduces biodiversity. 
• What two features best describe the soil of peat bogs? 

  alkaline

  waterlogged
• Do peat bogs have high or low levels of oxygen?


  low
• Do peat bogs have higher or lower levels of aerobic respiration, as compared to normal soils?

  lower
• Do peat bogs decay organic matter more or less than normal soils?

  less
• Do peat bogs act as carbon sinks?

  yes
• Many areas of peat bog have been destroyed. Which two human activities contribute to peat bog destruction?

  Cutting out the peat to burn as a fuel

  Draining the peat to use the land for agriculture
• Explain how draining peat bogs contributes to global warming?

  The draining of water allows air (and oxygen) to return to the soil

  This allows microorganism to carry out aerobic respiration and decay the organic matter 

  This releases CO2 which acts as a greenhouse gas, and contributes to global warming