land use

• Land


  The most important limited resource that humans have access to
• Uses of land


  • Building towns and cities
  • Quarrying to extract resources from the ground
  • Farming
  • Dumping waste
• The more land used by humans


  The less left for other organisms
• Converting land for human use

  Often damages the environment
• Deforestation


  The cutting down of forests
• Reasons for deforestation


  • Clear land for farming
  • Grow crops for biofuels
  • Logging to obtain wood
• Deforestation


  Reduces the ability of forests to photosynthesize and absorb carbon dioxide
• Deforestation by burning forests

  Releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere
• Deforestation


  Destroys habitats and reduces biodiversity
• Peat bogs


  Areas of land with acidic, waterlogged soil where partially rotted plants form peat
• Draining peat bogs


  Allows microorganisms to decompose peat, releasing stored carbon dioxide
• Removing peat


  To use as fuel or compost also releases carbon dioxide
• Destroying peat bogs


  Destroys habitats and reduces biodiversity