Deforestation and Peat Bogs

• How do humans reduce the land available for other animals and plants?

  • Building
  • farming
  • quarrying
  • dumping waste
• Deforestation leads to an increase in CO2 in the atmosphere, which leads to global warming.

  • Few trees to take in CO2 from the atmosphere
  • Burning wood and decay by respiring micro-organisms increase the CO2

  Deforestation leads to a decrease in biodiversity. This is because there is a loss of plant species and therefore a loss of habitats and a variety of food sources
• Why are peat bogs being destroyed?

  Drained so the land can be used

  Used as fertiliser

  Burnt as fuel
• Peat Bogs

  • Acidic waterlogged areas
  • Great store of carbon as plants don't decay
  • Oxygen can't get into the waterlogged soil so microbes don't respire
  • Microorganisms cannot survive in acidic conditions
• What is the impact of using peat?

  Peat is non-renewable- it is destroyed faster than it can be formed

  Habitats are destroyed which reduces biodiversity

  Draining the water means that decay can happen so microbes release carbon dioxide as they respire and decay the peat

  If it is burnt, carbon dioxide is released