The Human Population & Deforestation

What is overpopulation?

The condition in which a region’s population exceeds the capacity of its enviroment to support sustanability

Define a population

A group of organisms of one species living in the same area at the same time

Define a community

All populations of different species in an ecosystem

Define an ecosystem

A unit containing a community of organisms and their enviroment interacting together

What are the possible causes of our increasing population?

→ Better medical care and knowledge

→ Treating of water and sewage

→ Efficient transportation and farming of food

→ Awareness and education of hygenic importance

→ Vaccinations

→ Improved housing conditions

→ Modern food production methods = efficient farming → less starvation

What might be the consequences of the increasing population?

→ More land needed to house people (deforestation)

→ Rapid burning of fossil fuels (more greenhouse gases in atmosphere = climate change)

→ More demand and lower supply of food

→ Overcrowing population = spread of diseases becomes easier

→ More pollution

→ Habitat destruction

How are farmers dealing with the growing demand for food?

More demand for food means farmers need to come up with quicker and more efficient farming methods to supply enough resources for the demand.

• Use of machinery= utilising vehicles to farm larger areas + requires less labour work/drones can monitor crops across larger fields → easier to remove habitats for animals

• Use of chemical fertiliser to get ride of pests + organisms competing for nutriens : Pesticides (kills insects), Herbicides (removes weeds), Fungicides (kills off fungi) —> disrupts food chain

• Use of inorganic fertliser to quickly supply plants with nutrients to grow and produce a higher yield —> Contributes to Eutrophication

• Monoculture: growing one type of crop across larger fields for more efficient + low cost farming —> deforestation + habitat destruction and lack of biodiversity

• Selective breeding of livestock/crops: only growing crops and livestock with a specific ideal characteristic

What are the advantages and disadvantages of having a monoculture?

Advantages:

• Easier to supply resources + machinery, specific fertiliser can be used across all fields and the same machinery process can be used for farming = lower cost and efficient process

• Easier to give plants specific needs (just spread across all soil)

Disadvantages:

• Large areas need to be cleared to create space (habitat destruction + soil erosion)

• Less biodiversity in the environment= disrupts food chains

• Genetic diseases can easily spread, killing all crops

• Loss of soil fertility as many plants in the area are demanding nutrients

Define the ‘intensive lifestock production’

A system designed to maximise meat production by gathering a large group of animals in high-density, indoor facilities and utilising automated feeding and extreme breeding systems

What are the pros and cons of intensive lifestock production’

Pros:

• Less land + labourers = lower cost of production = overall cheaper meat

• less land required = less deforestation and habitat destruction

• Food can be produced and controlled all year round

Cons:

• Animals wellbeing are low in unsanitary and packed enviroment

• Diseases can spread easily

• Animals are pumped full of antibiotics which can create antibiotic resistance

• The sewage and waste of the animals are oftend added and polluting waterways

What are some reasons for habitat destruction/deforestation?

• More living space required to accomadate increasing populations

• More resources required for housing

• Land required for crops and large fields

What are the impacts of deforestation?

• More CO2 in the atmosphere (greenhouse gases polluting air)

• Climate Change (enhanced greenhouse effect)

• Flooding + Landslides

• Soil Erosion

• Threat on Animal extinction