7.11 Deforestation & Land use

Deforestation

• clears land for farming (cattle & crops)

• Logging (getting wood)

• Happening in tropical regions

3 main issues

1. Less photosynthesis - more CO2 in atmosphere to contribute to global warming

2. Forests cleared by burning them - releases all the carbon the trees held as carbon dioxide

   • causes huge amounts of smoke that can suffocate animals & pollute entire towns

3. Forests that have been destroyed would have had high biodiversity due to it being a habitat

   • massively reduces biodiversity

   • As more forests are destroyed, more species are becoming extinct

Peat bogs

• are of land where soil is acidic & waterlogged

• Microorganisms that help decay plants can’t survive due to acidity & the water stops air getting into soil

  • not enough air for aerobic respiration

• Partially rotted plants gradually build up & form peat substance

  • carbon that plants took in during lifetime is stored in peat instead of being released into atmosphere as CO2

  • Reduces global warming

• Peat bogs are often drained so can be used as farmland to raise cattle / crops

• As water is removed & water flows back into soil, the microorganisms can come back & decay the dead plants

  • this releases all the stored carbon as CO2

• Peat is often removed to burn as fuel or use as compost

• Destroying peat bogs destroys habitats

  • reducing biodiversity - may lead to extinction if some species