Summary of Unit 5: Land and Water Use

Unit 5: Land and Water Use Summary

5.1: The Tragedy of the Commons

• Concept: Individuals prioritize personal use of shared resources, leading to depletion.

• Case Study: Deforestation in Haiti.

5.2: Deforestation in Haiti

• Over 98% forest loss; main drivers: charcoal, agriculture, poverty.

• Effects: Soil erosion, loss of biodiversity, increased disaster risk.

Solutions to Deforestation

• Reforestation, promotion of alternative fuels, sustainable agriculture.

• Call to action for ecosystem restoration in Haiti.

5.3: The Green Belt Movement

• Movement founded by Wangari Maathai addressing rural Kenyan women's issues.

5.10: Impacts of Urbanization

• Urbanization increases carbon dioxide via fossil fuel use.

• Leads to depletion of resources and saltwater intrusion.

5.11: Ecological Footprint

• Compares resource demand and waste for individuals or societies.

5.12: Introduction to Sustainability

• Definition: Mitigation of human impact on resources without depleting future supplies.

• Indicators: biodiversity, food production, population, resource depletion.

5.5: Irrigation Methods

• Types: Drip, flood, furrow, spray.

• Benefits/Drawing: efficiency vs. cost, water loss, salinization.

5.9: Impacts of Mining

• Extraction methods lead to habitat destruction and pollution.

• Economic impacts include low-cost energy but rising costs with resource depletion.