What do we call the large scale clearance of trees from an area?
Deforestation.
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Give 3 reasons why deforestation is bad.
1There will be fewer trees carrying out photosynthesis and absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This means there is more carbon dioxide contributing to global warming.
2Deforestation often involves burning the trees, which releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
3It destroys animals' habitats, meaning that fewer species can survive. This reduces biodiversity.
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What are peat bogs?
Peat bogs are areas of bog or wetland where the soil is waterlogged and acidic. As a consequence dead plants don't decay properly.
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What are the knock-on effects of soil being waterlogged?
If soil is waterlogged, air (and therefore oxygen) can't penetrate the soil. This means that decomposers can't use aerobic respiration and can't decay dead plants as efficiently.
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Why do peat bogs act as carbon sinks?
As dead vegetation isn't fully decayed, the carbon gets locked underground rather than being released into the atmosphere.
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Give 2 reasons humans have destroyed peat bogs.
Drained the peat bogs to provide more land for agriculture. Cut out the peat to use as a fuel.
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Explain how draining peat bogs contributes to global warming.
The draining of water allows air (and oxygen) to return to the soil. This allows microorganism to carry out aerobic respiration and decay the organic matter. This releases CO2 which acts as a greenhouse gas, and contributes to global warming.
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