Deforestation & Land Use
This lesson covers:
- How destroying forests and peat bogs affects the environment
- How this affects biodiversity
What is deforestation?
The re-planting of trees to replace forests that have been cleared
The large scale clearance of trees from an area
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Which of the following human activities does NOT reduce the amount of land available for plants and animals?
Burning fossil fuels
Building towns
Farming
Dumping waste
Quarrying
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Give three reasons for deforestation.
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Three main problems with deforestation
biodiversity / burning / atmosphere / photosynthesis / pollutants / habitats
- There will be fewer trees carrying out and absorbing carbon dioxide from the . This means there is more carbon dioxide contributing to global warming.
- Deforestation often involves the trees, which releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
- It destroys animals' , meaning that fewer species can survive. This reduces .
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Which two of the following describe the soil of peat bogs?
Dry
Waterlogged
Alkaline
Acidic
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Do peat bogs have high or low levels of oxygen?
High
Low
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Do peat bogs have higher or lower levels of aerobic respiration, as compared to normal soils?
Lower
Higher
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Do peat bogs decay organic matter more or less than normal soils?
More
Less
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Do peat bogs act as carbon sinks?
Yes
No
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Many areas of peat bog have been destroyed. Which two human activities contribute to peat bog destruction?
Storing carbon in decaying plant matter
Draining the peat to use the land for agriculture
Cutting out the peat to burn as a fuel
Production of coal
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Explain how draining peat bogs contributes to global warming.
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