Transcript desertification and deforestation[1]

Environmental Issues:
Desertification
and Deforestation
Desertification
Desertification
What is it?
Desertification: degradation of land into desert
Desertification
How does it happen?
Human causes of desertification (major):
- overgrazing of grasses by cattle takes away support
holding soils together, allowing nutrients to be blown away
- poor farming techniques can take nutrients from soil,
leaving it to salty to be productive
Natural causes of desertification (minor):
- fire and climatic changes
Desertification
What are the effects?
- reduction of nutritional density
- famine
- economic loss
- loss of biodiversity (variety of plant and animal life)
Deforestation
Deforestation
What is it?
Deforestation: permanent destruction of forests and
woodlands
Deforestation
How does it happen?
Causes of deforestation:
- fires
- cattle ranching
- insect activity
- mineral and oil extraction
- logging for wood and paper
products
- acid precipitation
Deforestation
What are the effects?
- loss of biodiversity (variety of plant and animal life)
- loss of soil nutrients
- increase in erosion, especially on hill slopes
- increase in global warming
- changes in climatic patterns
Deforestation
What can we do to limit deforestation in B.C.?
- preservation of forest lands in parks
- conservation/recycling of paper products
- increased use of alternative building products