Human Interaction with the Biosphere Session 28 Flashcards
1
Q
What are the five classes of resources needed to meet basic human needs?
A
- Land
- Water
- Food
- Energy
- Minerals
2
Q
What percentage of the world population livens within 60 miles of a coastline ?
A
- 40%
3
Q
How does people living at the coastlines effect the coast ?
A
- Causes beach erosion , los of habitat for marine organism and loss of a buffer zone for storms
- Coastal wetlands are impacted when people fill them in
4
Q
How is a piece of land classified as a desert and what percent of land is desert in the world ?
A
- 40% of land is desert
- It is when an area of land that receives no more than 25 cm of precipitation pf a year
5
Q
What percent of fresh water ice used to irrigate crops?
A
- 70% of fresh water
6
Q
What are some drawbacks of Dams?
A
- Loss of water by evaporation and seepage , the amount lost can equal the amount made available
7
Q
What are aquifers ?
A
- they are underground water reservoirs
8
Q
What does the removal of water from aquifers cause ?
A
- Land subsidence : settling of the soil as it dries out
9
Q
What is Polyculture ?
A
- Planting two or more different crops in the same area
10
Q
What are some ways to minimize harmful effects of farming ?
A
- Contour farming : conserves topsoil because it reduces agricultural runoff , which is done by plating and plowing according to the slope of land and no tilling .
- Biological control : the use of natural predators to destroy organisms that harm crops
11
Q
How is biomass energy generated ?
A
- Biomass energy is generated or produced by living or once living organisms.
12
Q
What is Hydropower ?
A
- Hydroelectric plants convert the energy falling water into electricity
13
Q
What are examples of Geothermal energy ?
A
- Underground , uranium, , thorium, radium and plutonium undergo radioactive decay
14
Q
How is strip mining dangerous ?
A
- They are huge machines that remove mountaintops to reach a mineral
- rain then washes toxic wastes into nearby streams
