3.4. The human impact

Question 1

How does overgrazing/farming affect slope processes?

Answer 1

trWeathering:

• Overgrazing occurs when farm animals eat large amounts of the land cover
• Overgrazing destroys natural vegetation and causes the soil to wash or blow away more easily as there’s no vegetation to hold the soil together. In many dry regions of the world, overgrazing and the clearing of land for farming have led to desertification.
• When the soil are left exposed to the

Slope processes:

• The roots of plants and trees often serve as a binding agent in the soil and soft sedimentary rocks. Material is ‘anchored’ to the soil that would otherwise be easily removed, occasionally causing landslides. Trees usually benefit the slopes, increasing coil cohesion and friction.

Question 2

How does construction of dam affect slope processes?

Answer 2

The construction of dams can can trigger earthquakes as the weight of the water depresses the rock strata under the lake and so destabilise the slopes

Question 3

How does spoil heaps affect slope processes?

Answer 3

Spoil heap is a pile built of accumulated spoil - the overburden or other waste rock removed during coal and ore mining. These are unconsolidated masses so they are unstable. They also put shear stress on the slopes => cause mass movement

Question 4

How does construction of buildings affect slope processes?

Answer 4

• The sheer weight of the building foundations as well as the machinery needed to fabricate the buildings condenses the soil, making it more compact and denser.
• This in turn prevents infiltration and percolation through the soil, increasing overland flow and therefore, flooding of bodies of water.

Question 5

How does mining affect slope processes?

Answer 5

.

Question 6

How does quarrying affect slope processes?

Answer 6

.

Question 7

How does acidification of precipitation affect slope processes?

Answer 7

.

Question 8

How does deforestation affect slope processes?

Answer 8

.