Fragile Environments Flashcards
Fragile Environment
An environment that is vulnerable to change and struggles to recover from these changes
Sustainability
The ability to be maintained over time without depleting natural resources
Human causes of desertification
Overgrazing
Over-cultivation
Deforestation
Population growth
Natural causes of desertification
Soil erosion
Less predictable weather (rain)
Drought
Wildfires
Causes of deforestation
Agriculture
Mining
Human settlements
Logging for timber
Road building
Sand Dams
Kenya and other parts of Africa
Reinforced concrete walls that capture water-filled sand
Low-cost and low-maintenance
Help provide clean water to drought stricken areas
Raises water table
Desertification Solutions
Education
Permaculture (self-sufficient and sustainable agriculture)
Terracing
Afforestation (planting trees)
Desertification Impacts
Climate refugees
Reduced agricultural output
Malnutrition
Famine
Forest Code 1965, Brazil
Requires all land-owners to maintain 80% of their land
Difficult to enforce
Desertification
Term used to describe how once productive/fertile land changes into a desert-like landscape
Deforestation Impacts
Nutrient leaching
CO2 release
Land degradation
Biodiversity loss
Habitat loss
Indigenous land lost
Flooding risk increase
Deforestation Solutions
Restricted and controlled logging
Biosphere reserve
Developing alternative energy supplies
Agro-forestry (combining trees and crops)
Less destructive mining
