Human Factors Effecting The Water Cycle Flashcards
What are the 3 human factors affecting the water cycle?
-Farming practices
-Land use change
-Water abstraction
What are the 6 farming practices?
-Soil drainage
-Ploughing
-Arable farming
-Pastoral farming
-Irrigation
-Clearing land to use.
What is soil drainage?
A tile is put into place to help drain the soil and bring the water table back down.
What is a ‘tile’? (soil drainage)
Usually plastic tubes below the surface with small holes in so water can flow.
How much is made from implementation?
For every $1 spent on implementation, $1.20 - $1.90 is made.
What are the 3 ways in which soil drainage impacts the water cycle?
-Speeds up processes
-Shorter lag times
-Impact amount of water available
What did Fen used to be? (East Anglia, Fen Blows, 2013)
Submerged.
What has draining the peatlands led to? (East Anglia, Fen Blows, 2013)
Draining the peatlands has lead to serious changes and land becoming dry and friable.
What can air do when the peatlands are drained? (East Anglia, Fen Blows 2013)
When drained air can penetrate deeper into soil increasing decomposition and therefore the release of carbon dioxide.
What would happen if all peatlands were destroyed in the UK?
It would be equal to 5 years of UK emissions.
What is our soil drainage example?
East Anglia, Fen Blows, 2013.
What are the 5 advantages of soil drainage?
-Soil becomes more friable.
-Aeration improves as pore spaces are no longer waterlogged.
-Roots can respire.
-Aeration means soil warms.
-Less compaction of soil.
Why is the soil becoming more friable an advantage?
Farmers can work the land more easily. E.g. ploughing, planting.
Why is the aeration improving as pore spaces are no longer waterlogged an advantage?
Means you can get 02 into the soil which helps with the decomposition as bacteria and organisms thrive = means nutrients are available for further plant growth.
Why is the fact aeration means soil warms an advantage?
It leads to longer growing seasons + healthier/ wider variety of crops.
