Water pollution and deforestation

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  • Created by: emews
  • Created on: 01-12-17 12:52
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  • Water pollution and deforestation
    • Water pollution is caused by the discharge of harmful substances into rivers, lakes and seas.
      • The increasing human population has led to an increase in pollution. Some of this is due to:
        • more fossil fuels being burnt for heat and power
        • more food being grown
        • land taken over for industry and housing
      • Nitrate fertilisers are very soluble in water. They are easily washed off fields by rain, and then into rivers and lakes.
        • Because nitrates are soluble they cannot easily be removed from the water.
      • Sulfur dioxide in the air can dissolve in water to form an acidic solution.
    • People have been cutting down trees for thousands of years, for example:
      • to clear land for farming and building
      • for wood to use as a fuel or building material
    • Forestry is sustainable as long as trees are replaced, either naturally or because of replanting. When this is not done, the area covered by forest decreases.
    • Deforestation has some important consequences:
      • forest habitats are destroyed
      • soil erosion increases, causing barren land, flooding and land slides
      • air pollution is caused when trees are burned after felling

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