Using and modifying environments in the UK

Intensive in the UK, uses machinery, technology and chemicals to max production.

Provided high level of food security in UK HOWEVER ecosystems and environments been modified.

• Hedges removed to make fields larger- destroyed habitats and wildlife corridors.
• intesive farming practices don't involve rest times anymore, soils become exhausted and friable(dry and crumbly)- soil erosion by wind and water.
• Machinery can compress soils- surface flooding.
• chemicals used in fertiliser and pesticides- water pollution.

Over the world, over 1 billion people rely on fish as primary source of food. In UK, commercial fishing uses large trawlers that can catch huge amounts of fish from the North Sea. Number of fishing boats has dropped by nearly a third since 1996.

• Commercial fishing affected fish stocks- landings of fish have more than halved since 1970- partly due to decline of fish stocks.
• Some trawling practices have caught fish of all sizes. Prevents smaller fish from growing to replace those that have been caught. Results in very unbalanced ecosystems.
• Unintended fish/ sea animals can be caught like dolphins.
• Fishing boats have to travel long distances, uses diesel and increases use of fossil fuels. 

Important source of energy in the UK. In 2015, wind power was 11% of UK's electricity generation. Wind farms can be on shore or out to sea. Provide clean energy but are controversial.

• Onshore wind farms tend to be on high ground in the countryside, people don't like the look of them, 'visual pollution'. Tourism can be affected, like the Lake District.
• Some turbines are noisy to run, annoy the local people.
• Turbines in the sea are less controversial, however, they may interfere with bird migration and can disturb sea bed ecosystems during construction.

Involves the injection of water and chemicals into rocks to extract oil and gas. Used in USA quite a bit, but highly controversial in the UK.

• concerns about pollution of aquifers and soil, because the injected fluids can contain toxic chemicals.
• concerns about minor earthquakes from fracking, although this isn't really a huge concern in the UK.
• Fracking is noisy, annoys the locals

Providing water is an issue in the UK because most of the supply is in the North and the West, whereas most of the demand is in the South and the East. 80% water extracted is used for energy and domestic uses. Only 1% used for agriculture! 

Solutions: build resovoirs, transfer of water from high supply to high demand. The Elan Valley water transfer scheme supplies Birmingham with water from Wales over 100 miles away, via the Craig Goch dam and resovoir. 

Resovoir damages.

• Inundate the landscape, flood farming land, ecosystems and settlements
• trap sediment, prevent its natural transportation downstream, affects ecosystems
• Dam construction may damage the environment and harm ecosystems

Water transfer scheme damages.

• Water characterstics(physical and chemical) will be transferred between places, may harm the ecosystems as chemistry of the water changes
• River channels may become silted- flooding, harms local ecosystems
• Construction of pipelines and their maintenance may affect ecosystems