YOU ARE LEARNING:
Land Use
Land Use
Human activity takes up a lot of space, reducing the availability for other species. Not only that, but the destruction of some environments, for example peat bogs, can release gases such as carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, further damaging the planet.
This lesson look at how the use of land affects biodiversity.
What do we mean by land use?
How does building, farming and quarrying impact animals and plants?
How do landfills affect animals?
Humans reduce the amount of land available for animals to live in by building houses, creating farmland, digging quarries and dumping waste in landfills.
What is peat?
What do we use peat for?
Where do we find peat in nature?
So we take peat from peat bogs (wetlands) to use it for garden compost, amongst other things. When we do that, we take away land for animals to live.
If there is less space for animals to live, that will lead to fewer species. So, destroying peat bog leads to decreased _______________.
Apart from garden compost, what other function does peat have?
If you burn peat, what negative effect would this have?
When we take peat from peat bogs, we reduce the amount of land available for animals to live on. This decreases biodiversity. Peat is used for garden compost or it is burned to produce heat. When it burns, it releases carbon dioxide - a greenhouse gas - into the atmosphere.