Human Activities

Biology: AQA GCSE Higher, topic 7.3.3

Human activities have contributed to a severe decline in biodiversity. Two examples are peat bog destruction and deforestation:

Peat is a deposit of partially decayed plant matter, which accumulates in bogs.
Here, carbon remains in the plants instead of being released into the atmosphere.

The destruction of peat bogs has become more common, resulting in the burning or decay of peat.
This releases the stored carbon into the atmosphere in the form of the greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide.
Another negative impact of peat bog destruction is the loss of biodiversity within the habitat.

Peat bogs are being destroyed for the following reasons:
To free up land for farming, which requires the bogs to be drained. This draining process stimulates peat decay.
To burn the peat for fuel.
To sell the peat to gardeners as garden compost.

Deforestation is the cutting, clearing and removal of forests in order to free up land for biofuels (fuels derived from living matter) as well as cattle and rice fields.

The burning of trees and decomposition of wood increases the rate of carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere.
As less photosynthesis is taking place, less carbon dioxide can be removed from the atmosphere.
Deforestation destroys habitats.
- This causes biodiversity and the provision of ecosystem services to be lost.
Forests are often chopped down to be replaced by agriculture, with the purpose of growing rice or farming cattle.
These activities produce methane, which is a greenhouse gas.

Test yourself on Human Activities

What's NOT a reason that forests are cut down?
What does deforestation destroy, causing a loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services?
What's peat a deposit of?
What's a similarity between why peat bogs and why forests are destroyed by humans?
What effect do peat bog destruction and deforestation have in common?