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Deforestation and Habitat Loss

This category deals with the causes and effects of changes in natural habitat. Examples would include questions about cutting down forests, plowing grasslands for agriculture, coral reef die-offs, and the natural process of succession.

2,589 Questions

What is the major contributor to Earth's albedo?

The major contributor to Earth's albedo is clouds. Cloud cover reflects sunlight back into space, which helps to cool the planet by reducing the amount of solar radiation that is absorbed by the Earth's surface.

How many rain forests are there in the world?

There are three main rainforest regions in the world: the Amazon Rainforest in South America, the Congo Rainforest in Africa, and the Southeast Asian Rainforest. These regions are further divided into smaller rainforest areas.

What human activities have effected the temperate woodlands and shrublands?

Well, the usage of shrubland for growing grain and commercial crops is very widespread.

This, in turn, drastically decreases animals' populations (no more homes to live in), and kills many of the evergreen shrubs naturally found in the temperate shrublands.

What are some abiotic factors of the rain forest water temperature sunlight and soil?

Yes, water temperature, sunlight, and soil are all abiotic factors in a rainforest ecosystem. Water temperature influences the overall aquatic ecosystem, sunlight determines the availability of energy for photosynthesis and plant growth, and soil quality affects nutrient availability and plant growth.

Describe the biogeochemical cycle?

The cycling of ain elements/substances such as C, N, O, S, P, and water in an ecosystem and ultimately in biosphere is known as biogeochemical cycle. The transfer and circulation of these substances takes place through soil, water, air and living organisms

Which processes increase the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?

Respiration: All animals breathe out carbon dioxide, but this is part of the carbon cycle.

Volcanic Eruptions: These give off massive amounts of Carbon Dioxide, but humans add the same amount with three days of fossil fuel emissions.

Combustion: Burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) in industry, transport and the generation of electricity, which releases carbon dioxide (CO2), is the main process increasing CO2 levels.

What are the effects of cutting down trees?

Trees absorb CO2 so there will be more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which will contribute to global warming. It will also kill animals as trees are a natural habitat for many animals.

If you cut down trees then you have less oxygen producers. If you take out the stumps then you can cause a mud slide.

Cutting trees will lead to less rain on earth and increase the temperature of the earth thus leading to the melting of ice and decreasing the land.

Cutting down trees (and not replanting them) will effect humans as well as animals, the ecosystem, and the climate because:

a) trees happen to be a GREAT source of oxygen

b) think about how may animals live in trees...or use their fruits as food

c) trees happen to have many advantages to them...but they provide LOTS of shade from the sun's harmful uva rays (hint: sunscreen)

d) they maintain ecosystems

What is the genus of bamboos - from the Greek tree cane - one species of which makes fine paper?

The genus of bamboos is Bambusa, derived from the Greek word "βάμβος" meaning tree cane. One species in the Bambusa genus commonly used for making fine paper is Bambusa vulgaris.

Rock begins to melt when?

When the temperature reaches the lowest melting point of the mineral or minerals of which the rock is made.
That depends entirely on what type of rock you have, and what it's made up of. Different substances have different melting points. Igneous rock has the highest, which means they don't melt easily. You'd have to know what types of materials are in the rock and look up their respective melting points in a chemistry book, or online. There is no one single answer to your question.

What is the effect of abiotic factors on productivity in tropical rainforests?

Abiotic factors of a particular biome, be it a tropical rainforest or a grassland, affects what grows there and what can and cannot thrive there. A particular soil type could be ideal for several species of plants but not for others. Too much precipitation favors some plants like trees, but it does not favor others like dryland grasses. Too much or too little sunlight will also affect what grows where. Then we have the animals. The animals are only secondary to a particular biome, as they are there because their kind of food grows there. You won't find monkeys in a grassland because they have no ideal food source there for them. And, you won't find plains bison in a rainforest because grass does not thrive in a rainforest. Predators are the tertiary portion of a biome: a leopard thrives in a rainforest because of protective cover and he has monkeys and dik diks to hunt and eat. A wolf thrives in a grassland because of his capability of running for long distances across the open plains (he won't be able to do this in a rainforest), and his ability to chase wild game like pronghorn and bison.

Why do plants only need a small amount of magnesium for growth?

Magnesium is needed by plants to make the green pigment chlorophyll and to activate some enzymes. Although there may appear to be a lot of chlorophyll in plants, each chlorophyll molecule only contains one magnesium atom. The molecular weight of chlorophyll (in fact, chlorophyll a) is 893.5. The atomic weight of magnesium is 24.3. So magnesium only makes up about 2.7% of the weight of the chlorophyll. Enzymes are catalysts and are only needed in small amounts to catalyse reactions, as they are used over and over again, so only small amounts of magnesium are needed. http://www.efma.org/introduction/section01.asp

What does the rain-forest look like now compared to the past?

Only a hundred or so years ago, there were countries in South America that were entirely covered in rainforest. At that time, rainforests covered 14 percent of the Earth. Today, rainforests only cover 6 percent, and are being demolished constantly.

What are pros of mining?

Some of the pros of mining include providing raw materials for various industries, creating job opportunities in mining communities, and contributing to a country's economic growth through export of mined resources.

What is topsoil for?

Topsoil is the uppermost layer of soil that is rich in nutrients and organic matter, making it ideal for plant growth. It provides a medium for plants to anchor their roots, access water and nutrients, and support microbial activity essential for healthy growth. Topsoil also plays a crucial role in regulating water infiltration and retention in the soil.

Is it more ecological to use paper plates or to wash normal plates?

It is generally more ecological to wash normal plates, as paper plates contribute to deforestation and generate waste. However, the ecological impact depends on factors such as the water and energy used for washing, as well as the production and disposal of normal plates. Opting for reusable plates and washing them efficiently with minimal water and energy can be a more sustainable choice.

How long has cheerleading been going on?

Cheerleading has been around for over 100 years, with its roots dating back to the late 19th century. It began as an all-male activity at the collegiate level before evolving to include both men and women at various levels of competition and performance.

Biogeochemical cycling ensures that?

Biogeochemical cycling ensures that essential elements, such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, are recycled and redistributed in ecosystems. This process allows nutrients to be reused and minimizes the loss of resources from the environment. It helps maintain the balance of these elements in various ecosystems, supporting life processes.

What medicines can you find in the tropical rainforest?

Many, too many to list here. Please see links. Here are a few:

MEDICINAL DRUGS DERIVED FROM RAINFOREST PLANTS

Quinine

cinchona tree (S. America)

treat malaria

Neostigmine

Calabar bean (Africa?)

used to treat glaucoma and provides a blueprint for synthetic insecticides

Novacaine, cocaine

coca plant (South America)

local anesthetic; cocaine served as a blue print for less toxic, less addictive anesthetics

Turbocuarine

curare liana (America)

Originally used by natives to poison arrow tips. Muscle relaxant for surgery; to treat muscle disorders like Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis. Cannot be synthesized in the lab.

vincristine, vinblastine

rosy periwinkle (Madagascar)

pediatric leukemia, Hogkin's disease

Cortisone

wild yams (Central America)

active ingredient in birth control pills

Which part of the world do tropical cyclones usually take place?

Tropical cyclones typically occur over tropical waters between 5 degrees and 22 degrees latitude, except for in the southeast Pacific and south Atlantic. They commonly occur off the northwest coast of Western Australia, in the Gulf of Carpentaria and in the Coral Sea.

How does deforestation affect farming?

There are positive and negative impacts.

On the positive side, industries such as logging, mining or farming stand to gain from the forests. In logging, loggers basically cut down trees for wood for income. In mining, miners would clear large areas of forests to access the minerals beneath the ground, which can be profitable as well. Farmers clear land to plants their own crops, as well as let farm animals roam in the forests that are cleared, also for monetary gain.

Towns can be built after forests are cleared for housing people to prevent overpopulation in a certain area due to rapid population growth. As such, infrastructure such as roads, rails, airports etc have to be built to serve residents living in the area, clearing more forests to bring convenience to people.

On the negative side, the Earth would be gradually heating up. Trees help take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen during photosynthesis. With less trees, less exchange of the gases would take place. Carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, would then contribute to global warming.

Deforestation causes the topsoil to be washed off, resulting in infertile land for future growth of trees. And these sediments are washed into the water bodies, resulting in water pollution, which kills off marine life. This makes our water unsuitable for drinking as it is contaminated.

When forests are cleared by burning, it causes air pollution due to carbon dioxide being released into the air through burning. At times, when the burning gets out of control, the pollution gets much more worse. This does not only contribute to global warming, but affects our health too.

Do forest fires move faster downhill or uphill?

Fires move fastest uphill because heat rises. Experiment: Light a match and hold it with the tip up and time how long it takes the flame to move halfway down the matchstick. Then light another match, hold it tip down and time how long it takes the flame to move halfway up the stick. Be careful not to burn yourself!
uphill, for an experiment look for "Do forest fires move faster uphill or down hill

How does nitrogen effect people?

its affects people because of the gases it contains and also all the other elements its affects people because of the gases it contains and also all the other elements its affects people because of the gases it contains and also all the other elements its affects people because of the gases it contains and also all the other elements its affects people because of the gases it contains and also all the other elements its affects people because of the gases it contains and also all the other elements

How do you reduce carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere?

  1. Stop burning fossil fuels and use renewable energy instead.
  2. Plant more and more trees that is by afforestation.
  3. Awareness. Know all the little ways that you can help, like
  • Reducing your electricity use by turning appliances off at the wall.
  • Don't leave lights on unnecessarily.
  • Moderate your use of home cooling and heating.
  • Walk to the corner shop.
  • Ride a bike, or a bus instead of driving.
  • Recycle as much as you can.

More Information:

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is constantly being added and removed from the atmosphere by various processes. This is called the carbon cycle.

Currently, human emissions of CO2 are accumulating in the atmosphere, because the total sources of CO2 are greater than the amount of CO2 being removed by carbon sinks.

The easiest and cheapest way to correct this imbalance is for humans to stop adding CO2 to the atmosphere. To do this we need renewable energy instead of energy produced from fossil fuels.

Renewable energy from wind, solar and other sources does not directly remove CO2 from the air. Instead, it replaces fossil fuel power, and this reduces CO2 emissions, which in turn reduces the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere.

Plants, trees and forests take carbon dioxide out of the air. To reduce CO2 levels we can stop deforestation and plant billions of trees all around the world (afforestation).

In addition, there are proposals for removing CO2directly. These include biochar, artificial trees and scrubbing towers, and ocean nourishment. To do all this, we need to begin now.

  • By algae-powered, carbon absorbing lamps. The technology is not in use yet, but it is in research. See the link below.
  • Provide incentives for industries to reduce carbon emissions...world wide.
  • Stop deforestation in 3rd world countries and Tasmania etc.
  • Provide incentives for population reduction and sensible use of energy, i.e. big cities all lit up at night.

Plant more trees and plants! Stop cutting down trees without replacing them!

How much carbon dioxide is produced a year?

The oceans contain 37,400 billion tons (GT) of suspended carbon, land biomass has 2000-3000 GT. The atmosphere contains 720 billion tons of CO2 and humans contribute 40 billion tons per year. The oceans, land and atmosphere exchange CO2 continuously so the additional load by humans is small, on an annual basis.

Over the past century humans have, however, raised atmospheric CO2 levels from 290 ppm to nearly 400 ppm. At the present rate we will pass 500 ppm before 2050, an increase of nearly 60%.