Cause And Effects Of Land Degradation Environmental Sciences Essay

Cause And Effects Of Land Degradation Environmental Sciences Essay Land degradation is an issue of increasing concern to most countries. It is a concept in which the value of the environment is affected by one or more combination of human induced processes acting upon the land. It also means the deterioration in the quantity of land or soil that affects phenomena such as floods and bushfires. The land degradation threatens not only the viability of agriculture, but also water quality, human health, biodiversity and the fundamental ecological processes on which all life depend. The loss of arable land has been caused by a number of factors, many or most of which are tied to human development and agriculture used. The major causes are land clearance such as clear cutting and deforestation, agriculture activities, irrigation salinity and over drafting, livestock including overgrazing, pollution and industrialization. Overgrazing is a common problem in many parts of Australia. It is caused by animals, generally sheep, cattle, or other feral animals, all concentrated in the one area, all feeding on the grass and shrubs. Grass and shrubs hold the soil firmly together. The removal of grass and shrubs leaves the soil bare and susceptible to wind and water erosion. The soil can be broken up or compacted by hooves, this makes the problem worse. Irrigation salinity is when the irrigation water, used to provide water for crops and pasture, seeps down to the water table, with all the dissolved salts, rises and kills the crops and grass, as they are not used to the salty soils. Deforestation is the complete removal of a forest ecosystem and conversion of the land to another type of landscape. It differs from clear-cutting, which entails complete removal of all standing trees but leaves the soil in a condition to regrow a new forest if seeds are available. Over drafting is the process of extracting groundwater beyond the safe yield or equilibrium yield of the aquifer. Since every groundwater basin recharges at a different rate depending upon precipitation, vegetative cover and soil conservation practices, the quantity of groundwater that can be safely pumped varies greatly among regions of the world and even within provinces. Some aquifers require a very long time to recharge and thus the process of over drafting can have consequences of effectively drying up certain sub-surface water supplies. Land Degradation Processes The main outcome of land degradation is a substantial reduction in the productivity of land. The land degradation processes include soil erosion, nutrient depletion, salinization, desertification and soil acidification or alkalinisation. Soil erosion is a natural process that removes soil from the land. The critical aspect of soil erosion for our purpose here is that the rate of the process is highly dependent on human actions. Natural rates of soil erosion are lower for soil with a good cover of vegetation than for bare soil. In fact, any human actions that uncover soil (farming, logging, building, overgrazing, fires, etc.) greatly enhance soil erosion rates. Soil salinization is the concentration of salts in the surface or near surface of soils. It involves the processes of salt accumulation in the upper rooting zone so that many plants are inhibited or prohibited from normal growth. Human induced salinization is a major problem in drylands and is often associated with large-scale irrigation. Dryland Salinity When drylands are irrigated, the water evaporates quickly, leaving behind previously dissolved salts. These salts can collect, since there is little rain to flash the system. The salt in the soil inhibits the uptake of water by plant roots and the soil can no longer sustain a vegetative cover. Irrigation Salinity Irrigation salinity is when the irrigation water, used to provide water for crops and pasture, seeps down to the water table, with all the dissolved salts, rises and kills the crops and grass, as they are not used to the salty soils. Nutrients loss is an important problem in regions of low-input agriculture, such as Africa. In such regions, when crops are harvested, essential nutrients are taken away in the crop and not replaced. Desertification occurs whenever a non-desert area starts to exhibit the characteristics of a true desert. The term was coined by the United Nations in 1977. The main cause of desertification is not drought, but mismanagement of land, including overgrazing and felling of trees and brushwood for fuels. Soil acidification is when certain chemicals are used on the soil, for various reasons including pesticides, removal of salt from the surface and the soil, acid rain, the growth of certain crops, certain animal wastes and etc, these chemicals are often absorbed into the soil and become part of the soil-structure. With these chemicals now part of the soil, the soil may become acidic and therefore crops and pastures will not grow. Soil acidification can lead to a productivity decline up to and equal to 50%. Soil akalinisation is clay soils with high pH (> 9), a poor soil structure and a low infiltration capacity. Alkali soils owe their unfavorable physico-chemical properties mainly to the dominating presence of sodium carbonate which causes the soil to swell. Sometimes these soils are also referred to as (alkaline) sodic soils. Effect of degradation Several land degradation affected a significant portion of the arable lands, decreasing the wealth and economic development of nations. Land degradation cancels out advanced by improved crop yields and reduced population growth. As the land resource, base becomes less productive, food security is comprised and competition for dwindling resources increases. Thus, a downward eco-social spiral is created when lands are nutrient depleted by unsustainable land management practices resulting in lost soil stability leading to permanent change. Land degradation not only affects soil productivity but also have more significant impacts on receiving water resources. Since soil along with nutrients and contaminants associated with soil, are delivered in large quantities to environments. Land degradation therefore has potentially impacts on lakes and reservoirs that are designed to alleviate flooding provide irrigation and generate Hydro-Power. In summary, land degradation includes soil erosion, salinization, soil acidification or akalinisation and desertification. The rate of degradation has increased dramatically with growth in human populations and technology. Severe land damage accompanies large-scale of agriculture. The continued loss of arable land will jeopardize our ability to feed the world population. Land degradation is a worldwide problem which includes both of the developed and developing countries.

Animal Cruelty :: essays research papers fc

Animal Cruelty The topic of animal cruelty is one of great importance to the wold today. Why we humans have the right reserved to treat animals as lesser individuals is beyond me. Animals are fulfilling their part in the ecosystems and communities of the earth, and to the best extent that they are able. For example, a spider is being the best possible spider that it can be, spinning webs and working diligently at what it knows best, not bothering any creatures of the earth besides the ones which it needs to capture for food. We, as humans, decided that we are a much advanced life form and can basically treat anything else in this world in ways which we cannot imagine being treated. As a result the threads holding our earth together tightly in the balance are being slowly unraveled to lead into ultimate self-destruction. In 1988, 16, 989 animals died in laboratories in the United Kingdom. This was due to such tests as acute and chronic toxicity experiments, where the animals are forced to consume substances such as perfume, make-up and other beauty products and are often literally poisoned, their systems literally overloaded by the substance in question. Another testing method is the Lethal Dose 50 percent test or LD50. In this procedure at least half of the animals must die in order for the government to figure out how much a human can ingest without dying. In one such test some animals were fed 4. lb. of lipstick and one ended up dying of intestinal obstruction. In another, 7 pints of melted eye shadow was fed to rats. In yet another, mice were wrapped in tin foil and grilled in ultraviolet light to test a sun block cream for a total of 96 hours. The results of the test were that the longer the mice stayed in the rays, the more sunburnt they got. But that is not all. A wax product used in many cosmetics was dosed into animals by a stomach tube. The amount that they used is equivalent to feeding 1 Â « lb of the stuff to humans. The animals involved soon began salivating, bleeding from the nose and mouth, and had extreme diarrhoea. As the test progressed some more, the animals became emaciated and unkempt, had congestion in the lungs and kidneys and solid wax in the stomach. The infamous Draize eye test cannot be forgotten either. Chemicals are instilled into the eyes of rabbits in stocks, often for up to seven days. And because their eyes are physiologically different from ours, they cannot produce

Women Hobbies

Hobbies Preferred By The Women Can you imagine the women walking into each shop in the megamall and try every shoes, clothes, and handbags for 8 hours straight without even feeling tired? Even Haile Gebrselassie, world’s best long-distance runner can’t do that! According to the research done by a group of students from the University of Melbourne, women love to go shopping, grooming, go for a massage or spa, reading, singing, cooking, art &craft and so on. Despite being so passionate about their hobbies, not every woman shares the same hobbies.Although it is regarded as the most favorite’s hobbies, shopping is just one of many hobbies preferred by the women. Shopping is one of the hobbies preferred by the women and is very synonym with women. When I want to talk about shopping, the first thing that will pop out in my head is woman buying things. Although it does sound simple and considered as a light activity, shopping can and will eventually suck out every ounce of your stamina over time and making your legs begging for a massage. However, these creatures from Venus seem not affected by this at all.Most women are so passionate with this hobby till the point where they can eliminate the fatigue just like that even after spending more than 4 hours walking and shopping. Another common hobby shared by most of the women around the world is cooking. Cooking is a wonderful womanly hobby and art that they can enjoy with their loved ones. Women cook for various reasons. Some people just love the taste of good food or they enjoy the time spent cooking together with their love one. While for some women, cooking food has been more than just about feeding one’s body.It is their way to nourish a soul, a relationship, especially with their family members or their loved ones. A hearty meal with family and friends, give them a sense of happiness and appreciation. Sometimes when their family members get into trouble, they will cook, and things someho w seem a little brighter. Most women enjoy reading novels, magazines, newspapers, and also blogs. According to a research made by the popular English newspaper website, www. guardian. co. uk, women enjoy reading as they know how to read properly and with enthusiasm.The new research shows that nearly half of women are avid readers who cannot put a book down once they begin it and who reliably get through a long list of titles in an average year. Women enjoy reading, especially romance novels. It excites them to read the love stories with the unlimited possibilities of what might happen next in the stories. It also gives them a sense of tranquility, a feeling of relaxation when they read. Women also feel that by reading, they are becoming smarter as it helps them in critical thinking skills and the increasing amount of vocabularies.In conclusion, most women usually prefer simple hobbies that are fun and relaxing. Hobbies like shopping, cooking, and reading are widely practiced and enj oyed by many woman although some prefer tougher and more challenging hobbies like mountain climbing, horse-riding, and bungee jumping. Every hobby have their own benefits and it is up to the women to experiment and choose wisely on what they would love to do in order to fill up their time with useful and fun activities.

Faith, Freedom, and Public School Notes - 2796 Words

Running Head: NOTES 1 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF EDUCATION FAITH, FREEDOM, AND PUBLIC SCHOOL NOTES Session 1 Notes Legally Supported Abington School District v. Schempp Many people think this is the case that the Bible had been thrown out of public schools, but it was really the type of Bible reading that had been thrown out of Schools. There was a PA law that said, â€Å"At least ten verses from the Holy Bible shall be read, without comment, at the opening of each public school on each school day. Any child shall be excused from such Bible reading, or attending such Bible reading, upon the written request of his parent or guardian.† Edward Schempp challenged†¦show more content†¦Posting of religious texts on the wall serves no such educational function.† Lynch v. Donnelly This case dealt with the public display of a Nativity Scene. The Supreme Court stated, â€Å"The Constitution does not require complete separation of church and state; it affirmatively mandates accommodation, not merely tolerance, of all religions, and forbids hostility toward any†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The court ruled in favor of the display. Separation of Church State The idea of appropriately teaching of religion is legally supported. While there is separation of church and state there is not a wall of separation. Two views of fairness There is a false assumption of Fairness that fairness means all religions must be given equal time in the classroom. But the correct assumption of fairness is fairness sometimes means proportional, not equal. Conversation with Attorney David Cortman -Can I tell my students that I am a Christian? Yes, but it should be done in a way that is in response to a question or if it’s in the context of something being discussed. -Can I have a Bible on my desk? Yes, you can have a Bible on your desk for personal reasons. -Is it ok to have Christian music playing quietly in the background as background noise? First, it depends on what the school and principal allow. It is probably better off to mix in secular music along with Christian music so there is not a religiousShow MoreRelatedCan Establishment Be Consistent With Religious Freedom?1244 Words   |  5 PagesEstablishment be Consistent with Religious Freedom? In this paper, it will be submitted that some forms of establishment such as that in England and Scotland is consistent with religious freedom. While other forms of establishment such as that in Iran, which is noted as being an Islamic theocracy with the adoption of Sharia law is not consistent with religious freedom. However, before we go any further, it is important to define the term establishment and religious freedom as they relate to this essay. 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