Introduction:
1) Read the article linked below.
“We’re treating soil like dirt. It’s a fatal mistake, as our lives depend on it.”
“War, pestilence, even climate change, are trifles by comparison. Destroy the soil and we all starve”
George Monbiot, Guardian Newspaper, Wednesday 25 March 2015
2) Click on the photo below and read the article from the WWF about soil erosion and degradation.
The photo is from Lake Bogoria, Kenya
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| Large scale erosion forming a gully system around six metres deep. The cause of the erosion is over grazing due to goats and other livestock. The exposed bare earth is washed away forming the gully system. Deforestation in the Lake Bogoria area is a serious threat as it leads to a drop in the water table and therefore streams and swamps drying out. Lake Bogoria, Kenya. |
You must be able to;
- explain the causes of soil degradation
- discuss the environmental and socio-economic consequences of soil degradation
- discuss soil degradation management strategies
In order to do this you should be able to answer the following questions.
- What is soil?
- What is soil degradation?
- What is desertification?
- How is desertification linked to ‘soil degradation’?
- Using a named and located case study – explain the causes of soil degradation?
- Using the a named and located case study – explain the environmental consequences of soil degradation.
- Using the a named and located case study – explain the socio-economic consequences of soil degradation.
- Using the a named and located case study – explain and evaluate the management strategies that have been used to control the soil degradation.
- Why are the problems of Soil Degredation and Desertification greater in LEDC’s?
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| from www.acegeography.com |
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| www.acegeography.com |
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Activity:
For this chapter you are going to work through the activities from geographypods.com
You should also read pages 161-176 in Patterns and Change.
Case Study 1:
Case Study 2: The Green Wall of China; the Loess Plateau.
Watch the video and make notes on the causes, impact and management strategies that are being implemented in the region.
Useful Links: Use the information on these pages to supplement your notes.
