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Resource Reliance - Coggle Diagram
Resource Reliance
Human Use of the Environment
Farming
is becoming more
mechanised
SINCE the 1960s there has been a growth in large scale industrial farming
Processing is increasingly done by machines, e.g. tractors and combine harvesters rather than people
Industrial farming can increase the amount of food that can be produced, because processes such as milking, ploughing and harvesting can be done more quickly
Impacts on ecosystems/environment
Field sizes have increased so that food can be produced more cheaply
Decline in biodiversity - removal of hedgerows
Chemicals
Chemicals used in food production have been increasing
Large amounts of artificial fertilisers and pesticides are applied to crops
Animals have been given special feed to encourage growth
If these enter water courses such as rivers these can harm or kill organisms
Commercial Fishing Methods
Increase Fish Catches
Global demand for fish is increasing. Most fish and and seafood is provided by commercial fishing methods
Trawling (huge nets)
Dredging (metal frame along seabed, harvesting shellfish such as oysters, scallops)
Since the 1950s fishing has become increasingly mechanised
Boats can carry bigger nets and haul in bigger catches than before
Helps to meet fish demand
Fish farms (aquaculture)
Used to breed fish and shellfish in contained spaces
Impacts on the environment and ecosystems
Overfishing of cod and certain other species means they are now endangered
Decreasing number of one species can gave knock-on impacts on other species
Dredging damages seafloor habitats and disturbs organisms such as sea urchins and starfish
Fish farms are often overcrowded
Large no fish produce lots of waste
Algal blooms if waste is released into the natural environment
Algae absorb a lot of oxygen from the water, causing other plants and animals to die
Demand for Energy is Increasing
Deforestation
Deforestation = removal of trees
Increasing energy demand = increasing deforestation
Burnt as fuel or cleared to make way for power stations
Building HEP stations involves building a dam which floods large areas of forest
Cleared to make way for HEP stations in forests where a large river runs through an area of forest (e.g. Amazon River, Amazon Rainforest)
Mining
Obtain fossil fuels like coal, gas and oil by removing them from the ground by mining
Surface mining
Large areas of vegetation, soil and rock are stripped away so that miners can reach the materials they want
Impacts
Waste from mines can pollute soil, groundwater, drinking water and air.
Pollutants include mercury and lead - very toxic to plants/animals/people
Habitats are destroyed to make way for mines
Loss of biodiversity
Mining uses a huge amount of water - a limited resource
Fossil fuels are not sustainable energy sources/they are non-renewable - release of CO2 contributes to global warming
Reservoirs
Resource Supply and Demand
Need for food, energy and water
Food
People can become malnourished without enough nutritious food
Makes them more likely to get ill
May stop them from working or doing well at school
Energy
A good supply of energy is needed for a basic standard of living
Providing light and heating for cooking
Essential for industry or transport
Water
People need a constant supply of clean, safe water for drinking, cooking and washing.
Needed to produce food, clothes and products
Demand for resources is
increasing
Consumption of food/water/energy is increasing due to two reasons:
Rising Population
Global population is increasing
2011 - 7 billion
2040 - predicted 9 billion
Increased demand for one resource can increase demand for another
More people > more food > more water
Economic Development
AS a result of economic development, people are getting wealthier, especially in emerging and developing countries
Wealthier people have more
disposable income
, which affects their resource consumption
More money
More spending on food
Buy more than needed
They can afford cars, fridges, television etc. all which use energy.
Manufacturing goods + producing energy to run them uses a lot of water
More people can afford flushing toilets, showers, dishwashers, etc. This increases water use
Supply of Resources
isn't Increasing Fast Enough
Many countries try to increase supplies of food/water/energy but there are several limiting factors, meaning that supply cannot meet demand
Climate
Some countries have very low rainfall - water supplies are limited
Limits how much food they can grow
Climate change may affect rainfall patterns, affecting water availability and crop growth
Geology
Some countries
don't have reserves for fossil fuels
such as coal and oil and may
not have a suitable landscape
for
generating renewable energy
from wind, hydropower, etc.
Rain can fall on permeable rock (e.g. sandstone), flows into the rock and can form underground water stores that are hard to get into. Hence geology can
limit water supply
Wars/conflicts
can damage roads, water pipes or power lines, thus disrupting resources being transported
Poverty - Technology
can exploit available natural resources such as agricultural machinery and nuclear power, but this may not be affordable to some countries
Natural Hazards
can damage agricultural land and destroy infrastructure such as water pipes and power lines.
Natural hazards include EQs, volcanic eruptions and tropical storms