This also reduces biodiversity. Crops are often sown, treated and harvested by machines which create pollution, and fertilisers are added to fields in larger amounts which can cause eutrophication . Intensive farming can also mean keeping livestock in smaller pens with regulated temperatures.
How does farming affect biodiversity GCSE biology?
Intensive farming
Farmers growing arable crops often specialise in growing only one crop to maximise their profits. This is called monoculture . It can quickly reduce key nutrients in the soil and lowers biodiversity .
How can farming affect biodiversity?
Biodiversity generally decreases when the intensity of farming increases11. Farming has become ever more industrial, and farmers are tending to specialise, focusing on a few or even single high-output species or varieties.
Does farming increase biodiversity?
Increasing within-field biodiversity can be achieved through planting crop mixtures and multiple crop varieties. The establishment of diverse plantings at field margins should also be considered.
How can intensive farming damage the environment GCSE?
Intensive farming causes damage to land and ecosystems which can negatively impact investors. Growing awareness is now developing around the side effects of pesticides and fertilisers used heavily on crops fed to farmed animals. A portion of fertiliser is being washed into waterways.
Why is biodiversity important in farming What is the effect on biodiversity when farmlands are turned into subdivisions answer briefly?
Biodiversity interacts with food and nutrition to deal with several issues. It helps to provide food security, nutrition, and well-being for a variety of animals and plants (both domesticated and wild). … Farmers have converted wild ancestors of many of fruiting plants into productive varieties that feed the world today.
How can plants increase biodiversity?
Have fun adding to the biodiversity of your garden and enjoy nature’s bounty and diversity.
- Attract birds to your garden. …
- Add a butterfly garden. …
- Add a pollinator garden. …
- Add water to your garden. …
- Add a log, build a rock pile or preserve a snag. …
- Add a birdhouse, bat house or native pollinator house.
How intensive farming has affected our ecosystem?
Intensive farming can have severe impact on soil such as acidification, nitrification, desertification, decline in organic matter in soil, soil contamination (e.g., by heavy metals and agrochemicals), soil compaction, and erosion.
How does intensive farming affect the ecosystem?
These pose serious pollution risks to ground and surface water, considering that a farm with only 200 cows can produce as much nitrogen as a community of up to 10,000 people. Runoff from such farms can cause algae blooms, which can devastate freshwater, brackish, and saltwater ecosystems.
How does farming cause pollution?
Agricultural pollution has many different sources. Nitrogen-based fertilizers produce potent greenhouse gases and can overload waterways with dangerous pollutants; chemical pesticides with varying toxicological effects can contaminate our air and water or reside directly on our food.