Human Activity

EQ - What are the effects of human activity on erosion and natural resources?

Do Now: A forest can be considered a natural resource.

Why do you think this is so?

EQ - What are the effects of human activity on erosion and natural resources? GPS Which Standards are students learning in this unit?

S6E5. Students will investigate the scientific view of how the earth’s surface is formed.

i. Explain the effects of human activity on the erosion of the earth’s surface. j. Describe methods for conserving natural resources such as water, soil, and air.

S6E6. Students will describe various sources of energy and with their uses and conservation.

a. Explain the role of the sun as the major source of energy and its relationship to wind and water energy.

• The natural movement of sediment from one place to another.

What is erosion?

• Humans cause erosion by logging, mining, farming, and construction.

What human activities cause erosion?

• Clear-cutting – cutting down all trees in an area.

• How logging contributes to erosion:

1) Tree roots die2) Decay takes place3) Nothing is left to anchor soil4) Rain washes soil away

What is logging?

• Strip Mining – removes surface• Open Pit – cuts large pits Both of these remove plant roots that

anchor soil.

What is mining?

How farming contributes to erosion:

Pulls nutrients out of the soil, leavingthe soil vulnerable to erosion.Dust Bowl – 1. Removed grasses to plant wheat2. Drought – little or no rain3. Wheat died4. Wind blew soil away5. Only dust left

What is farming?

• Clear land to build This removes plants and roots that

anchor soil.

What is construction?

Key Questions

1. What is soil conservation?2. What methods prevent soil erosion?3. What is a cover crop?4. What is crop rotation?5. What is contour plowing?6. What is terracing?7. What is windbreak?

Soil Conservation-various methods humans use to take care of the soil.

What is soil conservation?

Methods to prevent soil erosion-cover crop, crop rotation, contour plowing, terracing, and windbreak.

What methods prevent soil erosion?

What is a cover crop?Cover Crop-a crop that is planted in between harvests to reduce erosion and replace nutrients. Ex:soybean and clover

Crop Rotation-change crops from year to year so that nutrients do not get depleted

What is crop rotation?

Contour plowing-rows in a field are plowedin curves instead of straight lines.

What is contour plowing?

Terracing-one steep field is changed into a series of smaller fields.

What is terracing?

Windbreak-planting trees around a field to prevent wind erosion.

What is windbreak?