GEOS1100 Final: GEOS 1100 Study Notes
Document Summary
Exhaustion and dispersion of natural capital (e. g. topsoil, groundwater etc. ) Depletion of natural resources, degradation of land, air water and biological resources. Human economy has exceeded its carrying capacity and has hindered the future potential carrying capacities. Now require 1. 4 planets to support our lifestyle. Algae are the lungs of the planet. Sustainable development: development that meets the needs of the current generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Australian issues: salinity (748 000 ha. Qld: rapid population growth (1. 65-2. 3 million from 2001-2026, freshwater (abuse of groundwater, coral bleaching (less than 5% of current coral cover by 2100, land clearing (780 000 ha. Land degradation: clearing of steeplands, loss of biodiversity, loss of topsoil, downstream sedimentation, salination (reducing arable area) Aral sea: produced cotton using water from aral sea, solutes built up, once. Freshwater now 2. 5 times as salty as ocean: forest fragmentation (large, continuous forests are divided into smaller blocks)
