| Causes: changes in farming methods |
Effects |
| Mechanisation |
- Soil compaction by heavy machinery reduces infiltration and increases
surface runoff and soil erosion
|
| Large-scale agribusinesses |
- Large scale farms or agribusinesses are more efficient
- Agribusinesses are intensive with monocropping involving high inputs of
machinery, fertilisers and pesticides
- Removal of hedgerows and woodland, drainage of wetlands to create large
field sizes
- Increase in soil erosion
- Loss of biodiversity
- Not sustainable
|
| Increased field size |
- Equipment can be used more efficently
- Removal of woodland and hedgerows
- Wetlands drained
- Loss of habitats and biodiversity
- Increase in pests
- Increase in use of pesticides
- Increase in soil erosion
- Not sustainable
|
| Increased use of chemical fertilisers |
- Improves farm yields
- Causes eutrophication of water courses
- Can breakup the soil structure and lead to soil erosion
- Nitrates pollute the water supply, and can be harmful to human health - e.g.
blue baby syndrome
- Not sustainable
|
| Increased use of chemical pesticides |
- Loss of biodiversity
- Not sustainable
|
| Monocropping |
- More efficient use of machinery
- Exhausts the soil nutrients and destroys the soil structure
- Requires chemical fertilisers in increasing quantities and is not
sustainable
|
| Burning of straw |
|
