Environmental Science: Human Impacts on Land Use
How people change land and ecosystems
Environmental Science: Human Impacts on Land Use
How people change land and ecosystems
Environmental Science - Grade 6-8
- 1
Define land use in your own words. Then give two examples of land use in a community.
Think about what people build or do on different pieces of land.
Land use means the way people use an area of land. Examples include using land for homes, farms, roads, parks, stores, or factories. - 2
A forest is cleared to build a shopping center and parking lot. Describe two possible effects this change could have on local wildlife.
Clearing the forest could remove habitat that animals use for food, shelter, and nesting. It could also divide populations, making it harder for animals to find mates or safely move through the area. - 3
Explain how building roads can lead to habitat fragmentation.
Fragmentation means one large area is broken into separate smaller areas.
Roads can split a large habitat into smaller pieces. This makes it harder for animals to move, find resources, and maintain healthy populations. - 4
A farmer uses fertilizer on a field near a stream. Explain how too much fertilizer can affect the stream ecosystem.
Think about what happens when nutrients enter water in large amounts.
Too much fertilizer can wash into the stream during rain. The extra nutrients can cause algae growth, which may reduce oxygen in the water and harm fish and other aquatic organisms. - 5
A town grows from 10 square kilometers to 16 square kilometers over 20 years. How many square kilometers of additional land were developed?
The town developed 6 additional square kilometers of land because 16 minus 10 equals 6. - 6
Look at a land-use map with areas labeled forest, farmland, residential, commercial, and wetland. Which land-use type would likely provide the most natural habitat for native animals, and why?
Natural habitat usually has fewer buildings and more plants, water, or shelter.
The forest or wetland would likely provide the most natural habitat because these areas usually have more native plants, shelter, food sources, and less pavement than developed areas. - 7
Describe one environmental benefit and one possible environmental cost of using land for agriculture.
One benefit of agriculture is that it produces food for people. One possible cost is that farming can replace natural habitats, increase soil erosion, or add pesticides and fertilizers to nearby water. - 8
A hillside is cleared of trees for new homes. After heavy rain, muddy water flows into a nearby creek. Explain why tree removal can increase erosion.
Focus on the role of roots and plant cover.
Tree roots help hold soil in place, and leaves slow down falling rain. When trees are removed, soil is more easily washed downhill by rainwater, which increases erosion. - 9
Compare urban sprawl and smart growth. Write one difference between them.
Urban sprawl spreads development over large areas, often using more land and requiring more roads. Smart growth tries to plan communities more efficiently by using land carefully and protecting open space. - 10
A city replaces a grassy field with asphalt parking lots. Explain how this change can affect stormwater runoff.
Compare how water moves on grass versus pavement.
Asphalt does not absorb water well, so more rainwater runs across the surface instead of soaking into the ground. This can increase flooding and carry pollutants into storm drains, rivers, or lakes. - 11
A mining company removes soil and rock to reach a mineral deposit. Name two land impacts that mining can cause.
Mining can remove vegetation and soil, leaving disturbed land behind. It can also create pits, waste rock piles, habitat loss, erosion, or pollution if materials are not managed carefully. - 12
A community wants to build new housing but also protect a wetland. Suggest one solution that balances human needs and ecosystem protection.
A buffer zone is a protected strip of land around a sensitive ecosystem.
The community could build housing on land farther from the wetland and create a protected buffer zone of plants around the wetland. This would provide homes while helping filter runoff and protect wildlife habitat. - 13
The table shows land cover in a watershed: forest 40 percent, farmland 30 percent, urban land 20 percent, wetland 10 percent. Which land cover takes up the largest area, and how do you know?
Forest takes up the largest area because 40 percent is greater than 30 percent, 20 percent, and 10 percent. - 14
Explain why replanting native trees after logging can help restore an ecosystem.
Native species are plants and animals that naturally live in an area.
Replanting native trees can help rebuild habitat, reduce erosion, store carbon, and support the insects, birds, and other animals that depend on local plant species. - 15
Choose one land-use decision that people make, such as building a road, starting a farm, protecting a park, or expanding a city. Explain one positive impact and one negative impact of that decision.
A strong answer identifies a land-use decision and explains both sides. For example, building a road can help people travel and move goods, but it can also fragment habitats, increase runoff, and disturb wildlife.