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Slide Notes
Greeting fellow homo-sapiens! I am Serene Tan, the creator of this presentation. As you can see, I have chosen slash-and-burn to be my topic for my environmental issue. Before we move on, let me just clarify that slash-and-burn is indeed related to the ecology and is not just a phrase that means drastic or ruthless.
Slash-and-Burn's Ecological Effects
Published on Dec 12, 2015
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Slash-and-Burn's Ecological Effects
By Serene Tan
Greeting fellow homo-sapiens! I am Serene Tan, the creator of this presentation. As you can see, I have chosen slash-and-burn to be my topic for my environmental issue. Before we move on, let me just clarify that slash-and-burn is indeed related to the ecology and is not just a phrase that means drastic or ruthless.
Photo by voyageAnatolia.blogspot.com
What It Is
- An agricultural technique
- Involves burning and clearing of woodlands
- A method that uses little technology
To start us off, we have to first understand what is slash-and-burn. "Slash-and-burn is an agricultural technique that involves the cutting and burning of plants in forests or woodlands to create fields. (Wikipedia) This method of agriculture rarely uses other tools or technology. For your trivia, the action of cutting down tress and burning an entire forest does not require a flamethrower or a bulldozer.
Photo by Voxphoto
Reasons for Using It Then
- It seemed natural
- Fertile land from ashes
- Easy to do
The method of slash-and-burn has been around for almost twelve thousand years. It was used among tribal communities throughout majority of the world for generations. "Why?" you may ask. Firstly, its origins most likely came from natural causes. When lightning stroked dead trees, a forest fire would start. Secondly, the people in the ancient civilizations probably
realized that what remained of their land after the fire, its ashes, made it superbly fertile; therefore, making it a whole lot easier to grow crops. Lastly, setting things on fire, as most of you know from experience, is extremely easy. It takes no brainpower.
realized that what remained of their land after the fire, its ashes, made it superbly fertile; therefore, making it a whole lot easier to grow crops. Lastly, setting things on fire, as most of you know from experience, is extremely easy. It takes no brainpower.
Photo by bennylin0724
The Aftermath
- Deforestation
- Erosion
- Nutrient loss
- Biodiversity loss
Now we know why slash-and-burn was used frequently in the past. How about present times? With scientific evidence and research people can now argue against slash-and-burn. Currently, we know that after some years of fertile cultivation, the fertility drops drastically and weeds start to grow on the land. Also, a number of people say that slash and burn agriculture contributes to many of the reoccurring problems specific to the environment such as: deforestation, erosion, nutrient loss, and biodiversity loss. All these ecological problems are interconnected, and when one happens, normally another happens as well.
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The Effects of Deforestation
- Loss of forest cover
Deforestation occurs when forests are cleared through the means of logging and burning. When this practice is used by a large population, or when fields are not given the required time for its vegetation to grow back, loss of forest cover is the result, whether it is permanent or temporary.
Photo by SavioJ
The Effects of Erosion
- Roots are lost
- Temporary water storages are lost
- The soil quality drops
Erosion happens when areas of land are slashed, burned, and cultivated next to each other in short and quick intervals. Roots of the vegetation that lived in the land become lost. The same result applies to temporary water storages. Also, when practically all the vegetation cover is removed by slash-and-burn agriculture , the land becomes exposed to the harsh climate resulting in erosion, bringing low quality soil.
Photo by der_stulle
The Effects of Nutrient Loss
- Fields lose their fertility
- Causes desertification
For the same reasons as erosion, fields may gradually lose the fertility they once had when nutrient loss occurs. This will most likely result with desertification. Desertification is a situation in which land is not fertile and unable to support vegetation of any kind. In short, the once fertile land will become a desert-like area.
Photo by IITA Image Library
The Effects of Biodiversity Loss
- Lives are swept away
- Extinction and endangerment is impending
Finally, when acres of land are burned away what happens to all the various life forms that once flourished the place? They die. The infinite number of different plant and animal species that used to live in the forest what happens to them? They die, or die trying to escape -the animals try to escape, not the plants-. Their lives are literally swept away. Also, "because slash and burn agriculture is often practiced in tropical regions where biodiversity is extremely high, endangerment and extinction may be magnified." (About.com Education) For example, if a certain area is the only place that holds a specific species, the usage of slash-and-burn could result with the extinction of the species.
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Questions?
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My Citations
- Wikipedia,. 'Slash-And-Burn'. N.p., 2015. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
- Slideshare.net,. 'Slash And Burn'. N.p., 2015. Web. 13 Mar. 2015.
- About.com Education,. 'How Slash And Burn Agriculture Affects Geography'. N.p., 2015. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
My Citations
- Oxforddictionaries.com,. 'Subsistence - Definition Of Subsistence In English From The Oxford Dictionary'. N.p., 2015. Web. 13 Mar. 2015.
- Encyclopedia Britannica,. 'Slash-And-Burn Agriculture | Agriculture'. N.p., 2015. Web. 14 Mar. 2015.
My Citations
- Collinsdictionary.com,. 'Definition Of “Slash And Burn” | Collins English Dictionary'. N.p., 2015. Web. 12 Mar. 2015
- Adf.ly,. 'Adfly'. N.p., 2015. Web. 14 Mar. 2015.
