Effects of Agricultural Activities on the Ecological Systems

Topic Content:

Agricultural practices produce more than just crops. They produce environmental impacts that affect a wide range of ecologicalEcology is the study of organisms and how they interact with the environment around them. An ecologist studies the relationship between living things and their habitats. More systems and services including water quality, biodiversity conservation, nutrient cycling, soil retention, etc. 

Bush Clearing:

Bush clearing impacts the environment significantly, whether it is a small-scale or large-scale clearance.

i. It destroys the natural habitats of animals.

ii. The removal of plant cover exposes the soil to agents of erosion.

iii. It removes soil plant cover.

iv. Exposed organisms may be displaced or washed away to other places.

v. It may lead to desertification if exposure is prolonged.

vi. Minerals salts in the exposed soil may be leached.

Bush Burning:

Bush burning is a process of intentionally setting fire to vegetation in a particular area, usually for agricultural or land management purposes.

The adverse effects of bush burning include:

i. Loss of biological diversity: This is a major consequence of bush burning. Bush burning destroys the natural habitat of plants and