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Key Issues Regarding Impact of Agriculture on Environment

Key Issues Regarding Impact of Agriculture on Environment. Soil Quality and Erosion Water Quality and Scarcity Air Quality Biodiversity Landscape and Cultural Heritage. Soil. Erosion is natural process – but human activity can cause the process to accelerate.

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Key Issues Regarding Impact of Agriculture on Environment

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  1. Key Issues Regarding Impact of Agriculture on Environment • Soil Quality and Erosion • Water Quality and Scarcity • Air Quality • Biodiversity • Landscape and Cultural Heritage

  2. Soil • Erosion is natural process – but human activity can cause the process to accelerate. • Slow it down by implementing conservation methods, retaining hedgerows, not overgrazing land. • Ireland’s risk low vs Spain & other Mediterranean countries. • Soil Quality affected by overgrazing and use of fertilizers and pesticides.

  3. Water • Scarcity due to over abstraction • 47% of Europe’s total land is used for agriculture. • Main agricultural input (irrigation etc.) • Climate change in Southern Europe. • Quality issues related largely to pesticide and fertilizer use. • Fish kills and contamination of drinking water. • Nitrate measure: General decrease in Europe but significant increase in Ireland. • Nitrates Directive: limit on amount applied to land

  4. Air • Acid Rain • Caused by nitrogen oxide and ammonia emissions. • Acidification of freshwater • Eutrophication of marine ecosystems • Europe: general decrease in ammonia emissions • Ireland: slight increase • Greenhouse Effect • Methane (cattle) and Nitrous Oxides (nitrogen based fertilizers). • Ireland: share GHG’s attributed to agriculture fell by 7% between 1990-2003, but still 3 times EU average. • Agenda 2000 and Kyoto Protocol Agreement

  5. Biodiversity • Causes: direct habitat loss or degradation of habitats • Forest management can have negative impact. • WWF ‘Millennium Ecosystem Assessment’, 1999. • Predicts loss of up to 50% of world’s species by 2050. • Birdlife International • 43% of bird species have unfavourable conservation statuses. • EU • Large number of animal species classified between critically endangered and vulnerable. • Legislation is in place allowing the protection of endangered species, but many are not protected at European level.

  6. Final Remarks • Ireland • Inappropriate use of fertilizers. • Greenhouse gas emissions • Europe – not so clear. • Forward looking? • Water scarcity: climate change and weather volatility • Soil and Landscape: increased production of biofuels from energy crops • Tourism in new member states: implications for water quality, soil, wildlife and landscape.

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