Agriculture and its effects in Scotland, Belgium and Iceland

Agriculture in Iceland  70–80% of Icelanders lived by farming now it is less than 5% of the total population. Only 1% of the total land area. We breed livestock. We also grow vegetables.

The impact of agriculture on water Clean water used in agriculture Water fertilized land Effects on icelandic drinking water Artificial fertilizer can be good and bad.

The impact of agriculture on soil Bad influences. Over grazing because of sheep. Circulation of the ecosystem. No nutrients in the soil

Cultivation Harvest Consumption Excrements Human Fertilize fields

Agriculture in Belgium Intensive sectors Pig breeding Poultry and dairy farming Vegetables and fruit Ornamental plant culture

Water in the meat industry The water has to be pure Requires a lot of water  Water shortage

Pesticides Toxins Pollution soil Reasons of pollution Pig breeding & dairy farming Waste materials seep through Pollution groundwater Pesticides Toxins Pollution soil

Impact of polluted soil and water Pollutants penetrate into our water Reduces health of plants and animals  Health decreases

Agriculture in modern society Total income from farming was estimated at £746 million in 2011. Just over half of this was rough grazing (animals), with about a quarter taken up by grass, and about ten per cent used for crops or left to go all grassy. The rest consisted of woodland, ponds, yards or other uses. About 13,340 km² of land in Scotland is forested - this represents around 15% of the total land area of Scotland.

Agricultural impact on soil in scotland Studies have shown that SOIL QUALITY DECREASES WHEN CROPS are grown because the crops strip the soil of the nutrients needed for the plants to grow to their full potentiAL. Farming contributes to problems such as soil erosion, fertility loss (unless corrected by fertilizer). In Scotland, accelerated erosion has generally been the result of human activities which lead to removal of the protective vegetation cover. The movement of soil also increases soil erosion rates through downslope displacement of soil.

Example of loss of nutrients and minerals

Agriculture impact of water Agricultural practices may also have negative impacts on water quality. Improper agricultural methods may elevate concentrations of nutrients, and sediment loads. Animal waste may also introduce toxic bacteria which threaten public health. Grazing and other agriculture practices may increase erosion processes raising sediment input to nearby water sources. Increased sediment loads make drinking water treatment more difficult while also affecting fish and small insects.

How water is used in scottish agriculture

Water pollution Point source pollution can come from sewage treatment works, factories and input from fish farms. To stop factories and companies polluting water in Scotland the Scottish environment protection agency monitors them. Diffuse source pollution can arise from run-off of soil, nutrients and pesticides caused by farming and forestry, contaminated run-off from our towns and cities, and deposition of acid pollutants from the air. Recent estimates are that diffuse source pollution is adversely affecting 25 and 17% of river and loch water bodies, respectively.

Differences Farming and livestock breeding is common in all three countries. In Belgium & Scotland you can get toxics in the drinking water for the animals, but that does not happen in Iceland

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