1. How Humans Impact the Lithosphere

2. Urbanization Destroying natural areas can reduce the beauty of an area and have a potential economic impact. Rapid development can result in very high levels of erosion and sedimentation in river channels. More parking lots/roads = MORE FLOODING!

3. Deforestation Cutting down all the trees in an area loosens the soil and makes it very easy for extreme erosion to occur. One solution is replanting and a system of harvesting that thins out the area. Less trees = less oxygen!

4. Agriculture Agriculture takes up a lot of space! Use of chemical pesticides, insecticides and fertilizers can contaminate soil and affect soil fertility. – Organic fertilizers are better. Planting the same crop over and over can strip vital minerals out of the soil. – Crop rotation can help.

5. Agriculture (continued) Overgrazing is the removal of excessive amounts of plant growth by animals in one area. This accelerates erosion and strips away topsoil, resulting in no plants able to grow. Rotate animals among pastures. Overgrazing by sheep in Patagonia, Chile has lead to major erosion.

6. Mining Underground mining requires digging out large areas, increasing the risk for sinkholes and cave ins. Strip mining destroys the environment. Mine operators are required to perform reclamation after finishing with the mining site. This means they must put the land back together and restore it to its original condition. Mountaintop removal is a type of mining used in the Appalachians to extract coal!