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2. Some of the environmental problems Human beings are destroying the fertility of the land on the planet CAUSES ARE: -Deforestation -Destructive agricultural practices -Overgrazing - Wild concreting

3. Soil, "non-renewable resource" Soil is formed at a rate of one centimeter every 100 years and from 3,000 to 10,000 years are needed for a land to be suitable for crops. In fact man often wants to gain fertile ground by deforesting, thus exposing a highly fragile soil

4. Very often cementing "delicate" lands, especially the sloping ones, decreases the drainage provided by natural vegetation. This can be the origin of mudslides and landslides that can cause real disasters. The origin of landslides and mudslides

5. Excessive irrigation: An irrigation aimed at increasing the productivity of land may cause erosion. The earth absorbs water and dissolves salts contained in it: when the water evaporates, it leaves deposits of salt harmful to the environment, if too concentrated.

6. Soil pollution Air pollution may contribute to the worsening of the environmental situation. In fact, man pollutes the environment by releasing toxic pollutants and causing serious environmental problems.

7. What can we do to protect our territory? We should look at the environment and approach the various environmental problems with the awareness and sensitivity of eco-friendly people. To protect the environment we should: - Limit the process of deforestation - Use methods of agriculture not harmful to the environment - Do not plunder the land - Promote policies aimed at preventing the inhabitants from leaving hilly areas

8. Credits Presentation arranged by Christian Monti & Enrico Turroni – Itis “Pascal” – Cesena – Italy (2008-2009) Thanks to the teachers: A.M. Ravazzi (Biology) – A. Tortora (English) and to the Technical Assistant: F. Fiori Pictures: www.sciencephoto.comwww.sciencephoto.com B787350-Seedling-SPL E055395-Global_environment_awareness-SPL.jpg E590282-Lake_Allos-SPL.jpg E820165-Polluted_King_River_causes_deforestation,_Tasmania-SPL.jpg E7801501-Shenyang,_China-SPL.jpg E774111-Agricultural_irrigation-SPL.jpg E160249-Flooded_field-SPL.jpg E690064-Coral_reef,_Florida_Keys-SPL.jpg