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Using & modifying UK environments

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Question 7

To what extent do you agree with the statement that 'Commercial plantation forestry has modified the UK upland environment more than onshore wind energy schemes'?

Use Figures 1a and 1b and your own understanding to support your answer.

Figure 1a - Environmental Impact Case Sheet: Moorhead Wind Farm (Scottish Uplands)

Fact file for Moorhead Wind Farm. It consists of 65 large wind turbines. Key impacts listed: 12 km of wide access tracks cut deep into peat bogs, causing peat degradation and releasing stored carbon; significant visual changes to a designated wild land area; ongoing collision risk for local golden eagles; 500 hectares of active blanket bog restoration implemented as a planning condition to offset damage.

Figure 1b - Environmental Impact Diagram: Sitka Spruce Plantation (Welsh Uplands)

Diagram showing the long-term impact of a commercial Sitka spruce forestry plantation. Key impacts shown: clear-felling harvesting practices exposing bare soil, leading to severe siltation in local salmon rivers; heavy logging machinery compacting soil and reducing water infiltration; dense canopy and acidic pine needles preventing undergrowth vegetation, resulting in very low levels of biodiversity compared to native broadleaf woodlands; extensive drainage ditches drying out surrounding upland peatlands.

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Using & modifying UK environments Questions

  1. GCSE
  2. /Geography
  3. /Using & modifying UK environments