Comment on the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Fuel Wood as a Biomass Energy Resource. (15 Marks)

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Comment on the advantages and disadvantages of using fuel wood as a biomass energy resource. (15 marks) Although fossil fuels supply 87% of the world’s energy, a significant proportion of the world’s population use wood as an energy source, usually to provide energy within a home. Wood burnt for fuel is called fuel wood. The gathering of fuel wood can damage the environment in several ways. One the negative ways of using fuel wood is that habitats are lost as deforestation can damage and destroy the habitats of a wide range of wildlife. The destruction of these habitats through ongoing deforestation endangers animals that cannot easily adapt to new and radically changing environments. This can ultimately result in the extinction of many species within local habitats. Mountain gorillas are one of the most endangered animals due to deforestation and habitat degradation. Living in the mountains of Uganda and Congo in Africa, there are now only an estimated 689 in existence. Secondly there is a high percentage of deforestation in some countries and most fuel wood isn’t regulated and can seriously deplete the local woodland. Due to deforestation there is an increase in soil erosion because when trees are removed the soil isn’t being held together and can be washed away by rain or blown away by the wind. The Copperbelt in Zambia is a densely populated industrial area that relies heavily on fuel wood. Between 1972 and 2000 an average of 3125 hectares of woodland were cleared each year for fuel wood. Heavy tropical rains from November to April resulted in dramatic erosion of topsoil as there were fewer trees to hold the soil together. This left much of the land barren and unsuitable for agriculture, as well as preventing the re-growth in woodlands. However there are advantages of using fuel wood. One being that wood is a renewable source of energy and it doesn’t

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