Land transformation by humans: A review

[摘要] In recent decades, changes that humanactivities have wrought in Earth’s life support system have worried many people.The human population has doubled in the past 40 years and is projected to increaseby the same amount again in the next 40. The expansion of infrastructure and agriculturenecessitated by this population growth has quickened the pace of land transformationand degradation. We estimate that humans have modified >50% of Earth’s land surface. Thecurrent rate of land transformation, particularly of agricultural land, is unsustainable.We need a lively public discussion of the problems resulting from population pressuresand the resulting land degradation.

[学科分类] 地质学

[关键词] Fire safety;fatal fires;smoke alarms