Question

What is the effect of urbanization on land?

Answer 1

Urban sprawl cause loss of agricultural soils

Explanation:

Cities are growing in terms of area as well as population. Residential developments and shopping centers as well as new industrial zones cause loss of agricultural areas. Past experiences showed that urban sprawl caused 160 thousand hecrates per year (1 ha equals to ten thousand `m^2`) in the USA. This is still happening.

Once agricultural areas are sacrifized, you have two choices to keep up your agricultural products in the same quantity. You either search for new lands (mostly rangelands or forest areas) to convert them into agricultural fields or you try to increase your agricultural harvest (per unit of agricultural land) if you do not want to searh new agricultural lands.

In turn, the second option cause GMC (genetically modified crops) use or higher pesticide, herbicide, etc. (biocide) utilization.

As you can see everthing is connected.