6. What effect did population growth have on the environment?
The new population increase in ancient Mesopotamia led to the deforestation of the area. As more and more humans inhabited the area, more space was needed. Due to this issue, more trees and forests were cut down. The trees' roots were the anchors that held the soil down on the ground. The soil soon became loose and would slide off with every rainfall, causing a torrent of soil to be carried away by rivers. Humans would do this again later in history in the Dust Bowl that ravaged the US. This sliding soil settled and created the Babylonian alluvium. With these pressures of overpopulation, the changes in the environment most likely caused the humans to settle in the deep south. Currently, population growth in the world worsens public health, sanitation, and many problems in multiple nations.
An example of an alluvial fan
Information Sources: [1]
Lab Manual Page(s): 72
Image Source(s): [2]
