What factors led to the alteration of the American environment? How was the environment altered?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

ANSWER:
Population growth, economic expansion, new technologies, and the introduction of plants and animals to new regions dramatically altered the American environment. Many of Cuba's forests were cut to expand sugar production. The expansion of livestock raising put a heavy burden on fragile environments in Argentina, Uruguay, southern Brazil, and the southwestern United States. Commercial agriculture, such as intensive cotton production, led to soil exhaustion and erosion. The use of plows on the North American prairies and the Argentine pampa eliminated many native grasses and increased the threat of soil erosion. Coffee planters in Brazil exhausted soil fertility with a destructive cycle of overplanting. In addition, rapid urbanization put heavy pressure on the environment. New York, Chicago, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, and Mexico City were among the fastest-growing cities. Governments strained to keep up with the need for sewers, clean water, and garbage disposal. The rising demand for building materials led to the spread of the timber industry. Mining also advanced into Nevada, Montana, and California after 1860, resulting in erosion and pollution. Efforts to meet the increasing domestic demand for food and housing and to satisfy foreign demands for exports led to environmental degradation but also contributed to the world economy and regional prosperity. By the end of the nineteenth century, small-scale conservation efforts were under way in many nations.