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Geography iGCSE > 3.7 - Environmental Risks of Economic Development > Flashcards

3.7 - Environmental Risks of Economic Development Flashcards

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1
Q

Soil erosion

A

Soil erosion is the wearing away of the topsoil by the action of wind or water

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2
Q

Causes of soil erosion (name 4)

A
  • Deforestation
  • Overgrazing
  • Overcultivation
  • Population increase
  • Over abstraction of groundwater
  • Human induced climate change
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3
Q

How does deforestation lead to soil erosion?

A
  • Removes the trees reducing interception so the soil is more exposed to the rainfall.
  • Reduces the amount of roots which reduces infiltration and increases surface run off
  • The bare soil is more exposed to the wind which would have been reduced by tree cover
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4
Q

How does overgrazing lead to soil erosion?

A
  • Removes vegetation cover which acts to protect the soil from both wind and water
  • More animals trampling the land leads to compaction and increased surface run off
  • This happens more in LEDCs where farmers have less and less land to graze
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5
Q

How does overcultivation lead to soil erosion?

A

Land is not left to rest (fallow) between crops and so the fertility of the soil is reduced

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6
Q

How does population increase lead to soil erosion?

A
  • More people increase the settlement sizes reducing the areas which can be farmed - increasing overcultivation and overgrazing
  • Increases the demand for food which leads to overcultivation and overgrazing
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7
Q

How does the over abstraction of groundwater lead to soil erosion?

A

Leads to the soil moisture content decreasing. This leads to drier soil which is more easily eroded by wind or water

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8
Q

How does human induced climate change lead to soil erosion?

A

Changes in climate patterns, increasing floods and increasing droughts all lead to an increase in soil erosion

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9
Q

Desertification

A

The spread of desert-like conditions into semi-arid areas

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10
Q

Natural causes of desertification (name and explain 2)

A
  • Soil erosion -› loss of nutrients -› lack of plant growth
  • Less predictable rainfall patterns lead to drought and many vegetation dying due to lack of water
  • Reduced vegetation -› nutrients are no added to soil through decomposition of organic matter
  • Rainfall often falls in short, intense bursts leading to increased surface runoff and soil erosion
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11
Q

Human causes of desertification (name and explain 2)

A
  • Overgrazing -› lack of vegetation -› no time for land to recover
  • Over-cultivation -› all nutrients are taken up by crops -› none left for future vegetation
  • Deforestation removes shade for the soil and leaves no roots to bind soil together -› soil erosion
  • Population growth puts increased pressure on the land as people raise more animals and grow more crops
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12
Q

Sustainable management techniques of soil erosion and desertification (4)

A
  • Education
  • Afforestation
  • Agroforestry
  • Contour stones and terraces
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13
Q

How does education manage soil erosion and desertification?

A
  • Education on other sustainable methods like crop rotation and agroforestry
  • Family planning to reduce population growth
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14
Q

How does agroforestry manage soil erosion and desertification?

A

Combination of agriculture with forestry
* Decreases deforestation
* Provides shade as well as increasing infiltration and interception, which reduces soil erosion
* Provides organic matter from the trees and adds nutrients to the soil

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15
Q

How does afforestation manage soil erosion and desertification? (name 2)

A
  • The roots help to bind the soil together reducing soil erosion
  • The canopy offers shade helping to prevent the soil from drying out and also reducing soil erosion from rainfall landing directly on the soil
  • Nutrients in the soil are replaced by falling leaves and branches
  • The trees increase animal and insect activity which helps improve soil quality
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16
Q

How do contour stones and terraces manage soil erosion and desertification? (name 2)

A
  • Preventing the soil from being blown or washed away
  • Increasing infiltration of water and reducing overland flow
  • Ensuring that dead organic matter stays in one place and can decompose adding nutrients to the soil
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17
Q

Causes of natural climate change

A
  • Milankovitch cylces: long term change in Earth’s orbit and position
  • Volcanic eruptions: ash blocks solar radiation leading to drop in temperature
  • Sunspot activity: linked to higher average temperatures
  • Atmospheric dust: asteroids entering atmosphere may incrase amount of dust which decreases temperatures
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18
Q

Greenhouse effect

A
  1. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere allow short-wave radiation from the sun through to the Earth’s surface
  2. The greenhouse gases absorb some of the long-wave radiation (heat) and stop it radiating out into space
  3. This maintains the Earth’s average temperature and is essential for survival
    1. Without the greenhouse effect the average temperature would be -18 degrees
19
Q

Enhanced greenhouse effect

A

Human activity is increasing the number of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
* Increased amounts of greenhouse gases have led to the enhanced greenhouse effect:
* Less heat can escape the atmosphere
* Average global temperatures have increased over 1oC since pre-industrial times

20
Q

How is health affected by the enhanced greenhouse effect? (name 2)

A
  • Increased temperatures and lack of precipitation may lead to the spread of diseases
  • Heat waves may become more frequent
  • Heat stroke, dehydration and sunburn increase during heat waves
21
Q

How are homes and settlements affected by the enhanced greenhouse effect? (name 2)

A
  • Increased flooding due to sea level rise and increased frequency and severity of storms will lead to displacement of large numbers of people
  • Settlements in low-lying areas may have to be abandoned or need additional defences against sea level rise
22
Q

How is agriculture affected by the enhanced greenhouse effect? (name 2)

A
  • Coastal flooding
  • Reduced water availability means irrigation is limited
  • Food shortages lead to malnutrition and famine
23
Q

How is employment affected by the enhanced greenhouse effect? (name 2)

A
  • Tourism may decline as some services like ski resorts may close
  • Coastal resorts may close due to risk of flooding
  • Farmers may have to change the crop the grow or the livestock they raise or leave farming
24
Q

How can carbon emissions be reduced? (name 4)

A
  • Reducing deforestation
  • Increasing afforestation
  • Improving energy efficiency in industry and domestic appliances
  • Reducing emissions from industry
  • Improving public transport
  • Electric vehicles
  • Use of renewable energy and nuclear power
25
Q

Sources of air pollution (name 3)

A
  • Motor vehicles powered by petrol/diesel
  • Factories
  • Power stations burning fossil fuels
  • Forest fires
  • Open fires and wood burning stoves
26
Q

Impacts of air pollution (name 2)

A
  • Contribute to 12% of annual deaths worldwide
  • Indoor pollution in LEDCs due to use of fuelwood for cooking and heating has led to health impacts
  • Increased release of greenhouse gases contributes to the enhanced greenhouse effect
27
Q

Sources of water pollution (name 3)

A
  • Fuel spillages
  • Agricultural waste/pesticides/fertilisers
  • Leaching of toxic materials from waste
  • Sewage disposal into rivers and seas
  • Boat oil/diesel waste
  • Deforestation leading to soil erosion and soil being washed into waterways
  • Plastic waste - becoming micro plastics
  • Radioactive waste
28
Q

Impacts of water pollution (name 2)

A
  • Reduces the amount of available clean drinking water
  • Spread of diseases such as cholera and typhiod
  • Reduces crop yields and may kill crops
29
Q

Sources of land pollution (name 3)

A
  • Solid waste - from domestic and industrial sources
  • Agricultural waste/pesticides/fertilisers
  • Mining waste - toxic heavy metals such as mercury
  • Demolition and construction waste
30
Q

Impacts of land pollution (name 2)

A
  • Leaching of toxins into water system
  • Pollutants entering the food chain through plants
  • Reduced crop yields
31
Q

Sources of visual pollution (name 3)

A
  • Buildings
  • Energy production - power stations, wind turbines
  • Signs and advertising (billboards with lights)
  • Power lines and structures (pylons, mobile phone masts)
  • Waste
32
Q

Impacts of visual pollution (name 2)

A
  • Lower quality of life
  • May cause stress and anxiety
  • Distraction - may lead to accidents
33
Q

Sources of noise pollution (name 3)

A
  • Transport - roads and airports
  • Construction
  • Industry
  • Night activities - night clubs, bars
  • Energy production - wind turbines, power stations
34
Q

Impacts of noise pollution (name 2)

A
  • Hearing loss
  • Stress and anxiety
  • Scares wildlife - affects feeding and breeding
35
Q

Management approaches against air pollution (name 3)

A
  • Improved public transport and electric vehicles to reduce transport emissions
  • Increase the use of renewable energy
  • Congestion charges in large cities such as London to reduce use of vehicles
  • International agreements (Paris and Kyoto) regarding gas emissions
36
Q

Management approaches against water pollution (name 3)

A
  • Regulations on the amounts of fertilisers and pesticides used
  • Increased use of water treatment works to treat sewage waste before releasing back into the water ways
  • Education regarding disposal of plastic waste
  • Fines for factories/industry discharging waste into water ways
37
Q

Management approaches against land pollution (name 3)

A
  • Recycling and reuse of materials to reduce the amount of waste
  • Separation of waste into compostable and recyclable waste by householders
  • Regulations regarding the use of fertilisers and pesticides
  • Targets set for local councils and authorities regarding recycling
38
Q

Management approaches against visual pollution (name 3)

A
  • Reduction in the number of billboards/advertising boards that can be in an area
  • Planting of trees to screen roads/quarries and other developments
  • Buildings which blend into the environment
  • Regular waste collection and provision of bins
39
Q

Management approaches against noise pollution (name 3)

A
  • Limiting hours of work for construction sites and factories
  • Noise barriers between houses and main roads
  • Siting activities away from population centres
40
Q

Conservation

A

Conservation is the protection and rational use of the environment and natural resources to ensure they are there for future generations

41
Q

Name 4 conservation measures

A
  • Recycling and reuse of resources such as clothing or glass and plastics
  • Greater use of, and investment in renewable energies
  • Quotas on resources used - rising quotas to ensure the fish population is not overfished
  • Reducing deforestation
  • Fines for people/organisations/companies that damage the environment
42
Q

Name 4 government actions for conservation

A
  • Congestion charges within cities
  • Investment in renewable energy
  • Invest in public transport
  • Charging ports for electric vehicles
43
Q

Name 4 individual actions for conservation

A
  • Use public transport
  • Walk or cycle
  • Reduce, reuse, recycle
  • Compost food and garden waste
  • Buy energy efficient appliances

Geography iGCSE (38 decks)

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