3a,b- Changes To C + W Cycle Flashcards
Name 3 land use changes that will affect carbon + water cycles
Urbanisation
Farming
Forestry
How might urbanisation , farming + forestry affect carbon cycle
Urbanisation =
Decrease in biomass + store in soils due to less present in urban areas
- urban areas produce a lot of CO2 (heating, transport)
Farming =
Reduce carbon store in biomass above + below ground
Crops removed takes away the nutrients + organic matter for decomposition
Forestry =
Trees are carbon stores = however they do not keep same rate of carbon capture as they get older = reach equilibrium where carbon taken in is balanced by falling leaves + branches
How can urbanisation , farming and forestry affect water cycle
Urbanisation =
Impermeable substances = little to no soil or groundwater stores = the drains are designed to move water rapidly to stream/river = high precipitation could lead to flooding + large increase in river discharge
Farming =
Machinery can compact soils = reducing infiltration
Ploughing increases evaporation = fires out soils
Forestry =
High interception but depends on type of tree
High transpiration + evaporation (due to interception on leaves)
How does melting terrestrial ice affect CO2 in ocean
Addition of cold meltwater = increases volume of oceans = more CO2 can diffuse into ocean
How might increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide affect a place
Increase temps = changing pattern of precipitation can lead to desertification
How might warming temps affect CO2 dissolved
Warming temps = oceans cannot store as much = more CO2 in atmosphere
What are 3 short term changes that can happen
Diurnal (day + night)
Seasonal
Direct human activity
- Volcanic eruptions releasing CO2 = 65 Million tonnes /yr
what are 2 long term changes that can happen
Tectonic activity = uplift of new land + carbon to be weathered
Natural climate change = glacial periods more water stored as ice + more carbon in oceans
What is the impact of water extraction
If done in surface level = reduce channel flows
On groundwater level = reduce aquifer store of water = streams may dry up
How much CO2 is contributes to atmosphere a year due to fossil fuel combustion
10 billion tonnes
What is carbon sequestration
Carbon capture + storage aims to reduce CO2 emissions from fuel combustion
- locks carbon away underground
Very expensive however
How might increasing temperatures act as a negative feedback loop to reduce temps - water vapour
Increase in water vapour + evaporation = more clouds = increase cloud cover from sun = lower temps
Positive feedback loop of decomposition + temps
Increase temps = more decomposition = more carbon released = high temps
Cycle repeats
What 3 management strategies are there to manage the water cycle
Forestry
Water allocation
Drainage basin planning
How much water is consumed by agriculture
75%
- lost by evaporation or too much water = water lost by percolation
What is an example of water allocation
- farmers collecting water in tanks = helps manage water
- water traded in markets = encourage users to appreciate value of water
How is drainage basin planning useful in managing water cycle
- land use decisions can be based on drainage basins
What are the 2 main IDEAS in managing carbon cycle
Improving carbon sinks + reducing carbon emissions
How much land has China planted trees in - afforestation
Planted trees over 400,000km since 1980
- an example of a strategy to improve carbon sinks
How many hectares of land has the uk government converted farmland to wetland
400 hectares of land converted back to wetlands in east Cambridgeshire = peat stores 2x as much carbon as woodland = wetland restoration
How much carbon is stored in the Congo basin wetland
30 gigatonnes = 15 years worth of USA emissions
How is Crop Residue as a improved agriculture technique an effective way to reduce carbon Emissions
Replacing carbon as you go by putting “mulch” in between crops as they develop = nutrients + carbon store in soil kept steady
= easily repeatable but small scale
Give an example of an international agreement to reduce carbon emmisions
Paris climate change convention 2015 = aims to reduced CO2 emissions below 60% of 2010 levels by 2050
Why are international agreements essential but also flawed
Global cooperation is key to reduce emissions as global warming is a global problem
Struggles to enforce agreements + developing countries feel it’s unfair as already developed countries has there chance when there were no restrictions
Give 2 ways to improve carbon sinks + 2 ways to reduce carbon emmisions
Improve =
Afforestation
Wetland restoration
Reduce=
International agreements
Improved agricultural techniques
What strategy’s have been put in place to manage Aral Sea
Construction of 12km dyke/dam connecting North + South Aral Sea = control water spillage into south sea
How much water has increases in Aral Sea following building of dam
After only 7 months = 3m water rise
= boosts flow of water into north Aral Sea
however South Aral sea remains unchanged
How much had the Aral Sea shrank from 1960s
90%
Where is the Aral Sea
Kahzakstan
What percentage of terrestrial carbon stores are in wetlands despite occupying 10% of land surface
35%
What is the idea of Cap and trade strategy
Country’s/Companies can pay clean companies that didn’t exceed the cap to offset their extra carbon emissions
Brings the idea that polluters have to pay while clean companies are rewarded
Economic incentive to lower a company’s emissions = earn “carbon credits” to sell to other companies who exceeded cap
When did the EU bring in the idea of Cap and trade
2005
What is a limitation of cap and trade strategy
Most schemes are voluntary
Companies + countries don’t have to participate
State 2 aims of drainage basin planning
Increase stores of water available within drainage basin
Manage flows of water to reduce outputs
How does improving forestry techniques protect the water cycle - Explanation
Trees intercept rainfall slowing their fall = more time for water to infiltrate into soil
Reduces surface runoff = lowering flood risk
Additionally more water in soil = more water in plants/roots = more transpiration = higher store in atmosphere + more precip
How many acres does the Amazon regional protected areas (ARPA) programme cover
130 million acres
Between 2000-2012 how much has deforestation decreased
75%
Why might improving forestry techniques not work
Many EDCs rely on forest for income = unfair that’s ACs had there chance to develop and they can’t = Difficult to incentivise + maintain constant investment
Afforestation is also very slow due to lack of nutrients= can be impossible to restore biodiversity
Globally people are more concerned for carbon cycle = forestry links to carbon = more investment/Interest globally= more likely to succeed
What does improving forestry techniques include
Protect and restore forests
- Trees intercept rainfall= More infiltration= higher store on soil= more transpiration= higher atmospheric store+ more precipitation
- More infiltration= lower flood risk
Give an example of a place using water allocation
Queensland Australia has used water allocation markets since 2007-
= allows people / companies to use a specific share of water in drainage basin
= water can be traded + shows ppl value of water as resource
Explanation of how water allocation schemes protect water cycle - explain
Encourage use of water conservation strategies:
Low flow devices ( toilets + washing machine) reduce extraction + decrease Sewerage flow
Methods to retain water = prevent wastage in agriculture- drip irrigation
Water harvesting = Storage by farmer in tanks
Give a way to reduce wastage of water in agriculture
- 75% of water uptake is for agriculture
Drip irrigation
= place water directly into root zone to minimise evaporation + loss
Evaluation of water allocation strategies
Amount of water in basin changes = population/Demand, climate
Political instability can impact shares of water
Water as a resource is more valued = less wastage
What is drainage basin planning
Monitoring inputs, outputs of drainage basin
Give an example of a drainage basin plan
Thames valley river basin
= physical moderations to river = widening + deepening
= Abstraction licensing eg: Hosepipe ban
What does monitoring of drainage basin planning do to protect water cycle
Prevent low flow
Highlight areas for Management/afforestation
Evaluate how effective drainage basin planning is
Drainage basins span multiple districts/County’s = hard to control
Doesn’t “Restore” cycle = limits change which is ongoing
Multiple strategies included = more likely to be effective
Hosepipe bans = difficult to enforce
Diagram of drainage basin
How can monitoring be a strategy to manage carbon/water cycles
Highlight areas where management is needed
What percentage of fossil fuel emissions are absorbed by phytoplankton
50%
Name a key player involved in afforestation by providing economic incentives to countries to protect forests
REDD
Reducing Emissions from Deforestation + Degradation
What is a Drainage Basin
Area drained by river and its Tributaries
How many states does the Mississippi drainage basin cover in USA
31
what does widening and deepening the river channel in drainage basin planning actually do to protect water cycle
Increase amount of water stored in River = Lower flood risk
What does carbon sequestration aim to do
Reduce CO2 in atmosphere by locking away CO2 underground
why could carbon sequestration be repeatable
The Rock needed for sequestration = Basalt is common and found everywhere
Limitations of Carbon Sequestration
Expensive and barriers such as development cost
also energy intensive
When did The UK stop financial support of Carbon Sequestration/ CCS projects
( Carbon, Capture and Storage)
2015
Sewerage Flow + why is decreased sewerage flow from water conservation techniques useful
Amount of sewage or wastewater that flows through a sewer system
Reduce amount of waste water = reducing amount of extraction of water from basin
How does carbon affect Water Cycle
1- CO2 in atmosphere = photosynthesis = transpire water from plants to atmosphere = more precipitation
2- More vegetation = Increase in Interception = decrease surface run off + higher soil store/Infiltration
3- greenhouse effect = higher temps = melting of land Ice = higher ocean store or more evaporation = changes in patterns of precipitation
How does water affect Carbon Cycle
1-Melting of permafrost = release CO2 into atmosphere
2- Precipitation = more vegetation = more photosynthesis + more animals/biodiversity + Respiration
3- Melting of terrestrial Ice/Glaciers= Addition of cold meltwater = increases volume of oceans = more CO2 can diffuse into ocean = Cold Oceans can absorb more (Rising Temps means that this impact is limited)
how much CO2 does volcanic activity add to atmosphere a year - Short term change
65 Million Tonnes
How do wetlands impact Carbon Cycle
Wetlands act as a carbon sink, trapping carbon as partially decomposed biomass - Eg: Peat Soils
Why is anaerobic respiration and farting of cows producing methane significant
Methane is a far more potent Greenhouse gas
= much higher heat trapping ability
20x global warming potential
how much more carbon can Peat store than Woodland - Wetland Trestoration
2x
