8 markers! Flashcards
Assess the following statement:
‘Drought is mainly due to natural causes.’
Drought exists where there is far less water in a particular area
over a period of time compared to what is normal for that
same period of the year.
There are two main causes of drought: meteorological
drought and hydrological drought.
Meteorological drought is the shortfall of precipitation
over a period of time.
It can be caused by physical factors (e.g. variations
in atmospheric conditions) and by human
factors (e.g. deforestation and climate change).
Hydrological drought results from decreasing river and
reservoir levels.
This can be linked to the causes of meteorological drought
but can also be linked to other causes (e.g. dam building,
poor farming practices, over-abstraction of water due to
rising population)
Physical causes are a key cause of drought in many cases.
In some locations, rainfall is much more variable naturally
than in others owing to natural processes.
This applies both at the global scale (e.g. Sahel region of
Africa in comparison with regions of tropical rainforest)
but also at more local scale (e.g. Scottish Highlands in
comparison with East Anglia).
However, the role of human impact in causing drought
appears to be increasing.
Human activity has an impact at scales.
At a global impact, there is evidence that global warming
(linked to the enhanced greenhouse effect) is leading to
more drought in some locations (e.g. Sahel).
At a more local scale, there is also evidence of growing
human impact on rainfall reliability (e.g. deforestation in
the Amazon).
Hydrological drought (linked to water abstraction and
dam building) also appears to be on the rise.
evaluate the impact of physical and human factors on the biodiversity of deciduous woodland ecosystems
Deciduous woodlands have only moderate biodiversity compared with tropical rainforests.
They are often dominated by 3 or 4 tree species (e.g. oak, beech, ash).
Other plant species in the sub-canopy and herb layer have adapted to the growing season of trees (e.g. bluebells).
A range of human and physical factors can affect the biodiversity of deciduous woodlands.
These can both reduce and increase biodiversity.
Historically, human factors have included:
- Wood for fuel
- Clearance for agriculture
- Materials for building and use for fuel
Modern day human factors include:
- Recreation (e.g. walking, horse-riding, cycling)
- Urbanisation/ house building
- Removal of timber
- Conservation
- Climate change (which can lead to invasion by viruses and animal/ plant species)
Physical factors include:
- Climate (cold winter months when trees/ plants become dormant and only limited food available for animals)
- Past/future climate change due to natural causes
- Weather (e.g. wind)
- Relief (e.g. higher relief, steep slopes)
These physical factors will all affect the range and type of trees, other vegetation and animals.
Naturally, climate is a very significant factor.
This plays a key role in controlling the distribution of deciduous woodlands.
The low temperature conditions slow down the production of food in winter.
This affects both the amount and range of animal and plant species which can be supported.
The plants and animals which occur here naturally are adapted to the climate.
Human factors have played a key role in the past.
They are also having a significant affect in the present.
In many cases this has resulted in the destruction of deciduous woodland and a reduction in biodiversity.
However, in some examples conservation efforts have helped to restore/maintain biodiversity.
Assess the effects of rapid urbanisation on a city in either an emerging or developing country. (SAO PAULO)
Water shortages and increased instances of disease as a result from drinking dirty water.
Over-extraction of water supplies is unsustainable and will lead to even greater problems in the future.
Housing shortages which result in the growth of squatter settlements.
Many houses in squatter settlements lack facilities such as electricity, clean running water and sewage/rubbish disposal.
Increased division between ‘rich’ and ‘poor’ increases social tension within the city.
Difficult for the government to provide sufficient housing, services and healthcare for the growing population.
Growth in informal employment and unemployment due to job shortages.
Incraesed air pollution as a result of more vehicles on the road.
Increased challenges linked to waste pollution and disposal.
New and improved methods of supplying clean drinking water cannot keep pace with the rapidly growing population due to lack of funds / poor existing infrastructure.
Over-extraction of water can have secondary impacts; the surrounding land may become unstable and subsidence may occur, damaging buildings and existing infrastructure. Inhabitants of squatter settlements often live in poor conditions / near to rubbishdumps. This increases their chances of catching serious illnesses which places additional strain on the country’s services.
The increasing gap between ‘rich’ and ‘poor’ leads to the rich living in increasingly segregated/gated communities for fear of crime, kidnapping and issues linked to drugs.
Workers in the informal economy are vulnerable to exploitation and collecting taxes from the informal economy is a challenge for the government.
Health problems associated with declining air quality and poor waste disposal methods can place an additional strain on health services.
evalutate how the govermnent has improved the quality of life in either a named developing or emerging country. (TANZANIA)
Challenges such as increasing inequality need to be tackled in developing / emerging countries as a result of rapid economic growth.
There are growing social and regional (core-periphery) divides in some developing/emerging countries.
Governments in developing/emerging countries have attempted to improve the quality of life and the country’s global status by improving the infrastructure, including the supply of clean drinking water, electricity supply, provision of sanitation, affordable housing / reduction in squatter
settlements, increasing health and education services and improving public transport.
Attempts to improve the quality of life may include increased life expectancy as a result of less disease / greater access to healthcare and clean drinking water.
Details of relationships with other countries and/or membership of trading blocs.
Details about how and why the improvements in infrastructure outlined above (AO2) have had / not had an impact on the named country.
Awareness that improvements might be localised, e.g. urban vs rural or the failure to fill job vacancies due to a shortage of skilled workers in a particular field in the country.
Information about why specific relationships between countries and/or trading blocs has possibly led an improvement in a country’s global status.
Links with major international organisations, such as the World Bank, IMF, United Nations and World Trade Organisation, including an evaluation of the extent to which these links have helped enhance a country’s global status and/or improved the quality of life for people in the country.
