are the water and carbon cycle linked?

Question 1

human activities causing change in the availability of water + carbon

FUSDAD

Answer 1

• fossil fuels
• urbanisation
• soil erosion
• deforestation
• acidification of the oceans
• demand for water

Question 2

how do fossil fuels change the availability of water + carbon

Answer 2

they account for 87% of global primary energy consumption, this has removed billions of tonnes of carbon from geological stores

Question 3

how does urbanisation change the availability of water + carbon

Answer 3

reduces evapotranspiration that would naturally occur from vegetation -> precipitation can decline
urban areas also increase run off + reduce infiltration which can lower water tables

Question 4

how does soil erosion change the availability of water + carbon

Answer 4

increased soil erosion ( due to deforestation + poor agricultural practices) is leading to a decline in the carbon store in the soil

Question 5

how does deforestation change the availability of water + carbon

Answer 5

reduces the carbon store in the biosphere + carbon fixed by photosynthesis

Question 6

how does the acidification of oceans change the availability of water + carbon

Answer 6

threatens the biological carbon store of oceans + the carbon fixed by the process of photosynthesis in phytoplankton

Question 7

how does the demand for water change the availability of water + carbon

Answer 7

rising demand for irrigation, industrial + domestic usage has created water shortages in many areas across the globe eg Bangladesh, India

Question 8

how does human activity causes changes in the water cycle?

Answer 8

reduce evapotranspiration by 20%
reduce precipitation
increase run off by 20 %
decrease through flow
lower water table

Question 9

global management strategies to protect the carbon cycle?

WIRA

Answer 9

wetland restoration
improved agricultural practices
reducing emissions
afforestation

Question 10

strategy of afforestation to protect CC

Answer 10

planting trees in areas where deforestation has taken place or in new areas (also has other benefits eg reducing flood risks, soil erosion + increasing biodiversity)
trees act as carbon sink + can reduce atmospheric co2 + reduce flood risks + soil erosion
UN’s REDD schemes encourage developing countries to conserve their forests eg Nigeria, Kenya
an example is Reforest Amazonia 2019 -> locals encouraged to participate in agroforestry, trees planted on small family farms

Question 11

strategy of improved agricultural practices to protect CC

Answer 11

• avoiding use of heavy farm machinery on wet soils, which leads to compaction + risk of erosion by surface run off
• zero tillage: growing crops without ploughing the soil, conserves soils organic content, reducing oxidation + reduces risk of erosion (erosion decreases carbon store)
• polyculture: growing annual crops interspersed with trees, trees provide year round ground cover + protection against soil erosion + drying out

Question 12

strategy of wetland restoration to protect CC

Answer 12

wetlands = 35% of the terrestrial carbon pool
they form important carbon sinks + protection schemes inc international convention on wetlands + the European Union habitats directive
restoration at local level inv raising water tables to recreate waterlogged conditions.
elsewhere water levels can be maintained also by diverting or blocking drainage ditches

Question 13

strategy of reducing emissions to protect CC

Answer 13

carbon trading (cap + trade) -> businesses allocated a quota for co2, carbon credits received for those below quota + financial penalties for those exceeding. carbon offsets are credits to countries/ businesses for schemes eg afforestation

international agreements -> Kyoto protocol 1997 - most rich countries agreed legally binding restrictions in co2 emissions, Paris climate convection 2015 - countries set own targets which are not legally binding

transport innovations -> sustainable transport shames eg congestion charging (London), park + ride shames, adopting fuel efficient routes

Question 14

why is international agreements on reducing emissions hard to complete?

Answer 14

affected by the self interests of different countries, industries + organisations

Question 15

an example of cap + trade in china

Answer 15

the govt launched the initial phase of a nationwide carbon market with help from the environmental defence fund in 2017. it covers over 2600 companies that support an economy of more than 258 mill

Question 16

an example of afforestation

Answer 16

china, project 1978 to afforest 400,000km2 by 2050 -> by 2009 it had 30,000km2 successfully planted
however as other purposes eg to combat desertification + land degradation