Cold environments Flashcards
describe the physical characteristics of a polar environment
-climate, winter temperatures often fall below -50degrees
-large areas are permanently covered by ice so soils are permanently frozen
-some plants, mosses and lichens,
-polar beras and penguins found there
what are cold environments
environments that experience below zerodegrees celcius for long periods of time
describe the characteristics of a tundra environment
-climate is less extreme than polar, winter temps may drop to -20 degreees
-summers may be warm
-low growing flowering plants such as bearberry, artic moss and tufted saxifrage
-soils are frozen, (PERMAFROST) but in summer will melt close to the surface
-artic fox and artic hare live there
explain the interdependence of the climate, water soils plants and animals and people in a cold environment
All parts of the polar regions (climate, soils, water, plants, animals and people) are dependent on each other
-If anyone of them changes, everything else is affected.
How has the plant, bearberry adapted to its environment and what location is it found in
-tundra
-very low growing (5-15cm off the ground)to enable it to survive in winds
-stems have thick bark for wind
-hairy stems help to retain heat
-bright red berries are eaten by birds and owls this helps to distribute seeds
how has the animal polar bear adapted to its environment
-to retain heat they have thick fur and an insulating layer of fat
-a black nose and foot pads to absorb sunshine
What are the opportunites for development in Svalbard
-mineral extraction
-energy development
-fishing
-tourism
Explain how mineral extraction provides opportunites for development in Svalbard
-Svalbard has rich reserves of coal but mining in Svalbard is a controversial
-it is the main economic activity
-more than 300 people are employed in the mines as support staff
Explain how energy development provides opportunites for development in Svalbard
-some of the coal mined on svalbard is burned to generate electricity in the Longyearbyen power station. it is a coal-fired power station in Norway but supplies all of Svalbards needs
Explain how fishing provides opportunites for development in Svalbard
-the waters of Barents sea (south of svalbard) are one of the richest fishing grounds in the world
-150species of fish, apart from cod
-waters extremely important breeding and nursery groundds for fish stocks
Explain how tourism provides opportunites for development in Svalbard
-in 2011 70,000 people visited Longyearbyen and 30,000 of those were cruise passengers
-tourism provides around 300jobs for locals
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why do tourists travel to Svalbard
to explore the natural environment (the glaciers, fjords and wildlife)
-adventure tourism such as hiking, kayaking and snow mobile safaris
-to see the Northern lights
What are the challenges for development in Svalbard
-extreme temperatures
-provision of buildings
-inaccessibility
Why are extreme temperatures a challenge for development in svalbard
-in winter the temperatures can fall below -30 degrees
-extreme tempperatures make it dangerous to work outside, due to a serious risk of frostbite
-people have to dress very warmly making outdoor work slow and difficult
Why are provision of buildings a challenge for development in svalbard
-building houses, shops and offices, use deep piles wood sunk into the permafrost
-constructing and maintaining roads on top of a gravel layer to insulate the permafrost
-constructing and enlarging harbour facilities for fishing vessels and cruise ships
