EQ3- how are the carbon cycle and water cycle linked

Question 1

causality def

Answer 1

the causes of changes to the water and carbon cycles brought about by human activity

Question 2

systems definition

Answer 2

the ways in which ecosystems respond to change

Question 3

resilience definition

Answer 3

the impact of human activities on the resilience of natural systems

Question 4

what are the 4 ecosystem services that if damaged put an ecosystem at risk

Answer 4

-supporting services
-provisioning services
-regulating services
-cultural services

Question 5

what are the 3 threats to the carbon and water cycle

Answer 5

1. deforestation and afforestation
2. converting grassland to farming
3. ocean acidification and coral

Question 6

how is deforestation a threat to the carbon cycle

Answer 6

-has a major impact on the size of the terrestrial carbon store
- affects rivers, landscapes and soil health
-extensive logging leaves soils exposed and rivers quickly become full of sediment

Question 7

how is converting grassland to farming (biofuel) a threat to the carbon cycle

Answer 7

-5.5 million hectares of grassland disappeared
- land traditionally used for cattle ranching was converted through ploughing which led to serious consequences for the carbon and water cycle as well as soil health.
- benefits of the grasslands was trapping moisture and flood water- acted as a carbon sink= absorbing co2 and releasing o2
-disadvantages of converting grasslands to biofuels= releases co2 from the soil to the atmosphere- heavy consumers of water as they need irrigation which has a great impact on water aquifers

Question 8

how is ocean acidification and coral a threat to the carbon cycle

Answer 8

• the worlds oceans are a major carbon sink
  -as co2 in the oceans increase, the pH decreases, it becomes more acidic. this is ocean acidification
• as oceans are more acidic, they cant absorb the alkaline calcium carbonate as they need to maintain skeletons, reefs

Question 9

talk about the extent of the drought in 2010 in the amazon

Answer 9

-it shut down the amazons function as a carbo sink
- worst to hit brazil for 80 years
-forest fires

Question 10

talk about the positive feedback loop (amplifies an effect) for the amazon rainforest die back

Answer 10

temperatures rise -> droughts and wildfires increase in the amazon -> more trees die and decompose or burn releasing co2 (leads to rising temps once more) -> fewer rainforest trees mean less water is pumped into the atmosphere -> rainfall decreases…cycle repeats

Question 11

what are the 3 stages of the Kuznets Curve

Answer 11

stage 1: rapid economic development occurs when demand for products has impact on environment
2: concern as degradation leads to action to protect the environment
3: reinforcement of stage 2 occurs with education programmes and funding for environmental protection

Question 12

changes to the water cycle:
- very high confidence-
- high confidence-
-medium confidence-

Answer 12

• very high confidence-
  -permafrost thawing rates will increase
  -higher temps will reduce the duration and extent of ice and snow cover
• high confidence-
  annual decline in artic sea ice will become fore rapid
• permafrost area will decrease
  -medium confidence-
• the precipitation and evaporation balance will change
• the artic ocean could be ice free by 2037

Question 13

case study: Yukon: Artic Melting

Answer 13

-complete change in water cycle due to global warming
-snowmelt now begins earlier in Yukon and snow cover is decreasing which alters river reschemes
-climate change leading to thawing of the permafrost

Question 14

climate models predict that precipitation patterns will change in 2 ways

Answer 14

-wet will get wetter and dry will get drier
- as atmospheric circulation changes a shift in storm track will move storms further from the equator towards to poles

Question 15

what does high pressure lead to

Answer 15

anticyclone
dry conditions

Question 16

what does low pressure lead to

Answer 16

depressions
wet conditions

Question 17

who are the IPCC

Answer 17

• intergovernmental panel of climate change
  -it was created to provide policy makers with regular scientific assessments on climate change, its implications and future risks as well as to put forward adaptation and mitigation options
  -through its assessments, it determines the state of knowledge on climate change

Question 18

whats negative feedback and positive feedback

Answer 18

neg- dampens the og process
pos- amplifies it

Question 19

what are tipping points

Answer 19

• a critical threshold. at a particular moment in time, a small change in a global system can transform a relatively stable system into a very diff state

Question 20

what are the 4 threats to ocean health and human wellbeing

Answer 20

mangroves
tourism
food
coral reefs

Question 21

how do mangroves affect ocean health and human wellbeing

Answer 21

mangroves provide benefits such as:
-stability of coastlines against erosion
-collecting nutrient rich sediments
-providing protection against extreme weather events
-providing nurseries for coral fish away from predators
however half of mangroves have been lost

Question 22

ocean health and human wellbeing - tourism

Answer 22

• high water temps in 2016 caused the worst coral bleaching ever recorded on the great barrier reef. damage to coral directly impacts the profits made in areas as its an attraction
  -reefs being lost due to climate change and pollution caused by industrial and agricultural runoff-> reduces income form tourism

Question 23

how does food affect ocean health and human wellbeing

Answer 23

-520 million people depend on fisheries for their income. climate change is altering the distribution and productivity of species, food webs and biological processes, cold water plankton are also affected.
-ocean acidification is leading to coral bleaching which affects food sources and incomes for people living in costal communities

Question 24

coral reefs and ocean health and human wellbeing

Answer 24

• warmer seas, stronger storms and acidification are damaging coral reefs, bleaching is to become severe to half of all coral reefs by 2050.
  -corals will now be less effective at protecting coasts from storms resulting in costal erosion.
  -over 100 countries benefit from the recreational use of coral reefs

Question 25

physical factors why climate change is so uncertain

Answer 25

-oceans- acts as c sinks, take decades to respond to changes
-forest loss-afforestation or deforestation

Question 26

human factors why climate change is so uncertain

Answer 26

-economic growth- rising co2 emissions would follow the recovery of global GDP.
-energy sources- energy consumption= up, but movement towards renewables
-population change-increasing affluence= more consumers and more emissions

Question 27

feedback mechanisms why climate change is so uncertain

Answer 27

-peatlands- this is the accumulation of partly decayed vegetation, stores large amounts of carbon however warming causes decomposition to quicken
-permafrost- when permafrost melts, it releases trapped carbon

Question 28

tipping points why climate change is so uncertain

Answer 28

-forest die back- dieback stops the recycling of moisture within forests, causes further dieback.
-change to thermohaline circulation- cold, deep water forms part of this, melting of ice sheets releases abundant amounts of freshwater in the ocean which disrupts the conveyer belt of warm water moving from the tropics

Question 29

what are peatlands

Answer 29

terrestrial wetland ecosystems in which waterlogged conditions prevent plant material from fully decomposing

Question 30

whats adaptation

Answer 30

adopting new ways of doing things in order to live with the likely outcomes of climate change

Question 31

whats mitigation

Answer 31

re-balancing the carbon cycle and reducing any impacts of climate change

Question 32

talk about the adaptation strat water conservation and management of for tackling climate change

Answer 32

-using smart irrigation, recycling sewage water for agricultural use, can be seen in Israel , reduces agricultural consumption

Question 33

talk about the mitigation strat of carbon taxation for tackling climate change

Answer 33

• its a tax that is paid by users of fossil fuels, directly links to the amount of co2 produces, makes countries switch to renewables

Question 34

talk about the adaptation strat of solar radiation management for tackling climate change

Answer 34

-aims to reflect solar rays thus reducing global warming, may be expensive

Question 35

talk about the mitigation strat of energy efficiency for tackling climate change

Answer 35

-choosing more sustainable energy, removing energy consuming properties, reducing environmental impacts on energy use, this can be expensive

Question 36

talk about the adaptation strat of for resilient agricultural systems tackling climate change

Answer 36

-using a no ploughing approach, uses fewer fertilizers.
-leads to increased yields and water conservation

Question 37

talk about the mitigation strat of for afforestation tackling climate change

Answer 37

-restoration of a degraded environment
-prevention of soil erosion
-high economic cost

Question 38

talk about the adaptation strat of land use planning and flood risk management for tackling climate change

Answer 38

-development on flood plains is limited and low impact
-wider risk of flooding is reduced however high economic cost and people want houses

Question 39

talk about the mitigation strat of renewable switching for tackling climate change

Answer 39

-switching to renewable energy which is more sustainable and clean
-carbon emissions are lower

Question 40

talk about the mitgation strat of carbon capture storage for tackling climate change

Answer 40

-trapping co2 emissions underground
-aims to cut co2 emissions by 90%
-don’t know if there are any future risks