EQ3- how are the carbon cycle and water cycle linked Flashcards
causality def
the causes of changes to the water and carbon cycles brought about by human activity
systems definition
the ways in which ecosystems respond to change
resilience definition
the impact of human activities on the resilience of natural systems
what are the 4 ecosystem services that if damaged put an ecosystem at risk
-supporting services
-provisioning services
-regulating services
-cultural services
what are the 3 threats to the carbon and water cycle
- deforestation and afforestation
- converting grassland to farming
- ocean acidification and coral
how is deforestation a threat to the carbon cycle
-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
how is converting grassland to farming (biofuel) a threat to the carbon cycle
-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
how is ocean acidification and coral a threat to the carbon cycle
- 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
talk about the extent of the drought in 2010 in the amazon
-it shut down the amazons function as a carbo sink
- worst to hit brazil for 80 years
-forest fires
talk about the positive feedback loop (amplifies an effect) for the amazon rainforest die back
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
what are the 3 stages of the Kuznets Curve
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
changes to the water cycle:
- very high confidence-
- high confidence-
-medium confidence-
- 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
case study: Yukon: Artic Melting
-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
climate models predict that precipitation patterns will change in 2 ways
-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
what does high pressure lead to
anticyclone
dry conditions
what does low pressure lead to
depressions
wet conditions
who are the IPCC
- 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
whats negative feedback and positive feedback
neg- dampens the og process
pos- amplifies it
what are tipping points
- 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
what are the 4 threats to ocean health and human wellbeing
mangroves
tourism
food
coral reefs
how do mangroves affect ocean health and human wellbeing
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
ocean health and human wellbeing - tourism
- 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
how does food affect ocean health and human wellbeing
-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
coral reefs and ocean health and human wellbeing
- 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
physical factors why climate change is so uncertain
-oceans- acts as c sinks, take decades to respond to changes
-forest loss-afforestation or deforestation
human factors why climate change is so uncertain
-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
feedback mechanisms why climate change is so uncertain
-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
tipping points why climate change is so uncertain
-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
what are peatlands
terrestrial wetland ecosystems in which waterlogged conditions prevent plant material from fully decomposing
whats adaptation
adopting new ways of doing things in order to live with the likely outcomes of climate change
whats mitigation
re-balancing the carbon cycle and reducing any impacts of climate change
talk about the adaptation strat water conservation and management of for tackling climate change
-using smart irrigation, recycling sewage water for agricultural use, can be seen in Israel , reduces agricultural consumption
talk about the mitigation strat of carbon taxation for tackling climate change
- its a tax that is paid by users of fossil fuels, directly links to the amount of co2 produces, makes countries switch to renewables
talk about the adaptation strat of solar radiation management for tackling climate change
-aims to reflect solar rays thus reducing global warming, may be expensive
talk about the mitigation strat of energy efficiency for tackling climate change
-choosing more sustainable energy, removing energy consuming properties, reducing environmental impacts on energy use, this can be expensive
talk about the adaptation strat of for resilient agricultural systems tackling climate change
-using a no ploughing approach, uses fewer fertilizers.
-leads to increased yields and water conservation
talk about the mitigation strat of for afforestation tackling climate change
-restoration of a degraded environment
-prevention of soil erosion
-high economic cost
talk about the adaptation strat of land use planning and flood risk management for tackling climate change
-development on flood plains is limited and low impact
-wider risk of flooding is reduced however high economic cost and people want houses
talk about the mitigation strat of renewable switching for tackling climate change
-switching to renewable energy which is more sustainable and clean
-carbon emissions are lower
talk about the mitgation strat of carbon capture storage for tackling climate change
-trapping co2 emissions underground
-aims to cut co2 emissions by 90%
-don’t know if there are any future risks
