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Geography > Fragile Environments > Flashcards

Fragile Environments Flashcards

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1
Q

What are fragile environments

A

Natural environments that are sensitive to and are easily abused by human activity

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2
Q

How to measure environmental fragility

A
  • closely related to the pressure we put on them
  • ecological footprint is a measure of the mark that humans make on the natural world
  • the ecological footprint of a country shows us where we can expect environments to be made fragile
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3
Q

Characteristics of desertification

A
  • absence of surface water and dried up water courses and ponds
  • lowering of water table
  • vegetation become degraded and lost
  • increased soil erosion as bare soil is exposed
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4
Q

Characteristics of deforestation depend on

A

Type of felling

  • clear felling- forest is completely cut down
  • selective felling- only best trees have been extracted

How long the deforestation took place
- freshly sown trunks and burnt saplings vs large fields surrounded by a fringe of trees

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5
Q

Where does deforestation usually take place

A

Most severe in the deciduous forests of the warm temperate parts of Europe, China and the USA

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6
Q

Where does desertification usually take place

A

In semi arid places and on the edges of existing hot deserts

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7
Q

How does desertification take place

A
  • starts with a usually semi arid area
  • some natural change or human activity leads to vegetation being degraded
  • the lack of vegetation leads to reduced transpiration and bare soil being exposed - soil erosion
  • over time the land becomes drier and the soil becomes less fertile - desert like landscape
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8
Q

Causes of desertification- droughts

A
  • rain is less predictable and there are droughts
  • vegetation dies
  • the lack of vegetation leads to reduced transpiration and bare soil exposed
  • increases soil erosion
  • land becomes drier and soil quality decreases
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9
Q

Causes of desertification- changing intensity of rainfall

A
  • intense rain
  • soil cant absorb the water as it is too saturated
  • depletes the local water sources
  • vegetation dies
  • the lack of vegetation leads to reduced transpiration and bare soil being exposed - soil erosion
  • over time the land becomes drier and the soil becomes less fertile - desert like landscape
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10
Q

Causes of desertification - population growth and pressure

A
  • rapid population growth put more pressure on the land to grow more food
  • can lead to overgrazing
  • too many cattle/goats can destroy the vegetation by trampling and eating it
    eg. waterholes in Sahel
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11
Q

Factors affecting ecological footprint

A
  • rate of population growth
  • level of consumption of resources per person
  • type of technology
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12
Q

Causes of desertification - migration

A
  • as desertification takes hold in one area, people may migrate elsewhere in search of food and water
  • this leads to population growth in another area
  • again leading to overgrazing
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13
Q

Countries in the Sahel

A

Chad, Nigeria and Ethiopia

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14
Q

Causes of deforestation - commercial timber extraction

A

(globally 26 percent)

  • selective logging (only valuable trees) - timber extraction
  • as they fall they damage other trees
  • even more damage in clear feeling for pulp
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15
Q

Causes of deforestation - agriculture

A
  • areas of rainforest cleared for plantations
  • grow single crops like rubber or coffee
  • grassland is grown which huge herds of cattle graze on before another area is cleared
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16
Q

Causes of deforestation - hydroelectric power

A
  • rivers are dammed

- huge areas of forest are flooded as a result

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17
Q

Causes of deforestation - transport (road building)

A
  • roads have been built to enable minerals, timber, cattle and crops to be moved easily
  • roads also bring in new settlers who clear areas to farm
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18
Q

Causes of deforestation - mining

A
  • large areas of forest are cleared for the open cast minerals
    eg. iron, gold, copper
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19
Q

Causes of climate change - Milankovitch cycles

A

Variations in the earths orbit around the sun

These affect the amount of sunlight the earth is receiving and therefore its climate

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20
Q

Causes of climate change - volcanic activity

A

Ash ejected into the earths atmosphere blocks solar Radiation (sunlight)leading to a decreased temperature

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21
Q

Causes of climate change - solar variation

A

Solar output goes in cycles of approx 11 years

Small changes in solar variation play a small role in the earths climate

22
Q

The Greenhouse effect

A

Heat is trapped inside the earths atmosphere by the greenhouse gases.
During the day radiation from the sun heats the earth
At night, clouds and gses in the atmosphere trap this heat as it radiates out

23
Q

What human activities can cause the enhanced greenhouse effect

A

Industry - 21 percent
- burning fossil fuels to power the machinery in the factory

Transport - 14 percent
- burning of fossil fuels to power our transport

Energy - 25 percent

  • electricity generation is the main cause of carbon pollution
  • generate electricity and heat for domestic use

Farming - 24 percent

  • livestock make methane
  • some fertilisers release nitrous oxide
  • trees play an important role in regulating climate because they are carbon sinks
24
Q

Impacts of desertification - reduced agriculture

Environmental, economic and social

A
  • soil loses fertility
  • because nutrient cycle stops
  • soils dry out
  • soil erosion caused by winds
  • water resources decline because of less transpiration
  • crops fail and livestock dies
25
Q

Impacts of desertification - famine and malnutrition

Economic and Social

A
  • decreased agricultural output
  • food shortages
  • poor diet /malnutrition /starvation
  • weakened immune system - illness
26
Q

Impacts of desertification - migration and conflict

Social

A
  • situation deteriorates so if people stay they die
  • many migrate
  • settling in other areas under leads to conflict
27
Q

Main impacts of deforestation

A

The loss of biodiversity

  • biodiversity is a vital part of the earths life support system
  • biodiversity provides us with a wide range of good and services

Contribution to build up of greenhouse gases

  • cause of global warming
  • forests absorb CO2 in the atmosphere and deforestation means the levels of CO2 in the atmosphere increases
28
Q

Positive impact of deforestation

A

For developing countries deforestation can stimulate economic development through selling resources of the forest

29
Q

Goods are products provided by biomes - goods of the rainforest

A
  • medicines
  • food
  • timber
  • tourism
30
Q

Services are jobs done by biomes - services of the rainforest

A
  • regulate the carbon cycle
  • regulate the water cycle
  • habitats for animals
  • preserves indigenous culture
31
Q

Impacts of climate change - rising sea levels

A
  • contaminated drinking supply
    rising seas may intrude on coastal aquifers
  • coastal flooding
    coastal communities will be forced to move- problem for low lying nations
    also will contaminate soil and stunt growth of trees
32
Q

Impacts of climate change - more hazard events

A
  • more extreme weather means more frequent and intense natural hazards
  • warmer seas means more intense storms
  • more frequent and longer droughts + heatwaves
33
Q

Impacts of climate change - ecosystem changes

A

The distributions of ecosystems will change, pushing the worlds biomes towards the poles

some positives
- more oil natural gas and minerals will be accessible

34
Q

Impacts of climate change - reduced employment opportunities

A
  • large amount of population live in coastal regions - lots of economic wealth is generated at the coast
  • coastal locations enable the movement of raw and manufactured goods
35
Q

Impacts of climate change - changing settlement patterns

A
  • the continued development of low lying areas must stop

- evacuation of coastal areas will cause massive migration and loss of economic activity

36
Q

Impacts of climate change - health and wellbeing challenges

A
  • a warmer climate causes a change in the distribution of many diseases
  • water will become scarcer and people will have to drink unclean water
  • movement of people will cause human distress
37
Q

food supply can affected by climate change

A
  • changing seasons
  • coastal flooding and saltwater intrusion
  • droughts
38
Q

Appropriate technology is

A

small scale and simple technology than can be managed directly on a local level

39
Q

Spreading weirs

A
  • stone and cement walls that extend across a valley
  • walls hold back the flow of water
  • water seeps into ground raising the water table
  • overtime allows water to be stored and used
40
Q

Dealing with desertification

A
  • education
  • soil erosion (planting suitable trees, roots bind soil together)
  • changing farming - eg. crop rotation (these strategies are hard to implement because food is already scarce)
41
Q

Alternative energy sources to deal with desertification

A

eg. solar and wind sources can reduce pressure to deforest

42
Q

Top down

A

large scale expensive infrastructure
funded by international organisations
eg. large dams and hydropower schemes and canals

43
Q

Bottom up

A
  • planned and controlled by local groups
  • cheap
  • involve use of appropriate technology
  • lower environmental impacts
44
Q

The Amazon Region Protected Areas Scheme 2002

A

The ARPA Scheme was created by Brazilian Government and WWF

Creates areas where you can only cut down specific number of trees and in protected

45
Q

Soy and Cattle moratorium

A

The soy industry declared a moratorium on deforestation - not to buy soybeans produced on amazon lands
similar rules for cattle

46
Q

Expansion of indigenous reserves

A

REDD+ - have gained a voice in treaties such as these
Deforestation rates in areas of indigenous forest are comparable or lower than normal
Have been given power to prevent illegal land incursion

47
Q

in UK Government responses to climate change

A

signed up to Kyoto Protocol in 1995
- international treaty to reduce ghgs

developed own Climate Change Act 2008
- cutting emissions

changed primary energy source from coal to gas

48
Q

in UK Organisation responses to climate change

A

Energy saving trust

  • empower householder to make better choices
  • support businesses with energy efficiency strategies
  • work with governments to deliver energy programmes
49
Q

in UK Individuals responses to climate change

A
  • eat less meat
  • vote
  • insulate homes
  • recycle
50
Q

in China Government responses to climate change

A

adopted paris agreement in 2015

have own national action plan on climate change

signed glasgow pact

51
Q

in China Organisation responses to climate change

A

mostly NGOs
ensure China takes leading role in international climate negotiations
move away from coal and invest in renewable energy sources

52
Q

in China Individuals responses to climate change

A
  • eat less meat
  • vote
  • insulate homes
  • recycle
    38 percent are willing to use solar power

Geography (6 decks)

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