Fragile Environments Flashcards
Why are cold environments fragile?
-An area that is easily damages or disturbed and is difficult to restore
-Tundra can take up to 50 years to return to former state
-Damage to ecosystem which can take a long time to recover
-Limited rainfall limits plant growth
-Cold temperatures
-Short summers and long winters
Why is it fragile due to human activity in Antarctica and southern ocean?
-Sealing and whaling
-Chemical waste and sewage dumping
-Tourism
-Maritime transport
-Mining and oil extraction
-Scientific research
Why is it fragile due to human activity in the Artic basin?
-Sealing and whaling
-Small scale hunting and fur trapping
-Tourism
-Caribou hunting
-Forestry
-Mining, oil and gas extractions
-Maritime transport
Why is it fragile due to human activity in alpine regions?
-Forestry
-Agriculture
-Tourism
-Transport routes
-Energy production
Why is it fragile due to human activity in Siberia?
-Fishing and hunting
-Fur trapping
-Mining
-Forestry
-Military bases
-Oil, gas and coal extractions
-Fresh water supply
Why is there limited range of human activity in cold environments?
-Settlements are remote, isolated and limited access
-Limited range of living and non-living resources
-Limited biodiversity is not sustainable
-Large fluctuations of energy held in each tropic level of a food chain
-Human disruptions to the biome can have a long lasting impact
What can climate change cause?
-Changes in solar activity
-Earth’s orbit
-Meteorite impact
-Volcanic activity
-Changes in ocean circulation
-Green house gas emissions
-Deforestations
How can climate change affect cold environments?
-Rising average temperatures -> causing melting of ice and snow which can cause rising sea levels resulting in possible flooding
-Ocean warming
-Stronger winds and currents -> Artic
-Shoreline erosion
-Endangering species
What are physical challenges for human occupation and development?
-Very low temperatures
-Short summers
-Short growing season
-Snow lying for long periods
-Low precipitation levels
-Thin, stony, poorly developed soils
-Permafrost
-Surface thaws in summer causes water logging
What are the majority of people living in cold environments?
Non-indigenous people
What are adaptations made by indigenous people?
-Traditional economic activities -> Hunting, fishing, herding and fur trading
-Live in low population densities
-Cultural norms that promote the protection at the environments
-Only take the resources they require
What are human challenges for occupation and development?
-Shortage of labour and skills
-Impacts from outside on natural resources
-Feeling of economic and political neglect
-Limited educational opportunities
-Lack of permanent jobs
-Remoteness and inaccessibility
-Increasing unpredictability of climatic events
-Shortage of labour and skills
What are traditional adaptations for cold environments?
-The Inuit indigenous people adapt to all aspects of life
-Hunt, gather and preserve food throughout summer
-Safely eat raw meat
-Settled communities build log and sod houses
-Use all part of a carcas
-Snow holes and igloos in winter
-Travel by dog sled in winter
-Travel by umiaks in summer
-Driftwood and seal skin huts in summer
-Small family size (Low birth rates)
-Normadic
What are contemporary adaptations in cold environments?
-Permafrost poses a challenge to developments
-New building methods protect the permafrost and prevent building subsidence
-Houses are elevated on piles driven into the permafrost
-Large buildings are built on aggregate pads
-Buildings are insulated to reduce heat transfer
-Utilidors have been built
