GCSE 1.B - Living World ( Hot deserts )

Question 1

What is the definition of a desert?

Answer 1

A biome that has less than 25cm of rain a year

Question 2

What are the characteristics of a desertt?

Answer 2

few trees and plants from lack of water
Few animals from not enough t eat and strong winds can whip sand up into dust and feirce storms
Huge temperature range

Question 3

What are some examples of deserts?

Answer 3

Sahara
Australian
Araibian

Question 4

Where are hot deserts found?Why?

Answer 4

Along the tropics of cancer and capricorn, this is where the air in a hadley cell sinks back to earth which creates high pressure and dry conditions

Question 5

why is there a big temperature range in the deserts?

Answer 5

The lack of clouds allows the land to warm up quickly during the day and loose heat quickly at night

Question 6

WHat are some animal examples of adaptaions in hot deserts?

Answer 6

a rattlesnake - has waterproof skin so it cannot loose moisture as easily
Kangaroo Rat- all the water it needs is from its food
camels- food istored in their humps so they can go days without it

Question 7

what are some plant adaptations in hot deserts?

Answer 7

euphrates popular tree
sand verbena
saguero cactus

Question 8

Euphrates popular tree

Answer 8

long tap roots to reach water deep down
shared root systems for mutual benefit

Question 9

sand verbena

Answer 9

complete full life cycle in a few weeks

Question 10

saguaro cactus

Answer 10

can store up to 5000l wate4
spines insteas of leaves to prevent transpiration

Question 11

INTERDEPENDANCE

pack rat and Cholla(teddybrear cactsu)

Answer 11

the pack rat takes bits of the cactus that have fallen off the protect its burrow. this meas the cactus with take rot far from the parent plant to reduce competition

Question 12

INTERDEPENDANCE

Mesquite and sagura cactus

Answer 12

Mesquite tree protects cacti form extreme wearther and draws up water for it to use

Question 13

Desertification

Answer 13

the process of land turning into desert. this usually occurs on the edges of existing desert

Question 14

what is desertification caused by?

Answer 14

overgrasing
overcultivation
population growth

Question 15

OverGrasing

Answer 15

areas are stripped of vegetation by grasing animals and it exposes the soil. this then gets eroded by wind or water

Question 16

How can Overcultivation destroy a desert or cause one?

Answer 16

the sol can become exhausted (stripped oof nutrients). it will turn to dust and become infertile

Question 17

Population growth

Answer 17

lead to increasing demand for fuel wood, the trees are stirpped of their branches and eventually die(with the trees goes the moisture)

Question 18

what are the consequences of desertification?

Answer 18

Famine
Loss of biodiversity and livestock
food insecurity

Question 19

what is a solution to desertification

Answer 19

stone lines/magic stones

Question 20

great Green wall

Answer 20

stops climate change - stores co2
acts as a wind break
provides jobs
trees store moisture

Question 21

What opportunities are there in the thar desert?

Answer 21

Tourism - from pakistan, camel rides, winterfestival
Mineral extraction - gypsum, fieldspar,phosphorite
Energy - coal, oil, wind, soil
farming - mustard

Question 22

What are the challenges of the thar desert?

Answer 22

rainfall is low- no water
veyr sandy- hard to build
infertile soil - no plants
ectreme temps
inaccesability - extreme weather

Question 23

What are desert soild like?

Answer 23

Infertile, sandy or stony

Question 24

THAR DESERT

Tourism

Answer 24

tens of thousand visit the desert each year
Deset safaris on camels based at Jaisalmer, Annual desert festival held in winter. local people benefit by providing food and accomodation and by acting as guides or rearing and looking after camels

Question 25

THAR DESeRT

Mineral extraction

Answer 25

The desert reigion has valuable reserves of mineral which are used all over India and exported all across the world
Feldspar (used to make ceramics) - 66% of Indias production comes from Rajasthan
kaolin ( used as whitener in paper) - Producing 16% of the nation’s output

also valuble reserves of stones such as limetone in the region

Question 26

THAR DESERT

Energy

Answer 26

The Thar desert is a rich energy sourcee

Oil - a large oilfield in the barmer district makes a large contribution teh states revenues (US$5.3Billion in 2009-2018)

Solar - Hot desert is the perfect climate and conditions for solar power constructions. A huge solar park is being constructed at Bhadla. Spreas across 40km , it will generate enough electricity to meet Rajasthan’s needs

Question 27

THAR DESERT

What Farming types are in the Thar desert?

Answer 27

Most people living in the desert are involved in subsistence farming. They survive in the hot and dry conditions by grasing animals on the grassy areas and cultivating vegatbles and fruit trees
commercial farming, Has been possible by irrigation. The construction of the Indira Ghandi Canal in 1958 has revolutionised farming, crops such as wheat and cotton now thrive in an area that used to be scrubby desert.

Question 28

THAR DESERT

How does Extreme temps limit the development of the Thar desert?

Answer 28

In 2016 a record temp for india was 51C was recorded at Phalodi in Rajasthan
The Extreme heat presents health challlenges for people working outside e.g. tour guides, farmers

Tourism Is seasonal because it is limited to the cooler months

Extreme heat can lead to dehydration of animals and plats, affecting biodiversity and farming

Question 29

THAR DESERT

Water supply - who supplies? Problem?

Answer 29

High demand for water
The Indira Ghandhi Canal
The main source of irrigation in the Thar Desert, and a major source for the economy, supporting farming, mining, and tourism

Question 30

THAR DESERT

How does Inaccesability limit development?

Answer 30

Due to very extreme weather and vast barren areas there is a very limited road network across the Thar Desert. High temps can cause tarmac to melt and the strong winds often blow sand over the roads.

Many places are only accesible by camel, Public transport often involves seriously overladen buses