Geography Flashcards

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1
Q

Describe the distribution of Tropical Rainforests.

A

Tropical Rainforests are classified within a linear pattern, as they range from Western Africa to South America. All Tropical Rainforests are also located between the tropic of cancer and Tropic of Capricorn. An exeption of this pattern is the patch of tropical raiforests located just above the Tropic of Cancer in Asia.

Refer to Page 13 of Worbook for further understanding

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2
Q

What is NPP?

A

A term used to describe the amount of organic material generated in a biome through the process of photosynthesis.

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3
Q

What are the units for measuring NPP?

A

Grams of carbon/ per m2/ per year

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4
Q

What is GPP?

A

It refers to the total chemical energy produced from sunlight through the photosynthesis of plants.

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5
Q

How is NPP calulated?

A

NPP = GPP - Respiration Rate (Amount of Carbon released to atmosphere via Respiration)

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6
Q

Define the word biome.

A

Biomes are regions defined by landscapes that share similar climates and types of vegetaion.

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7
Q

What are the factors within SHEEPT?

A

Social

Historical

Economic

Environmental

Political

Technological

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8
Q

What are the important geographic charcteristics within Whistler, Canada?

A

Topography - Whistler is a very mountaineous region.

Scale - Whistler is big

Climate - Whistler contains extreme weather conditions from very long cold winters to moderately warm short summers.

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9
Q

In what biome is Whistler, Canada located?

A

Whistler is located in the Boreal Forest Biome.

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10
Q

Identify 2 human process occuring in Whistler / Boreal Forest Biome?

A

A human process occuring in Whistler / Boreal Forest Biome is mining where it causes fragmentation of the forest, diversion of water flow, and pollution.

Another process is the clearing of trees to make way for oil and gas exploration.

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11
Q

Identify where whistler is lcoated in Canada?

A
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12
Q

Where do boreal forests occur?

A

Boreal Forests occur between 50 and 60 degrees north (Northern hemisphere) and can be found in Canada and Scandinavia.

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13
Q

Describe the climate (Temperature) and growing season of boreal forests?

A

Boreal forests have short and moderately warm summers with a max temp of 20 degrees on a average and long stretched out cold winters, with an average temp of -15 degrees. The growing season in a boreal forest is about 3 months.

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14
Q

What is the largest biome in the world?

A

The Boreal Forest Biome

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15
Q

What is the fauna and flora like in the boreal forest?

A

The Boreal Forest has a little fauna life, including Bears and Elks. However it consits of a large amount of flora including Evergreen Trees with needle like leaves and pinecones.

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16
Q

What are the rainfall ranges of the Boreal Forest Biome?

A

Rainfall in the Boreal Forest Biome ranges from 50 - 101 cm

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17
Q

In what biome is the Black Forest located within?

A

The Black Forest is located in the Temperate Forest Biome

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18
Q

What are the main geographic characteristics in the Black Forest?

A

Climate - The black forest undergoes serveral climate changes throughout the year. The average climate might be ‘temperate’ but their are extremes either side. From -25 degrees freezing to 40 degrees in summer.

Flora and Fauna - The Black Forest contains a large array of wildlife.

Hydrology - The Black Forest contains a variety of lakes and rivers.

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19
Q

Identify and explain a natural process occuring in the Black Forest / Temperate Forest?

A

Seasonal Change, because of the earth’s tilt Germany and the Black Forest receive 4 diverse seasons, largely influencing the fauna and flora.

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20
Q

Identify and explain a human process occuring in the Black Forest / Temperate Forest Biome?

A

Urbanisation, as we humans destroy their land, nutrients and atmospheric conditions.

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21
Q

Describe the location of the temperate forest?

A

The location of the temperate forest is between the tropics and the cold polar regions. And spans from eastern North America, NE Asia and central and WEST of Europe and Australia.

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22
Q

Describe the temperature of Temperate Forest’s?

A

The climate of a temperate forest varies from -25 degrees to 35 degrees Celsius, with 4 distinct seasons.

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23
Q

In what biome does the majority of the worlds population live in?

A

The Temperate Forest Biome

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24
Q

Where is the Black Forest Located?

A

South-West Germany

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25
Q

Identify the Flora and Fauna in the Temperate Forest Biome

A

Fauna = Racoons, Deers and Foxes

Flora = Moss, Ferns and a variety of trees.

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26
Q

What are the rainfall ranges in the Temperate Forest Biome?

A

75 - 150 cm

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27
Q

How do animals survive winter in the temperate forest?

A

Hibernation

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28
Q

What are the 3 types of Grasslands and where are each of them located?

A

The savannah grassland which is located in africa, Steppes which are located in Asia and Praires which are located in North America.

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29
Q

The grassland biome contains many of the worlds food and fibre, including…

A

Rice, Wheat, Corn

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30
Q

What are some of the fauna in grasslands?

A

Sheep, Goats and Cowa

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31
Q

What human activity / process has impacted grasslands the most?

A

Grazing Land (animals eating grass), which changes the landscapes of grasslands.

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32
Q

Describe the temperature pattern in the Savannah Grassland?

A

Savannah Deserts are generally very warm climates with 500-1250mm of rainfall annually, and have a consistent 6-8 months of rainfall.

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33
Q

Describe the temperature pattern in the Prairie Grassland?

A

often called temperate grassland and have a temperate temperatures and moderate rainfall.

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34
Q

Describe the temperature pattern in the Steppe Grassland?

A

The Steppe Climate has very hot summers and very cold winters, with drastic temperature changes from night to day. The average rainfall per year is 250-510mm.

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35
Q

How would you recognise the 3 different grasslands?

A

Savanna’s have scattered individual trees

Steppes are generally green plains

Praires are rolling lands of dry grassland (generally yellow)

Search up what they each look like

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36
Q

Describe the distribution of grasslands in the world?

A

They are located 20 degrees north and south of the equator, in continents ; like America, Africa, Oceania. The exeption is the grasslands in southern south america.

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37
Q

What are the relevant geographical characteristics of the Sahel?

A

Flora and Fauna - Diverse range of flora and fauna because of warm temperatures and high rainfall.

Scale - Grasslands are generally rather large

Climate - Different Grasslands each have a diverse range of climates.

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38
Q

Identify the most relevant natural process occuring in the Sahel / Savanna / Grassland Biome.

A

The Water Cycle because in the Sahel, Africa where it is a savanna the region relies largely on large amounts of rainfall for 6-8 months of the year, where a drought period follows. If there was a consistent amount of rainfall through the whole year it would become a tropical raniforest and if there was very little rainfall it would become a desert.

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39
Q

What Biome is the Sahel, Africa located in?

A

The Sahel is located in the Grasslands biome in Africa.

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40
Q

Where is the Sahel located in Africa?

A

;)

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41
Q

Where are tropical rainforests located?

A

Tropical Rainforests are located between 23.5 degrees N and S and are located in a linear pattern from the Amazon in South America, trough Africa and SE Asia (papua new guinea) and Australia.

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42
Q

Describe the temperature patterns in the Tropical Forest Biome?

A

Tropical Rainforests do not vary much in temperature throughout the year, hovering from 26-32 degrees on average and have an average of 2000 to 10000 mm of rain annually.

43
Q

The percentage of plants we eat that began in the world’s tropical rainforest including potatoes, corn, rice, avocadoes, oranges, bananas, coffee, chocolate and other foods are rainforest plants.

A

80%

44
Q

How much of the worlds oxygen is produced in the Amazon?

A

1/5

45
Q

Rainforests now make up what per cent of Australia’s remaining native forest?

A

2.5%

46
Q

The percentage of the drugs we use to treat illnesses, from leukaemia to headaches, that originated from rainforest plants.

A

25%

47
Q

What are the relevant geographic characteristics of the Daintree Rainforest?

A

Flora and Fauna - Their are a large array of flora and fauna, consisting of 3000 plant species and various animals

Climate - The Daintree Rainforest has a consistent tropical climate, hovering between 26 and 32 degrees and recieves over 200 cm of rainfall annually.

Hydrology - Their are various lakes, dams and rivers throughout the Daintree Rainforest including the Daintree River.

48
Q

Identify a relevant natural process occuring in the Daintree Rainforest / Tropical Rainforest Biome ?

A

Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration, both these processes are constantly occuring due to the large amounts of sunlight and rainfall and explain why tropical rainforests hold majority of the world’s oxygen.

49
Q

Identify a relevant human process occuring in Tropical Rainforests?

A

Land Use Change, fore example logging and mining, where in recent years an estimated 18 million acres of rainforest is lost each year.

50
Q

In order from top to bottom what are the layers of the rainforest?

A

Emergents, Canopy, Under Canopy, Shrub layer and Forest Floor with Leaf Litter.

Read Page 52 and 53 of Textbook and pictures are also on phone.

51
Q

What is the role of buttress trunks and where are they found?

A

Typically, they are found in nutrient-poor tropical forest soils that may not be very deep. They prevent the tree from falling over (provide stability), while also gathering more nutrients.

52
Q

What is Soil Leaching?

A

When heavy rain carries nutrients deep into the soil making it largely infertile, where the roots of the plants cannot access them.

53
Q

How do plants overcome Soil Leaching?

A

Plants overcome soil leaching because they have developed wide-spreading roots and warm temperatures to allow leaf litter to be recycled into plant nutrients.

54
Q

How tall are trees typically in a tropical rainforest?

A

10 - 35 metres tall

55
Q

Provide examples of the flora and fauna in a tropical rainforest?

A

Fauna include a numerous amount of birds, bats, insects and flora include orchids, vines and ferns.

56
Q

How much rainfall annually must a desert receive to be classified a desert?

A

25 cm or 250 mm

57
Q

Where are deserts located?

A

30 degrees north and south of the equator, in africa, Asia, Australia and South America. Examples include the Sarah and Arabian deserts.

58
Q

Why is Australia arid or semi-arid?

A

Because 70% of the country receives less than 500mm of rainfall annually

59
Q

Describe the temperature patterns in the desert biome?

A

Deserts experience dramatic shifts in temperature during the day and night, from 38 degrees in the day to -1 degree at night. Deserts have very warm summers 30-40 degrees on average and somewhat cold winters between 0-10 degrees on average.

60
Q

What are the relevant Geographical Characteristics that occur in The Great Sandy Desert / Desert Biome

A

Climate - Because deserts recieve less than 25 cm of rainfall annually plants and animals must adapt to the lack of water.

Scale - Deserts in Australia take up 18% of the total land

Flora and Fauna - Because of the harsh climate conditions plants must learn to adapt to the conditions. for example storing water in stems like a cactus or having large root systems to access water.

61
Q

Identify a relevant natural process that occurs in the Great Sandy Desert / Desert Biome

A

Erosion caused by rainfall whcih forms the various landscapes, hills and channels.

62
Q

Identify a relevant human process that occurs in the Great Sandy Desert / Desert Biome?

A

Desertification (the process by which fertile land becomes desert, typically as a result of drought, deforestation, or inappropriate agriculture). This is largely the case in Kenya because of the weak government, erosion and grazing.

63
Q

In order from A to E name the Australian Deserts.

A

A = Gibson Desert

B = Great Victorian Desert

C = Tanami Desert

D = Simpson Desert

E = Great Sandy Desert

64
Q

What are examples of Flora and Fauna in the Desert Biome.

A

Fauna of this desert includes many different kind of species. It comprises of Insects such as mosquito, Caterpillar, Scorpions. Flora includes Spinifex and Mitchell Grass, as well as tough acia trees.

65
Q

The two major nutrients in the Tundra biome are nitrogen and phosphorus. What are Nitrogen and Phosphorus created from?

A

Nitrogen is created from Biological Fixation and Phosphorus is created from Precipitation.

66
Q

Where are the tundra and polar lands located?

A

Both the tundra and polar lands are located above the tropic of cancer in the Northern Hemisphere in a linear pattern.

67
Q

What are the temperature patterns of the tundra biome?

A

an average temperature of -34 degrees in winter and 3-12 degrees in summer.

68
Q

How long are the growing ranges in the polar tundra biome

A

50 - 60 days because of the oblique angle of the sun.

69
Q

What is the polar ice cap biome?

A

The polar ice cap biome is the terrestrial regions of the planet covered by ice all of the year. This includes large portions of Greenland and Antartica.

70
Q

Where are the 3 cells of circulation located?

A

The Polar cells are located at the poles, the Ferrell cell is located in the mid latitudes and the Hadley cell is located near the equator.

71
Q

What is permafrost?

A

a thick subsurface layer of soil that remains below freezing point throughout the year, occurring chiefly in polar regions.

72
Q

What is the growing season for Alpine Tundra?

A

180 days

73
Q

How do Hadley cells affect circulation?

A

Hadley Cells influence rainfall near the equator as warm air rises (tropical rainforests).

74
Q

How do Ferrel Cells influence circulation?

A

Ferrel Cells are characterized by sinking air near 30 degrees and rising air towards the poles. In which this air flowing poleward at the surface is deflected east, creating westerly surface winds. This sinking air around 30 degrees creates areas of high air pressure, therefore little rainfall.

75
Q

How do Polar Cells influence circulation?

A

The smallest and weakest cells are the Polar cells, which extend from 60 degrees north and south, to the poles. Air in these cells sinks over the highest latitudes and flows out towards the lower latitudes at the surface. (tundra areas)

76
Q

Give examples of different food products sourced from around the world.

A

Instant Noodles are made in Malaysia

Cornflakes are made in Wales

Apple Sauce is made in Belgium

77
Q

What is agricultural suitability?

A

Agricultural suitability refers to the limitations of climates such as extremes in temperatures or low rainfall meaning that regions cannot support farming. It may also have low soil fertility, be too mountainous or covered in trees.

78
Q

What biome is perfect for agriculture and why?

A

Grassland agriculture, because it protects soil from wind and water erosion and maintains the perfect climate for growing food ; enough rain, no extremes in temperature.

79
Q

Name 5 environmental factors that influence decisions on a farm.

A

Wind = Strong Winds can damage crops

Rainfall = Different plants need different amounts of water, some need water all year through and some thrive in drier conditions.

Temperature = Different plants have different tolerances to heat and frost.

Sunshine = This will affect the growing season

Slope of the land = flat areas are easier to farm than hillsides as machinery can woek more easily on flat land.

80
Q

Name 4 technological and economic factors that influence decisions on a farm.

A

Markets = The prices for farm produce might change and may influence what is grown in the season

Technology = Some farmers in developing countries may not have access to certain machinery

Expertise = Farmer often specialise in different types of growing and farming.

Financial Resources = People in developing countries will not have access to enough labour.

81
Q

What is term used to describe the transportation of food from farm to plate?

A

Food Miles

82
Q

Why is Australia’s dirt salty?

A

Because most of out country was once covered by ocean.

83
Q

Name the following from top to bottom.

A

Organic Matter

A Horizon (surface)

B Horizon (subsoil)

C Horizon

Rock (bedrock)

84
Q

How are soil horizons created?

A

By the weathering of rock in which the minerals within the rock become available to plants. Then, seeds carried on by weathered rock, animals or wind are able to germinate. Then as plants die leaves create organic matter, which begins to form the horizon layers.

85
Q

How many farms are there in Australia?

A

over 135,000

86
Q

What is extensive farming?

A

Extensive farming refers to farms that require large areas of land - to provide pasture (grazing land) for cattle for example.

87
Q

What is intensive farming?

A

Intensive Farming refers to farms such as poultry farms that produce large volumes of food or fibre in a small area.

88
Q

Why is cattle farming (extensive farming) more dominate in Northen Australia than Intensive Farming?

A

Because over millions of years the soil has been badly leached and the soil is rather infertile.

89
Q

Give examples of Precision Farming.

A

GPS, drones, cattle tags, satellites.

90
Q

Why is precision farming useful for farmers?

A

Because farmers can determine precisely the best places to plant their crops, through GPS systems and sattelites which track plant growth and soil moisture which can be then turned into detailed maps, to show areas of high crop yield and low crop yield.

91
Q

What is the slash and burn method?

A

Generally a developing country person uses a knife to slash the undergrowth in forests and then set it alight to clear the land. The seeds are thrown into the warm ashes and in this way a farm is created.

92
Q

Which type of farming dominates land use in Northern Australia?

A

Cattle Farming

93
Q

How is water pollution from farming created and what is the result of it?

A

Water that is used from farms flows to nearby rivers and lakes and bare soil can be washed away in the process, as well as any fertilisers. Often killing aquatic plants and animals.

94
Q

What human activites are impacting soil degradation?

A

Clearing forests to make way for towns, increasing the density and number of farm animals and poor irrigation.

95
Q

In Australia what takes the form of soil degradation?

A

Salinity

96
Q

What factos influence desertification?

A

overuse of land and water, overgrazing, removal of forest cover and poor irrigation practises.

97
Q

How many people’s food security around the world are affected by desertification?

A

250 million

98
Q

Define Food Security?

A

Food Security is a state where all people at all times have access to enough safe, nutritious food to sustain a healthy life.

99
Q

What 3 things must a person, community or country have to have to have a secure food supply?

A

Food Availability

Food Accessibility

The ability and resources to use the food appropriately

100
Q

What is food availability?

A

Food Availability means that people have enough food of appropriate quality available on a consistent basis

101
Q

What is food accessibility?

A

Physical and Economic (money) access to food. Developed countries have more food than they need and have high levels of wastage. Developing Countries struggle to access enough food to meet their daily needs.

102
Q

What is using food appropriately?

A

Appropriate use of food means using food safely and applying knowledge about nutrition, clean water and sanation when preparing food.

103
Q

Why and how many trees are being planted in China?

A

The chines government plans to plant over 1 billion trees in an attempt to halt the advance of the Gobi Dessert over productive farmland across vast areas of china. This line of trees is nicknamed the Green Wall of China and is expected to cover 4 million square km of desert margins.

104
Q

What are eastings and northings on a grid map?

A