Glaciation enq 4 (use and manage of landscapes) Flashcards
What are the eight considered values of polar ecosystems identified by the millennium ecosystem assessment
fisheries
genetic resources
carbon sequestration
aesthetic value
wild foods
fresh water
climate regulation
spiritual value
What 4 things do relict environments offer
farming
mining/quarrying
hydroelectricity
tourism
What 4 things do active environments offer
spiritual value
maintain gene pool of wild organisms
sanctuary for bird and animals, ecosystems
scientific research
What is the economic value of farming in glacial environments
with examples
- indigenous populations can live off subsistence farming in developing nations where transport links are poor
- e.g. 70% people in Bolivia live in high andes and need to grow stable foods
- pastoral farming in developed countries
What is the economic value of forestry in glacial environments
with examples
- commercial forestry in upland Lake District, due to difficulty of farming profitability in these conditions
What is the economic value of mining/quarrying in glacial environments
with examples
- erosion can expose valuable rocks, mineral deposits and ore
- Lake District - metamorphic, igneous rock allowed for lead and slate mining
- lowland outwash plains can be sued for gravel/sand quarrying
What is the economic value of HEP in glacial environments
with examples
- Norway and new Zealand get 90% power form HEP mainly due to natural riven lakes/dammed reservoirs in glaciated valleys
What is the economic value of tourism in glacial environments
with examples
- skiing, alps and rockies
- mountaineering, alps and rockies
- climbing, Lake District and north Wales
- walking, lake district
- there has been a huge increase in tourism over last 30 yrs in active and relict glaciated environments
What are 5 economically valuable things within a glacial landscape
HEP
tourism
forestry
mining/quarrying
farming
What is the ecological and environment value of glacial landscapes
- support life systems
- 75% freshwater locked up in ice
- eroded valleys provide natural hollows for reservoirs
- valuable source of irrigation
- extensive permafrost and trend peat can act as carbon sinks
What is the main issue with tourism in glacial landscapes
To ensure that tourism is managed so the benefits do not outweigh the costs, balance between protecting our environment and allowing people to enjoy it
What are four human impacts on glacial environments
- acid rain
- oil spills
- toxic waste from coal mining in Svalbard
- Artict national wildlife refugee under threat in usa
high andes case study
tropical andean glacial retreat
- run off from tropical glaciers plays a critical role in mountain ecosystem integrity
- run off is also an important element of water budget, helps supply drinking water, HEP and needs of ecosystems
what percentage have tropical glaciers declined by since 1970
16%
true or false, the cotacachi glacier in ecuador has completely disappeared
true
high andes case study
what have are the short term impacts of tropical andean glacier retreat
rapid melting has led to unsustainable net increase in SRO and now there is an issue of falling biodiversity and declines in agriculture and tourism with many waterless streams
high andes case study
true or false bolivian urban centres rely on glacial meltwater for around 20% of their drinking supply
false, 40%
high andes case study social and cultural costs (3)
- andean mountains are often held as religious icons by the people
- old methods of farming will need to be changed
- people will need to adapt to new environments
high andes case study
economic costs (4)
- increased cost of electricity
- potential rationing of supplies
- impact of agricultural communities who depend on water
- increased cost of building reservoirs for drinking water
high andes case study - huaraz peru 3 key facts
- rising temps and changes in water supply over last 40 yrs have killed fish stocks and decimated crops
- home to 70% of worlds tropical glaciers
- 18 mountain glaciers are critical to the regions water sources for drinking, irrigation and electricity
what are four hazards which pose a risk for active/relict landscapes
- avalanches
- rockfalls
- debris sliding
- flooding
what is an avalanche
a rapid flow of snow down hill or mountainside
what are the three main types of avalanches
- powder
- dry flow
- wet flow
how many people are avalanches predicted to kill each yr
200
what are three things that can be done to reduce the impact of avalanches
- large flat, urban free areas for snow to deposit on
- afforestation
- deflector to split the flow of the avalanche
what are lahars
cold/hot mixture of water and rock fragments that flows down the slopes of a volcano and typically enters a river valley, they generally occur near strato volcanos
what are jokulhlaups
glacila outburst floods common in iceland
what locations do glacial outbursts threaten people
- andes
- himalayas
- alps
- iceland
what are 3 causes of jokulhlaups
- overflow from melting ice dam
- increased flotation of ice as water levels rise
- overtopping of a moraine dam
what are four threats from human activity
- resource exploitation by outsiders such as fishing, whaling, mining
- pollution from waste
- new outsider’s lifestye conflict with indigenous e.g. inits
- identity and cultural erosion
what are 4/6 reasons why people visit active polar areas
adventure
‘once in a lifetime’ experience
scientific exploration
cruise ship tourism
americans now ‘do’ alaska by car/cruise as an exeperience
antartica tourism remains low key due to remoteness
what are 5/7 reasons why people visit relict areas
walking
climbing
mountain biking
relaxation
fishing
painting
‘escape’
two examples of human degradation of landscapes and ecosystems
footpath erosion in lake district and other relict national parks
clear cut felling exposes ecoystems to erosion and weathering
what is evidence within the rockies that glacial environments are changing and are in danger
eastern slopes have lost between 25% and 75% of ice masses since 1870
what is evidence within the himalayas that glacial environments are changing and are in danger
nearly 95% of himalayan glaciers are in retreat
changes to the hydrological cycle within glacial environments (4)
- increased rates of melt have impacted on water cycle in mountainous areas
- changes in discharge impacts sediment yield and water quality
- rivers such as mekong and ganges are fed by meltwaters, losing steady supply to millions in china and india
- meltwater reduction, millions face water shortages especially since 40% of india’s agricultural land is irrigated
what are the spectrum of approaches that can be used to manage cold environments (five)
- do nothing, continue to exploit and seek profit from resources available
- business as usual, similar but may include some conservation and sustainable policies to keep status quo
3.sustainable exploitation, middle ground targets, helps to maintain balance between economic dev and sustainable dev - sustainable management, aims at sustainable development that benefits everyone and conserving environment for future stakeholders
- comprehensive conservation, aims to protect environment and monitor ecotourism, exploitive activies such as mining - banned
- total protection, only favoured by conservationists and indigenous locals, doesn’t permit access except for research and monitoring
what three scales do frameworks exist at
- international
- national
- global systems that exist for conservation
what is an example of an international scale treaty and what does it do
ATS - antarctic treaty system
- deemed a place of peace and sciences and sets claims of ownership from 7 countries aside.
What is a framework for protection established by the USA, Russia, Canada, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Finland in the Artic
The intergovernmental artic council established in1996 acts as a forum for debate and co-operation
Who manage territorial disputes in the artic sea
UNCLOS, UN Convention for the Laws of the Sea
What are the two problems within the management and frameworks for protection
that recent melting has led to greater accessibility for sea routes and mineral exploitation
Svalbard, three general facts
- Norwegian archipelago in artic ocean, midway between continental Norway and the North Pole
- coal mining started at beginning of 20th century and several permanent communities established
- population 3000 people and 3500 polar bears
Svalbard, 3 facts about ice cover
- 60% Svalbard covered by ice
- over 2000 glaciers
- permafrost exists everywhere
What are the three main threats to Svalbard
- coalmining
- polar research
- tourism
What are the five facts to Svalbard related to coalmining
- 2 cons
- 3 pros
- dirty
- environmentalists want it to end
- provides a third of all jobs
- high quality coal
- provides all Svalbards energy
What are the five facts related to Svalbard to polar research
- 3 pros
- 2 cons
- benefits global research
- looks at climate change and atmospheric change
- real time modelling
- impacts of infrastructure
- impacts from construction
what are the five threats related to Svalbard to tourism
- 70,000 people a year, 30,000 on cruise ships
- oil spills and waste
- air pollution from flights
- need for more facilities
- adventure tourism stresses wildlife ecosystems
What are Svalbard doing to combat threats
The Svalbard Environmental Protection Act 2002
What does the Svalbard Environmental Protection Act 2002 aim to do
protect the environment its wilderness, flora and fauna as well as heritage
this has lead to 2/3 o Svalbard now being protected by national parks and nature reserves
What are the four main problems affecting the future for glacial environments
- climate change
- economic demands
- tourism
- ecosystem damage
What is the main problem in changes in glacial environments for climate change
The problem is that changes are amplified by positive feedback mechanisms such as ice melt,, lower albedo or permafrost melt and this increases the release of methane
What are the two natural impacts from polar ice sheet melt
- increased natural hazards as weather patterns change as atmospheric circulation changes
- water insecurity, increase will impact on carbon cycle of permafrost melt and increased instability
true or false 96% of ice is trapped in polar ice sheets
TRUE and melting these would have profound natural impacts
two challenges for wildlife in future glacial systems
- complex changes to food webs
- polar bears no pack ice to feed off
what is the impact of climate change on ocean circulation
a 20-50% collapse of ocean currents as melt and icebergs cool waters, this partially blocks the Gulf Stream
what are the challenges for people in future glacial systems
(3)
- diseases and pests will spread
- impact biodiversity
- if tipping point reached, seen 2 degree rise
What are the two strategies for the future of glacial systems to be preserved
- mitigating against the impacts - GHG’S
- adapting impacts at all scales
What are all the solutions to preserving glacial environments and reducing climate change dependent on
GLOBAL COOPERATION
