Hot deserts

Question 1

hot deserts location

Answer 1

• between 20-30 degrees north and south of the equator
• they are in a large band between the tropics
• they are inhabited in every continent except Europe

Question 2

hot deserts climate

Answer 2

• arid and dry
• receives 250mm of rainfall or less
• temperature can range from 50 degrees in the day to 0 degrees at night

Question 3

hot desert soil

Answer 3

• salty soils due to salinisation
• sandy and rocky
• rapid evaporation (crystallisation of salt)

Question 4

interdependance

Answer 4

The biotic and abiotic components of an ecosystem rely on each other, e.g vegetation ➙ animals eat them
light ➙ plants photosynthesise

Question 5

animal adaptations

Answer 5

fennec fox:
-sandy coloured skin to camouflage
-large 6mm ears to keep them cool
-sweep (tail) to change direction from predators
camel:
-hump to store fat
-hooves to give their feet a larger surface area
-thick lips to eat prickly plants

Question 6

plant adaptations

Answer 6

cacti:
-large, fleshy stems to store water
-small, waxy leaves to minimise transpiration losses
-spikes to discourage predators
flowering plants:
-brightly coloured petals to attract insects so they can pollinate
-they are epthermals - able to complete their life-cycle in less than 1 months

Question 7

thar desert location

Answer 7

• Asia, on the border of India and Pakistan

- 27 degrees N

Question 8

thar desert tourism

Answer 8

Jaislamer - sandstone fort, spiritual, merchants’ houses, camel safari

Question 9

thar desert farming

Answer 9

• uses irrigation
• Indira Gandhi Canal (650km)
• cash crops - cotton and wheat

Question 10

thar desert energy

Answer 10

• wind and solar
• long hours of sun for solar
• wind farms

Question 11

thar desert mining

Answer 11

• mineral rich - gypsum, feldspar, kaolin
• limestone - largest supply in India used in steel industry
• marble - used in construction

Question 12

challenges - tourism in the thar

Answer 12

• use up scarce resources (water)
• water pools within the fort which erodes the sandstone
• tourism paradox occurs

Question 13

negative impacts - development opportunities in the thar

Answer 13

• mining is unsustainable
• commercial farming ➙ over grazing ➙ over cultivation ➙ soil erosion
• irrigation ➙ salinisation
• nomadic herders can’t herd camels

Question 14

Desertification

Answer 14

when desert fringe areas become dry and degraded

Question 15

causes of desertification

Answer 15

• population increase (demand more food)
• overgrazing and over cultivation
• deforest desert fringes
• climate change

Question 16

desertification - climate change

Answer 16

• makes temperatures hotter
• means water evaporates rapidly
• causes dryer soils which crack ➙ less vegetation ➙ soil erosion

Question 17

desertification - population factors

Answer 17

• overgrazing ➙ large number of animals ➙ eat more vegetation
• over cultivation ➙ fewer nutrients in soil ➙soil is more vulnerable to erosion
• deforestation ➙ less interception and washes top layer off the soil when rainfall comes

Question 18

appropriate technology (apps)

Answer 18

-technology suitable for: affordability, people, place, sustainable -appropriate technology lasts into the future

Question 19

preventing desertification- planting trees

Answer 19

• roots bind soil together - prevents it from being eroded
• intercepts rainfall - keeps soil fertile
• roots contain moisture - helps fill up wells
• provided shade for plants and people

Question 20

preventing desertification - water and soil management

Answer 20

• stone lines - traps precipitation, encouraging infiltration, crops can be grown
• acacia trees
• crop rotation - land recovers before it is used again

Question 21

sahel

Answer 21

desert fringe area located south of the sahara desert in africa

Question 22

subsistence farming

Answer 22

only growing enough to support family and themselves

Question 23

irrigation

Answer 23

supplying land with water through a network of canals

Question 24

salinisation

Answer 24

the increase in salt levels of soil due to water evaporation leaving salts and chemicals behind

Question 25

great green wall

Answer 25

Plan that calls for a wall of trees to divide the semi arid Sahel from the Sahara