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geography > Hot Deserts > Flashcards

Hot Deserts Flashcards

1
Q

what is mineral extraction?

A

the removal of solid mineral resources from the earth such as ores, fuels (coal or oil) and precious stones

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2
Q

what are hot deserts?

A

parts of the world that have high average temperatures and very low precipitation

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3
Q

what is desertification?

A

the process by which land becomes drier and degraded, as a result of climate change or human activity or both

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4
Q

what is overgrazing?

A

grazing too many livestock for too long on the land, so it is unstable to recover its vegetation

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5
Q

what is over-cultivation?

A

exhausting the soil by over- cropping the land

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6
Q

what is soil erosion?

A

removal of topsoil faster than it can be replaced, due to natural action (water and wind action) and human activity

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7
Q

what is topsoil?

A

the first layer of soil- is the most fertile as it contains the most organic, nutrient-rich materials

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8
Q

what is aridity?

A

the state or quality of being extremely dry

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9
Q

what is diurnal temperature range?

A

the difference between the maximum and minimum temperatures within one day

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10
Q

what does irrigate mean?

A

water the soil
the artificial process of applying controlled amounts of water to land

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11
Q

what are xerophytes?

A

plants that can survive dry conditions

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12
Q

what is carrying capacity?

A

the maximum number of people that an area of land can support before environmental damage occurs

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13
Q

how much precipitation does a hot desert get?

A

under 250mm

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14
Q

temperatures of a hot desert?

A

above 40 degrees celsius in the day
be try cold at night

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15
Q

where are rainforests in location of the equator?

A

20 degrees- 30 degrees North and South of the equator

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16
Q

what is the definition of a desert?

A

an area that receives less than 250 mm of rainfall, resulting in extreme aridity

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17
Q

where are deserts found?

A

between 15 and 35 degrees North and South of the equator

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18
Q

what does cold sinking air lead to?

A

little or no precipitation

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19
Q

cold sinking air is also leads to…

A

high air pressureg

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20
Q

global circulation model?

A

air is sinking near the tropics
leading to areas of high pressure
this results in few clouds
temperatures are therefore hot during the day and very cold at night

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21
Q

what is the soil like in deserts?

A

contains less organic matter
has fewer nutrients in it
very little leaf litter in the soil
lack of vegetation to stabilise the soil

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22
Q

adaptations of the nocturnal Arabian death scorpion?

A

does not drink
avoids daylight
hard exo-skeleton
gets moisture from its prey
can survive on one or two insects a year

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23
Q

adaptations of the fennec fox?

A

fur to protect feet from sand
small pointed nose to stop water loss
big ears to disperse heat
nocturnal

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24
Q

adaptations of camels?

A

two sets of eyelashes
humps to store fat
thick leathery pads on feet
long legs
poo can be used as fuel for fires

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25
Q

what does the canopy of leaves do?

A

stops rainfall- falls gently to the ground by dripping from leaf tips

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26
Q

why are the canopy of leaves good?

A

without this interception, the raindrops would strike the soil and their force would erode small soil particles

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27
Q

what do the leaves do?

A

provide shade
can reduce air temperatures up to 20 degrees- the soil stays cooler

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28
Q

what do plants do for the soil?

A

prevent the surface of the soil being baked in the heat
provide extra nutrients through dead vegetation and fixing chemicals from the air into the soil
retain more water- providing shade
tie the soil together- preventing soil erosion and excessive leaching of nutrients in wetter periods

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29
Q

what do roots of plants do?

A

help to bind the soil together and prevent erosion

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30
Q

how can humans positively impact the interdependence of soil/ water/ plants/ animals in hot deserts?

A

humans can carry out sustainable management of the land
can afforest areas that were once deserts
can be careful to not over- extract water from aquifas

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31
Q

how can humans negatively impact the interdependence of soil/ water/ plants/ animals in hot deserts?

A

humans put pressure on scarce resources
we remove vegetation
footpath erosion makes the soil vulnerable

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32
Q

what do thick waxy cuticles and the shedding of leaves do?

A

reduces transpiration- reduces water loss

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33
Q

why do some plants have the bulk of their biomass below the ground surface?

A

because temperatures are cooler

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34
Q

when do deserts bloom?

A

suddenly after rainfall- so create their life cycle

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35
Q

adaptations of plants (leaves)?

A

small, linear leaves or needles in order to reduce loss of water through evotranspiration
have a waxy resin to reduce evotranspiration

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36
Q

what is an example of a plant that has small, linear and hairy leaves?

A

desert yellow daisy

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37
Q

adaptations of roots?

A

shallow roots that spread over a large area
tap roots which run deep in search of water

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38
Q

adaptations of the Saguaro Cactus?

A

grows only in the Sonoran desert
a xerophyte
grows very slowly in order to conserve energy
can store up to 9 tonnes of water
body is made up of vertical pleats- expand to allow greater water storage
can lose 82% of its water before dying of dehydration

39
Q

adaptations of the kangaroo rat?

A

don’t sweat
don’t need to drink- get water from food
produce little urine
live in burrows during the day

40
Q

adaptations of the peringney adder?

A

move sideways- means less than 50% of body is in contact with hot sand

41
Q

what kinds of economic and social opportunities exist in desert areas?

A

lots of sunlight for farming
lots of space for recreation
mining mineral resources
energy from the sun (solar)

42
Q

what 3 smaller deserts is the Western desert made up of?

A

Mojave
Sonoran
Chihuahan

43
Q

what states does the Western Desert cover?

A

New Mexico
Arizona
California

44
Q

how many people live in the Las Vegas and Phoenix?

A

2 million in Las Vegas
4.5 million in Phoenix

45
Q

what characteristics of the desert make farming good?

A

high temperatures
sunlight

46
Q

what are the 2 important sources of water irrigation?

A

canals
aquifers

47
Q

aquifer based farming in California’s Coachella Valley produces what?

A

lush crops of vegetables, lemons, peppers, grapes- therefore, a wine industry

48
Q

how much of Colorado’s water are farmers allowed?

A

80%

49
Q

what minerals are the Western Desert rich in?

A

copper, uranium, lead, zinc and coal

50
Q

what is the Western Desert’s most important source of income?

A

tourism

51
Q

what are some national parks in the Western Desert?

A

Grand Canyon
California’s Joshua Tree National Park

52
Q

how many visitors does Las Vegas get a year?

A

37 million

53
Q

what are the 2 major lakes called?

A

Lake Mead
Lake Powell

54
Q

how many visitors do the lakes attract each year?

A

2 million

55
Q

what activities do the lakes provide?

A

sailing, fishing, power boating, water-skiing

56
Q

what is the Sonoran Solar Project?

A

a new solar plant project
produce energy for 100,000 homes
requires 360 workers to build it

57
Q

how many active oil sites are there?

A

25

58
Q

where do some of the local Navajo people work?

A

on the active oil production sites
more than 100 employees work to produce oil worth US $50 million

59
Q

what is carrying capacity?

A

the maximum number of people an area of land can support before environmental damage occurs

60
Q

why is accessibility a problem?

A

the desert lacks surfaced roads
tourists and explorers must find their own way
extreme temps make this a problem if you break down
in 2015, an elderly tourist died of dehydration in the Los Coyotes Reservation- near the edge of the Mojave Desert

61
Q

how many people does Las Vegas airport receive?

A

over 40 million people annually

62
Q

what are some of the major highways that have connected to link the major cities?

A

Route 70 through Utah
Route 66 which connects Chicago with California through the Western Desert

63
Q

what does the Colorado River do?

A

2,300 km river brings meltwater from the Rockies and Wind River Mountains across the USA and down to Mexico

64
Q

what year did work begin on the Hoover Dam?

A

1935

65
Q

what year was the Glen Canyon constructed?

A

1963

66
Q

Colorado’s giant reservoirs bring water to what cities?

A

Phoenix, Tucson, Alburquerque, San Diego, Las Vegas, Los Angeles

67
Q

what are the 4 challenges associated with hot deserts?

A

inaccesibility
water supply
protecting the environment
extreme temperatures

68
Q

what is desertification?

A

the process of land becoming drier and degrading in quality due to both human activities and natural processes

69
Q

what are the 6 causes of desertification?

A

climate change
population growth
over-cultivation
over-grazing
removal of fuelwood
soil erosion

70
Q

how is removal of fuelwood a cause of desertification?

A

when land becomes stripped of trees, it is vulnerable to erosion by wind and rain and can become deranged and turn into a desert

71
Q

how is overgrazing a cause of desertification?

A

results in vegetation being stripped from an area and being left bare and vulnerable to erosion

72
Q

how is overcultivation a cause of desertification?

A

the soil becomes dry, dusty and infertile
then becomes prone to soil erosion

73
Q

how is soil erosion a cause of desertification?

A

when vegetation is stripped or killed, the soil is left bare- to be baked by the sun
when rainfall occurs, it washes over the hard surface, eroding rills and gullies washing over the topsoil
leaves behind infertile sub soil that can’t be used for anything

74
Q

how is population growth a cause of deforestation?

A

demand for food increases- the land is put under enormous pressure- leads to vegetation destruction, soil erosion and desertification

75
Q

how is climate change a cause of deforestation?

A

disrupts the natural patterns of rainfall- causing more droughts- semi-arid areas of land are extremely fragile

76
Q

what is the location of the Sahel?

A

7 nations, East to West strip, south of the Sahara, 5,000 km long

77
Q

what is the Great Green Wall?

A

span nearly 9,000 km through 11 countries
trees and shrubs across the Southern border of the Sahel

78
Q

what are the causes of population pressure in fringe desert regions?

A

better healthcare:
only 30 million people living in the Sahel in 1950- now there are half a billion
children are being born and surviving
migration:
people are moving from areas at war and areas that are suffering from climate change

79
Q

how does water and soil managment reduce the risk of deforestation?

A

involves water storage and attempts to control the surface flow of water

80
Q

what is an example of water and soil management?

A

used in Burkina Faso and Jordan
constructing a series of low walls (bunds)
deliberately constructed to follow the follow the contours of the land, interrupting the downslope flow of surface water
any soil carried by the water is deposited on the upslope side of the walls, creating a reasonable thickness of soil that can then be cultivated

81
Q

how does tree planting reduce the risk of deforestation?

A

roots bind the soil together and the branches protect from heavy rain

82
Q

what is an example of tree planting?

A

Great Green Wall launched in 2007 by the African Union- runs across the Southern Edge of the Sahara Desert to reduce desertifcation

83
Q

what is using appropriate technology/ intermediate technology?

A

appropriate technology such as: bunds and alternative cooking devices that reduce the quantity of fuelwood required

84
Q

what is appropriate technology (PAPS)?

A

appropriate for the PEOPLE
appropriate in terms of AFFORDABILITY
appropriate to the PLACE
appropriate and SUSTAINABLE

85
Q

what country has been the leading country in the Great Green Wall project?

A

Senegal- planting 120 million trees

86
Q

how does the Acacia Trees Project work?

A

the UN and the forestry committee (Senegal) trained the people how to plant acacias, care for them and extract acacia gum.
given a tractor to dig specifically shaped holes that retain water
acacia is a natural tree to the area

87
Q

how is the project using Acacia trees preventing desertification?

A

prevents soil erosion and provides nutrients for other plants to grow

88
Q

what impact does the Acacia tree project have on people that live in these areas?

A

provides shelters/ habitats for animals
source of income
they can grow hibiscus (hibiscus juice)
they can make money to build things like mills
acacia gum can be sold

89
Q

how does planting acacia trees manage water?

A

trees intercept the rain and allow it to flow slowly to the ground- keeping the soil moist

90
Q

how does using stone limes manage water?

A

stops run off during the rain of the nutrients of soil and trapped behind the stone limes

91
Q

how does planting pits manage water?

A

they retain water

92
Q

how does planting acacia trees manage the soil?

A

stops soil erosion by the roots binding the soil together and stops the rain washing nutrients away by run off of water

93
Q

how does using stone limes manage the soil?

A

keeps the soil moist so it can grow crops

94
Q

how does planting pits manage the soil?

A

prevents soil erosion by rain of trees
provides nutrients to the soil
roots bind the soil

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