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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
what does the canopy of leaves do?
stops rainfall- falls gently to the ground by dripping from leaf tips
26
why are the canopy of leaves good?
without this interception, the raindrops would strike the soil and their force would erode small soil particles
27
what do the leaves do?
provide shade can reduce air temperatures up to 20 degrees- the soil stays cooler
28
what do plants do for the soil?
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
29
what do roots of plants do?
help to bind the soil together and prevent erosion
30
how can humans positively impact the interdependence of soil/ water/ plants/ animals in hot deserts?
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
31
how can humans negatively impact the interdependence of soil/ water/ plants/ animals in hot deserts?
humans put pressure on scarce resources we remove vegetation footpath erosion makes the soil vulnerable
32
what do thick waxy cuticles and the shedding of leaves do?
reduces transpiration- reduces water loss
33
why do some plants have the bulk of their biomass below the ground surface?
because temperatures are cooler
34
when do deserts bloom?
suddenly after rainfall- so create their life cycle
35
adaptations of plants (leaves)?
small, linear leaves or needles in order to reduce loss of water through evotranspiration have a waxy resin to reduce evotranspiration
36
what is an example of a plant that has small, linear and hairy leaves?
desert yellow daisy
37
adaptations of roots?
shallow roots that spread over a large area tap roots which run deep in search of water
38
adaptations of the Saguaro Cactus?
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
adaptations of the kangaroo rat?
don't sweat don't need to drink- get water from food produce little urine live in burrows during the day
40
adaptations of the peringney adder?
move sideways- means less than 50% of body is in contact with hot sand
41
what kinds of economic and social opportunities exist in desert areas?
lots of sunlight for farming lots of space for recreation mining mineral resources energy from the sun (solar)
42
what 3 smaller deserts is the Western desert made up of?
Mojave Sonoran Chihuahan
43
what states does the Western Desert cover?
New Mexico Arizona California
44
how many people live in the Las Vegas and Phoenix?
2 million in Las Vegas 4.5 million in Phoenix
45
what characteristics of the desert make farming good?
high temperatures sunlight
46
what are the 2 important sources of water irrigation?
canals aquifers
47
aquifer based farming in California's Coachella Valley produces what?
lush crops of vegetables, lemons, peppers, grapes- therefore, a wine industry
48
how much of Colorado's water are farmers allowed?
80%
49
what minerals are the Western Desert rich in?
copper, uranium, lead, zinc and coal
50
what is the Western Desert's most important source of income?
tourism
51
what are some national parks in the Western Desert?
Grand Canyon California's Joshua Tree National Park
52
how many visitors does Las Vegas get a year?
37 million
53
what are the 2 major lakes called?
Lake Mead Lake Powell
54
how many visitors do the lakes attract each year?
2 million
55
what activities do the lakes provide?
sailing, fishing, power boating, water-skiing
56
what is the Sonoran Solar Project?
a new solar plant project produce energy for 100,000 homes requires 360 workers to build it
57
how many active oil sites are there?
25
58
where do some of the local Navajo people work?
on the active oil production sites more than 100 employees work to produce oil worth US $50 million
59
what is carrying capacity?
the maximum number of people an area of land can support before environmental damage occurs
60
why is accessibility a problem?
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
how many people does Las Vegas airport receive?
over 40 million people annually
62
what are some of the major highways that have connected to link the major cities?
Route 70 through Utah Route 66 which connects Chicago with California through the Western Desert
63
what does the Colorado River do?
2,300 km river brings meltwater from the Rockies and Wind River Mountains across the USA and down to Mexico
64
what year did work begin on the Hoover Dam?
1935
65
what year was the Glen Canyon constructed?
1963
66
Colorado's giant reservoirs bring water to what cities?
Phoenix, Tucson, Alburquerque, San Diego, Las Vegas, Los Angeles
67
what are the 4 challenges associated with hot deserts?
inaccesibility water supply protecting the environment extreme temperatures
68
what is desertification?
the process of land becoming drier and degrading in quality due to both human activities and natural processes
69
what are the 6 causes of desertification?
climate change population growth over-cultivation over-grazing removal of fuelwood soil erosion
70
how is removal of fuelwood a cause of desertification?
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
how is overgrazing a cause of desertification?
results in vegetation being stripped from an area and being left bare and vulnerable to erosion
72
how is overcultivation a cause of desertification?
the soil becomes dry, dusty and infertile then becomes prone to soil erosion
73
how is soil erosion a cause of desertification?
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
how is population growth a cause of deforestation?
demand for food increases- the land is put under enormous pressure- leads to vegetation destruction, soil erosion and desertification
75
how is climate change a cause of deforestation?
disrupts the natural patterns of rainfall- causing more droughts- semi-arid areas of land are extremely fragile
76
what is the location of the Sahel?
7 nations, East to West strip, south of the Sahara, 5,000 km long
77
what is the Great Green Wall?
span nearly 9,000 km through 11 countries trees and shrubs across the Southern border of the Sahel
78
what are the causes of population pressure in fringe desert regions?
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
how does water and soil managment reduce the risk of deforestation?
involves water storage and attempts to control the surface flow of water
80
what is an example of water and soil management?
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
how does tree planting reduce the risk of deforestation?
roots bind the soil together and the branches protect from heavy rain
82
what is an example of tree planting?
Great Green Wall launched in 2007 by the African Union- runs across the Southern Edge of the Sahara Desert to reduce desertifcation
83
what is using appropriate technology/ intermediate technology?
appropriate technology such as: bunds and alternative cooking devices that reduce the quantity of fuelwood required
84
what is appropriate technology (PAPS)?
appropriate for the PEOPLE appropriate in terms of AFFORDABILITY appropriate to the PLACE appropriate and SUSTAINABLE
85
what country has been the leading country in the Great Green Wall project?
Senegal- planting 120 million trees
86
how does the Acacia Trees Project work?
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
how is the project using Acacia trees preventing desertification?
prevents soil erosion and provides nutrients for other plants to grow
88
what impact does the Acacia tree project have on people that live in these areas?
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
how does planting acacia trees manage water?
trees intercept the rain and allow it to flow slowly to the ground- keeping the soil moist
90
how does using stone limes manage water?
stops run off during the rain of the nutrients of soil and trapped behind the stone limes
91
how does planting pits manage water?
they retain water
92
how does planting acacia trees manage the soil?
stops soil erosion by the roots binding the soil together and stops the rain washing nutrients away by run off of water
93
how does using stone limes manage the soil?
keeps the soil moist so it can grow crops
94
how does planting pits manage the soil?
prevents soil erosion by rain of trees provides nutrients to the soil roots bind the soil

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