P1 GEOGRAPHY SECTION B (COLD ENVIROMENTS)

Question 1

Describe Tundra regions overall

Answer 1

Permafrost causes melting in summer which leads to waterlogging (too much water in plant zone) and infertile soil but melting lets vegetation grow

Temperatures drop to below 20 degrees Celsius and rise to around 8 degrees Celsius in summer.

Warmer summers with daylight

Low growing plants with adaptations

Animals like Arctic Fox/Hare

Higher precipitation

Question 2

Describe Polar regions

Answer 2

Winter Temperatures fall to below -50 degrees Celsius

Animals like polar bears, penguins

Strong winds and low precipitation

No vegetation as there is permafrost all year round

Question 3

Name some plant adaptations and how these help

Answer 3

Grow in close proximity to one another= plants warm each other and act as barriers for each other

Stems, buds and leaves covered in small hairs= layer of insulation

Question 4

Describe the location of cold enviroments

Answer 4

Found in areas of high latitudes from the equator. Polar regions found at highest latitudes around northern/southern hemisphere like Arctic/ Antarctica. Tundra regions are just below the polar regions at slightly lower latitudes like Northern Russia, Canada, Alaska

Question 5

Do humans interact with cold enviroments?

Answer 5

In polar regions, there are no indigenous tribes and its used for scientific purposes only and tourists are limited

In Tundra regions there are indigenous tribes like the Intuits

Question 6

Name adaptations by the animals in CE

Answer 6

Arctic Hare- Speedy due to long hind legs for speed. White colour to camouflage from predators. Arctic hares have shorter limbs, ears to have less surface area for their volume to lose heat from.

Polar Bears- white appearance to camouflage from predators. Thick layers of fat and fur for insulation. Greasy coat which sheds water after swimming to avoid freezing

Yaks- lots of fur to insulate heat– rough tongue to each moss and lichen — hooves to break ice when digging

Question 7

What are some plant adaptations?

Answer 7

Arctic Poppy- Hairy stem to retain hear— moves with sun (heliotropism) to increase photosynthesis

Cotton grass- this grass has small seeds that can easily be dispersed by the wind to ensure its survival. It is low lying to protect it from cold winds and has thin leaves to reduce water loss by transpiration.

Lichen - this organism does not need soil to grow. It grows very slowly, can withstand very cold temperatures and survives beneath snow.

Question 8

What is another reason reason for infertile soil?

Answer 8

Limited decomposition due to extreme cold temperature leading to no decay and lack of plants, leads to soils with no nutrients/ infertile

Question 9

Where is Svalbard?

Answer 9

A Norwegian territory (not part of Norway)
East of Greenland
60% of land covered in Glaciers
Population of 2700— Most northerly permanent populated inhabitants in the world
Tundra region near Barents sea
Capital City= Longyearbyen
Limited road network of 50km/// most transport= snow mobiles

Question 10

Why is Barents sea useful?

Answer 10

It is an important site for both fishing and hydrocarbon exploration.

Question 11

Why is mineral extraction an opportunity and challenge in Svalbard?

Answer 11

Svalbard has rich coal reserves so there is a lot of mining of which 11% of jobs are made up in mining. New mines opened up near Svalbard which shows the mining industry is booming! —— BUT the mines have toxic chemicals and ruin habitats of species

Question 12

Why is Energy Development an opportunity and challenge in Svalbard?

Answer 12

Svalbard uses coal for ALL energy needed via Longyearbyen power station

Svalbard is near a mid Atlantic ridge which is near a constructive plate margin so we can look into Geothermal energy OR carbon capture for energy

CHALLENGE- Coal emits C02= greenhouse gas and carbon capture means there could be leaks

Question 13

Why is Fishing an opportunity and challenge in Svalbard?

Answer 13

Barents sea has mass population of species which are being overfished. These waters are important and should be protected from pollution so Norway and Russia control the sea to ensure sustainable fishing

Question 14

Why is Tourism an opportunity and challenge in Svalbard?

Answer 14

Tourism provides 11% of all jobs in Svalbard and the number of tourists are expanding rapidly i.e 30,000 tourists came by cruise in 2011– this lead to the harbour at LongYearByen being enlarged

Question 15

Why is Inaccessibility a challenge for development in the Svalbard?

Answer 15

Only 1 airport at Longyearbyen which only allows flights from Norway/ Russia. It is very remote and can be reached with only plane or cruise/ships.

Question 16

Why is extreme temperatures a challenge for development in the Arctic?

Answer 16

Temperatures can drop to below -40 degrees Celsius— this can lead to frostbites and hypothermia– this means people must wear layers of clothing which makes Laboral work slow and difficult– therefore all outside work is only done in summer during daylight= demanding and tiring

Question 17

Why is Infrastructure and Buildings a challenge for development in the Arctic?

Answer 17

Buildings must be well insulated i.e triple glazing– Pointy roofs so snow flows down– Permafrost provides firm foundations BUT we must be careful to prevent sinking so we use stilts to prevent permafrost melting

Question 18

What are wilderness areas and what is the last wilderness area surviving?

Answer 18

Remote areas of the world with no human activities i.e. Antarctica

Question 19

How do international agreements protect cold environments?

Answer 19

In 1961 an Antarctica treaty was formed where many countries signed to protect Antarctica and only allow peaceful activity like research.

THIS MEANS- no economic activity
limited number of visitors
scientific research encouraged
BUT WE CAN DO THIS SINCE ANTARCTICA IS BARREN BUT THE ARCTIC HAS INHABITNATS

Question 20

How do Conservation groups protect cold environments?

Answer 20

Provide scientific research and help protect cold environments like the WWF (world wildlife fund)

OR ASOC (Antarctica and southern ocean coalition)– this group helps preserve Antarctica and the Southern Ocean and promotes conservation.

HOWEVER– these groups are reliant on donations by the communities so the research is limited

Question 21

How do Actions by Governments protect cold environments?

Answer 21

National Environment Policy– Ensures protection of the environment and rights of native people

Western Arctic reserve– Nature reserves protect areas and do not allow development in these areas BUT these reserves are only in certain areas

National Oceanic and atmospheric administration (NOAA)– Oversee fishing and protect marine habitats

Question 22

How does technology protect cold environments?

Answer 22

For example: In Alaska, oil was discovered to the north coast but frozen sea prevented the export of oil overseas. Therefore an insulated pipeline was constructed from the North- South of Alaska so we can transport it.

Features of the Pipe— Insulated to prevent oil from freezing

• • On stilts so animals can still move and so pipes dont sink in
• • Detectors can detect oil leak in which case the whole pipe stops.