Paper 1 Section B Flashcards
where is the example of human activities affecting an ecosystem
Avington park lake, Hampshire
what went wrong at Avington lake
it had no maintenance so became silted, the good view was blocked by vegetation, there were birds though
how was Avington lake improved
de-silted allowing for waterside habitats and has resulted in a more attractive place
how tall can the top canopy get it TRFs
50m
shrub and ground layer TRF
0-10m
lower tree canopy height TRF
10-20m
middle canopy height TRF
20-35m
top canopy height TRF
35-50m
threats to Malaysia’s rainforests
logging
mineral extraction
commercial farming
subsistence farming
how does logging affect Malaysia
1980s it became the no1 exporter of tropical wood
clear felling is bad and led to deforestation but now selective logging is mostly used
how does mineral extraction affect Malaysia
trees felled and infrastructure put in which divides up habitats
how does commercial farming affect malaysia
10 year tax incentives for plantations means that it is the largest palm oil exporter
how does subsistence farming affect Malaysia
traditionally it is sustainable on a very small scale, however slash and burn can result in large accidental deforestation
how much of Malaysia is TRF as a %
67%
TRF economic gain
job creation
tax revenue
infrastructure improvement
cheap HEP
valuable minerals
TRF economic losses
water pollution
fire pollution
temperature increase devastate farming
plants for medicines may become extinct
tourism decrease
impact of deforestation
soil erosion
biodiversity loss
reduces photosynthesis so increases climate change
what has Brazil done to reduce deforestation
reduced illegal deforestation
leading in the world for conservation
committed to reduce climate change
consumer pressure to reduce cattle ranching
what % of O2 in the world is made in TRFs
28%
how much medicine comes from TRFs
25%
how much of the worlds species are in TRFs
half
what resources in TRFs
hardwood
nuts
fruit
rubber
who live in TRFs
indigenous tribes
what is the rate of deforestation
a football field every 2 seconds
what are the strategies for TRF management
selective logging
conservation and education
ecotourism
international agreements
why do TRFs need to be sustainable
Indigenous tribes
lasting resource for the future
harness valuable resources without causing permanent damage
how does selective logging help TRF conservation
not all trees are cut down, only mature ones so there is no clear felling
how does education help TRF conservation
people are more aware of the impacts so they do not destroy trees
how does ecotourism help TRF conservation
provides long term income and educates people too
how does international agreements help TRF conservation
people agree to not cut down trees
eg debt for nature swaps
what is a cold environment
they are below 0°C most of the time
what are the 3 types of cold regions
polar
tundra
alpine
what are the characteristics of a polar region
most extreme, ice sheets and always below 0°C
what are the characteristics of a tundra
less extreme than polar
short summer
permafrost
what are the characteristics of an alpine region
least extreme
mountainous region
very cold winters
what is permafrost
permanently frozen layer of soil at the surface
climate of polar regions
extreme, winters can reach below -50°C
soil of polar regions
ice covered permafrost
plants of polar regions
few mosses and lichens on the fringes of ice
animals of polar regions
polar bears, penguins
climate of tundras
less extreme, winter down to -20°C, brief warm summer
soil of tundra
permafrost melts in summer causing waterlogging
plants of tundra
low growing flowering plants
animals of tundra
more species than polar
arctic fox and arctic hare
in summer, there are birds
adaptations of plants in tundra
low so protected from strong wind
thick bark stems to improve stability
small leathery leaves to retain moisture
hairy stems for insulation
bright berries to attract birds to spread seed
example of summer bird in tundras
ptarmigans
where is svalbard
near Mid-Atlantic ridge
most northernly inhabited territory
NW of Norway
part of Norway
how many islands is Svalbard
5
how much of Svalbard is covered in glacier
60%
what is the population of Svalbard
2700
where do people live in Svalbard
Longyearbyen, largest island
what are development opportunities in Svalbard
mineral extraction
energy developments
fishing
tourism
on Svalbard what is involved in mineral extraction
coal reserves
main economic activity
environmentally controversial
on Svalbard what is involved in energy developments (least important)
coal fired power station for all the local needs
on Svalbard what is involved in fishing
rich with lots of fish
cod, herring and haddock
carefully monitored and controlled to ensure sustainability
on Svalbard what is involved in tourism
cruises-glaciers, fjords and wildlife (POLAR BEARS)
adventure tourists-hiking, kayaking and snowmobiling
how many species of fish in Svalbard
150
what is a likely future energy development is Svalbard
geothermal energy as it is renewable
what are development challenges
extreme temperatures
construction
services
accessibility
In Svalbard, what is the challenge of extreme temperatures
temps below -30°C
frostbite risk > many layers of clothing required
outdoor work is very slow
In Svalbard, what is the challenge of construction
maintenance all happens in the short summer
permafrost is protected so houses don’t fall down
dirt and gravel roads are raised above the ground
In Svalbard, what is the challenge of services
power and water have to be above ground in utility corridors which are insulated
this allows for east maintenance and doesn’t melt permafrost
In Svalbard, what is the challenge of accessibility
only reachable by sea or air
no roads outside Longyearbyen
international flights to Russia and Norway
most people use snowmobiles
why are cold environments fragile
vegetation takes a long time to establish
delicate ecosystem
easy to damage and takes a long time to recover
what is an example of tundra damage and how long does it take to recover
tire tracks from off-roading
decades to recover
what are risks associated with economic development in tundra
oil spills
infrastructure such as roads, pipes and drilling equipment
what are problems with oil spills in cold environments
trees killed
risk of accidental or deliberate fire
lifeless rivers
river edge habitat destroyed
why do cold environments need protecting
scientific research as they are unspoilt
beautiful so tourism
opportunities for fishing and forestry
large biodiversity
indigenous people who depend on it to survive
example of cold environment indigenous people
Arctic Inuits
how can risks to cold environments be reduced
technology
action by government
conservation groups
how can technology be used to reduce impacts on cold environments
Trans Alaskan pipeline
engineered to slide during earthquakes
Prudhoe bay to Valdez
how can action by government be used to reduce impacts on cold environments
laws are put in place to protect wildlife
how can action by conservation groups be used to reduce impacts on cold environments
WWF works with oil companies, Inuit organisations and local communities and governments for a sustainable future
how long is the Trans Alaskan Pipeline
1300km
what does the Trans Alaskan Pipeline cross
800 rivers
2 mountain ranges
what are some adaptations of the Trans Alaskan Pipeline
insulated to not melt permafrost
raised to allow caribou to migrate
shuts off automatically if leak is found
what was done in the Antarctic treaty
prevents economic development
promotes scientific research
controls tourism disturbance to a minimum
