People And Cold Flashcards
Problems with physical environment of tundra
Most make growing food tricky
Low temperature Short summers therefore short growing season Low precipitation Thin stony poorly developed soil Permafrost Surface thaw in summer - water logging Snow lying for long periods , blizzards
Why is the tundra fragile
Global warming so deepening and widening of active layer
Permafrost retains huge amounts of co2 and methane which is released of it melts so adds to greenhouse effect
Indigenous people case study
Vuntut gwitchin, Alaska
Vuntut traditional way of living
Economic - was hunting and fishing, seals , reindeer or caribou
Lifestyle- Inuits were very mobile, some migrated with caribou, nomadic, dog sledges to travel
Was the traditional way of vuntut living sustainable?why
Living put little pressure on environment
Totally sustainable
Adapted to challenge of climate and limited resources
Vuntut modern changes
Economic -jobs available in government eg quarry local construction, hunting and fishing
Lifestyle - no longer nomadic some have homes in old crow, snow mobiles to travel ,rifles now used for hunting not spears
Why is vuntut modern living less sustainable
There’s a disproportional number of young and old
Working age migrate away to seek paid work elsewhere
Old crow flats location
Flat landscape
North of Arctic circle
Close to Alaskan border
Only permanent settlement in region is old crow
Old crow flats climate
Mean annaul daily temp - -10c
January - -35c
July - 15c
Total precipitation 200mm
Physical features old crow flat
5000km2 Pristine wilderness Continuous permafrost Has patterned ground and ice polygons and wedges Covered in 2000+'shallow lakes and ponds
Old crow flats settlement facts
250-300 inhabitants
Situated on porcupine river, north of Yukon
Old crow airport - community can’t be reached by car
Caribou heading
Used for food and clothes - dependent on them
Caribou migrate it coastal plain in Arctic national wildlife refuge (ANWR) to give birth to young
All parts of animal are used
Recent fall in caribou numbers due to climate change eg higher snow fall
Been important for thousands of years to Northern yukons natural environment
Muscrat trapping - more like a festival
Season begins mid April - June 15
Camps are set up with no electricity,water
Live in tents of 5/6
Traditional - travel made by dog team
Muscrat is main source of fresh meat until caribou in summer
Canoes are also used when ice melts
What’s unique about Antarctica ( Southern Ocean )
Remotest,coldest,windiest driest least populated continent
-49c few species can survive
Covered in ice sheets abs shelves which store about 70% of earths fresh water
Give two reasons why wilderness areas like Antarctica are worth conserving.
aesthetic value, unique wildlife and pure natural system, to preserve gene pool of wild organisms to ensure genetic variety is maintained
Penguins
Seals
Why is Antarctica fragile,
Small changes can have a large effect and it has slow environmental recovery. Footprint on moss can last decades
When was Antarctic Treaty signed , two agreements?
1959
To preserve the continent as a base for scientific research
To protect native fauna
To keep tourism under control
What did the 1998 Madrid protocol ban
Mining activities and will be revised in 1948 I case we need those resources
Economic activity In Antarctica
Sealing - over 300,00 seals killed in 3 yrs and population had been virtually eradicated
Whaling- mainly want blue and white whales, banned in 1985
Fishing - now replaced whaling, Antarctica Rock cod exploited
Which countries want to overturn whaling ban
Japan
Russia
Iceland
Why are conservationists worried about fishing for krill?
Krill underpin whole of Southern Ocean for web and support larger animals eg seals,penguins, whales
Ecosystem could be harmed if numbers drop too far
Tourism in Antarctica
Unusual destination as not populated except for scientists at research stations
Why are polar scientists concerned about increased tourists ?
They could destroy near perfect environment and their scientific work
But tourists can help publicising and raising funds
Why do tourists visit Antarctica? How do they get there
To experience remoteness and isolation see seals, penguins whales glacial landscapes.
Get to by specially designed ships
What measures are taken to limit tourist impact
only a small number of tourists are allowed ashore at one time; 20 tourists per expert guide; tourists are briefed on the requirements of the Antarctic Treaty and the environmental protocol; a site can only be visited once every 2 or 3 days.
Why are there still some concerns about the potential impact of tourism on Antarctica
The tourists visit during the summer months which is during the breeding season; land-based installations are clustered in a few ice-free locations; there is the risk of pollution and oil leaks when ships run aground; the environment is very fragile.
What are the main pressures facing Antarctica in the future
increased pressure to exploit mineral resources such as coal and oil; threat of global warming and the melting of the ice sheet.
Tundra characteristics
Cold, less than 5c, precipitation ( mostly snow) less than 100 mm per year.
Brief summer
