people and the biosphere Flashcards
what is an ecosystem
a grouping of plants and animals that interact with each other and their local environment
define a biome
global-scale ecosystem
name the 9 biomes in order
other/ice tundra taiga deciduos forest temperate grassland mediterranean desert savannah tropical rainforest
give examples of global factors
sunshine
temperature
precipitation
how do global factors affect the distribution of biomes
e.g desert is very hot and receives little precipitation because it is located in between Hadley and Ferrel cells where hot, dry air descends creating low biodiversity
how can the taiga be protected with protected wilderness areas
protected wilderness areas prevent any exploitation of natural resources by informing visitors, researching how to protect the area, and protecting the animals and plants.
However, they cannot protect migrating species, and where the taiga has oil and gas there is a lot of pressure for governments to develop them. If parks are far from cities, few tourists will visit them and money from tourism helps parks fund their conservation
what are alternative livelihoods
selective logging
eco-tourism
afforestation
agroforestry
what is CITES
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
+large influence +targets correct problem
-hard to enforce rules -difficult to monitor all countries
what is REDD
Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation
+ large funding
-vague = palm tree plantations are still being funded
what are the direct threats to the Taiga
commercial development
logging
what are the indirect threats to the taiga
mining
HEP
oil extractions
give characteristics of the taiga
the taiga has long extremely cold winters when plants cannot grow
mild summers
less than 500mm rainfall
what are the costs and benefits of wind energy
+clean +no air pollution +cheap
-visual pollution -bird deaths
what are the costs and benefits of solar energy
+creates jobs +little maintenance + no noise
-takes us farmland -damages desert habitats
what are the costs and benefits of HEP’s
+reliable +flexible +can regulate water supply
-flooding -expensive -alters the river
why are we exploiting ecologically sensitive areas
growing demand leads to exploitation
provides employment
boosts exploiters economy
what are Athabasca tar sands
a place with a large amount of bitumen that can be refined into petroleum.
what are the unconventional methods of oil and gas sources
fracking
drilling and injecting water under high pressure, this creates new channels in the rock, allowing the gas to be extracted at higher than traditional rates
Athabasca tar sands
steam out tar so that it can be collected
how can we be more energy efficient
solar panels
insulation
green energy suppliers
LED lighting
how do accessibility and development affect the distribution of energy resources
places with more money can afford to access and import energy
how does geology affect the distribution of energy resources
fossil fuels are found in sedimentary rock
how can resources be classified
non-renewable
renewable
recyclable
how do relief and climate affect the distribution of energy resources
regions with high rainfall are suitable for HEP’s
places with high wind are suitable for wind turbines
Sunny places are suitable for solar panels
what is ESPO
East Siberian Pacific Ocean
pipeline that carries oil from Russia to China but has expanded to the Pacific
what is OPEC
Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries
governmental organisation of oil exporters and producers that influence oil price and supply
how are oil supplies and prices affected by the recession
less demand = prices fall
how are oil supplies and prices affected by conflict
prices rise
how are oil supplies and prices affected by peace
prices can either rise or fall
how are oil supplies and prices affected by an economic boom
prices rise
how are oil supplies and prices affected by oversupply
prices fall
what can affect oil supply and price
peace conflict oversupply undersupply recession economic boom
how has global consumption of oil changed
it has been rising due to increased demand (since 1990)
developing regions have been using more
developed regions have been using less
what is the distribution of oil reserves
Middle East has the largest reserve
what is the distribution of oil production
Saudi Arabia, USA, and Russia are the largest producers
what impact does extracting energy resources have on the environment
scarred landscapes oil leaks damage to habitats pollution increased greenhouse effect
what causes variation in energy use
economic development
economic sector
traditional fuel sources - in many developing countries biomass is used domestically, no direct electricity
what are the global patterns of energy use
population and GDP growth over the last 100 years has lead to an increased demand for energy
what are the physical factors affecting the development of renewable resources?
amount of precipitation amount of sunshine amount of wind relief climate
what are the human factors affecting the development of renewable resources
cost
education
change in technology
how does the environment affect the development of unconventional oil and gas resources
ecologically sensitive areas
type of rock - needs to be sedimentary
why protect the taiga
it has a very fragile ecosystem and takes a very long time to recover from damages
highly specialised species that cannot adapt to climate change as quickly
a small amount of species so a disease that affects one species can affect the whole ecosystem
how can sustainable forestry help protect the taiga
For every tree that has been cut down, another taiga specific tree is planted
However, it is costly and long term, so only big companies can afford to do this. Smaller companies want to maximise profits and cut down as many trees before their lease runs out
