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A2 Geography > Population and Environment - Environment > Flashcards

Population and Environment - Environment Flashcards

1
Q

What are the key elements in the physical environment?

A
  • Climate
  • Soils
  • Water supply
  • Energy supply
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2
Q

Why is climate important in population?

A
  • Determines distribution of agriculture
  • Determines rainfall distribution
  • Drives diseases such as malaria
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3
Q

What are the key population parameters?

A
  • Distribution (pattern of where people live)
  • Density (average number of people living in a specific area)
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4
Q

Why are population figures less accurate in LICs/NEEs?

A
  • Lack of census infrastructure
  • Expensive to monitor
  • Rural and inaccessible communities
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5
Q

What are the three types of population distribution?

A
  • Clumped
  • Uniform
  • Random
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6
Q

What are advantages of the DTM?

A
  • Insight into population change over time
  • No timescale and therefore fewer expectations for LICs
  • Easy to compare
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7
Q

What are disadvantages of the DTM?

A
  • Doesn’t account for policies (e.g. One Child Policy, China)
  • DR line is inaccurate as disease knowledge has improved
  • Doesn’t account for regression
  • Discounts impact of migration
  • Discounts climate change
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8
Q

What is overpopulation?

A

When too many people live in an area, relative to the resources available to maintain a high standard of living

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9
Q

What does overpopulation lead to?

A
  • Low per capita income
  • High unemployment
  • Outward migration
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10
Q

What is underpopulation?

A

When too few people live in an area to efficiently use the resources available

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11
Q

What does underpopulation lead to?

A
  • Closure of services
  • Outward migration
  • Lack of employees
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12
Q

What is optimum population?

A

The theoretical population which would produce the highest standard of living for people in an area

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13
Q

What is food security?

A

When a population has access to affordable and nutritious food

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14
Q

What is an agricultural system?

A

Open systems with inputs, processes and outputs

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15
Q

What are examples of farming inputs?

A
  • Can be physical, economic or behavioural
  • Rainfall, sunlight
  • Transport, technology
  • Knowledge, experience
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16
Q

What are examples of farming processes?

A
  • Ploughing
  • Sowing seeds
  • Harvesting
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17
Q

What are examples of farming outputs?

A
  • Crops
  • CO2 and CH4
  • Animal waste
  • By-products
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18
Q

What is a farming co-operative?

A

Members pool resources, labour and machinery

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19
Q

What are advantages of farming co-operatives?

A
  • Boosts productivity
  • Maximises yield
  • Improved product quality
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20
Q

What are disadvantages of farming co-operatives?

A
  • Increased cost of inputs
  • Conflicts
  • Sometimes no precision farming
21
Q

What are the 10 types of farming?

A
  • Sedentary/Nomadic
  • Subsistence/Commercial
  • Arable/Pastoral
  • Extensive/Intensive
  • GM/Organic
22
Q

What are two zonal soils?

A

Podsols and Ferralsols

23
Q

How is a soil cross-section divided?

A
  • O Horizon (partly decomposed)
  • A Horizon (mineral particles and OM)
  • B Horizon
  • C Horizon
  • R Horizon (bedrock)
24
Q

What are the features of ferralsols?

A
  • Tropical regions with high rainfall (causing leaching)
  • Red/yellow with a low pH
  • High levels of Fe and Al
  • Low nutrient levels
25
What are the features of podsols?
- Mature soils in areas of high rainfall and cool temperatures - High nutrient levels in topsoil - High DOM content - Often used for forestry and recreation
26
What are the main functions of soil?
- Hydrological buffer - Nutrient cycling - Crop and plant growth
27
What are the 4 soil problems?
- Soil erosion - Waterlogging - Salinisation - Structural deterioration
28
What is soil erosion?
Wind or water - Wind can move fine, dry soil particles where there is no vegetation cover - Water can transport or dislodge soil particles
29
What is structural deterioration?
Soil becomes compacted and less permeable due to livestock trampling and heavy machinery - Lack of O2 and saturation
30
How can structural deterioration be prevented?
- Ploughing soil reduces extent - Reduced stocking density - Livestock kept away from riverbanks - Machinery should drive on the same area
31
What is waterlogging?
Water cannot drain away as soil has poor drainage or is heavily compacted - Clay soils - Plant roots drown as air spaces filled
32
What is salinisation?
Soil increases in salinity as water evaporates in hot climates and leaves behind salt residue - Drought conditions - Osmotic dehydration of crops
33
What are examples of soil management for erosion?
- Planting hedgerows - Crop rotation - Contour ploughing - Terracing
34
What are examples of soil management for waterlogging?
- Drainage systems - Crop rotation - Use fertiliser
35
What are examples of soil management for salinisation?
- Improved irrigation - GM salt tolerance
36
What factors impact food security?
- Climate - Trade links - Farming type - Population
37
How can food security be improved?
- GM crops to increase resistance to climatic conditions - Trade blocs - Soil management - Incentives for farmers
38
What is the definition of food security?
Always having physical, social and economic access to sufficient safe and healthy food to meet dietary needs
39
What are examples of methods from the UN food security strategy?
- Reducing food waste and loss - Improved infrastructure and storage - Encouraging fair trade in LICs - Reduce the gap in yields by educating farmers
40
What are examples of food security strategies in the UK?
- Red Tractor certification - Free fruit for children - Free school meals
41
What are two climatic types?
Semi-arid and Mediterranean
42
Where are semi-arid climates found?
- Between the tropics - Transition between desert and rainforest - Sahel Desert
43
What are features of semi-arid climates?
- Savannah vegetation - Long periods of drought - Highly adapted vegetation
44
What type of agriculture happens in semi-arid climates?
- Pastoral - Both sedentary and seasonally nomadic
45
What are the threats to semi-arid climates?
- Rapid population growth - Rainfall becoming less reliable - Tropical climate belts moving
46
Where are Mediterranean climates found?
- Coastal regions between 30 and 45 latitude - Southern Europe and Australia
47
What are features of Mediterranean climates?
- Warm climates - Shrubs and small trees - Low annual rainfall - Drought resistant vegetation
48
What type of agriculture happens in Mediterranean climates?
- Wine cultivation (viticulture) - More arable than pastoral as grass doesn't grow well - High level of food security
49
What are the threats to Mediterranean climates?
- Development for tourism - Areas may slowly become arid as climate changes - Decreasing rainfall and aquifer supplies

A2 Geography (7 decks)

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