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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
Q

What are the features of podsols?

A
  • 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
Q

What are the main functions of soil?

A
  • Hydrological buffer
  • Nutrient cycling
  • Crop and plant growth
27
Q

What are the 4 soil problems?

A
  • Soil erosion
  • Waterlogging
  • Salinisation
  • Structural deterioration
28
Q

What is soil erosion?

A

Wind or water
- Wind can move fine, dry soil particles where there is no vegetation cover
- Water can transport or dislodge soil particles

29
Q

What is structural deterioration?

A

Soil becomes compacted and less permeable due to livestock trampling and heavy machinery
- Lack of O2 and saturation

30
Q

How can structural deterioration be prevented?

A
  • Ploughing soil reduces extent
  • Reduced stocking density
  • Livestock kept away from riverbanks
  • Machinery should drive on the same area
31
Q

What is waterlogging?

A

Water cannot drain away as soil has poor drainage or is heavily compacted
- Clay soils
- Plant roots drown as air spaces filled

32
Q

What is salinisation?

A

Soil increases in salinity as water evaporates in hot climates and leaves behind salt residue
- Drought conditions
- Osmotic dehydration of crops

33
Q

What are examples of soil management for erosion?

A
  • Planting hedgerows
  • Crop rotation
  • Contour ploughing
  • Terracing
34
Q

What are examples of soil management for waterlogging?

A
  • Drainage systems
  • Crop rotation
  • Use fertiliser
35
Q

What are examples of soil management for salinisation?

A
  • Improved irrigation
  • GM salt tolerance
36
Q

What factors impact food security?

A
  • Climate
  • Trade links
  • Farming type
  • Population
37
Q

How can food security be improved?

A
  • GM crops to increase resistance to climatic conditions
  • Trade blocs
  • Soil management
  • Incentives for farmers
38
Q

What is the definition of food security?

A

Always having physical, social and economic access to sufficient safe and healthy food to meet dietary needs

39
Q

What are examples of methods from the UN food security strategy?

A
  • Reducing food waste and loss
  • Improved infrastructure and storage
  • Encouraging fair trade in LICs
  • Reduce the gap in yields by educating farmers
40
Q

What are examples of food security strategies in the UK?

A
  • Red Tractor certification
  • Free fruit for children
  • Free school meals
41
Q

What are two climatic types?

A

Semi-arid and Mediterranean

42
Q

Where are semi-arid climates found?

A
  • Between the tropics
  • Transition between desert and rainforest
  • Sahel Desert
43
Q

What are features of semi-arid climates?

A
  • Savannah vegetation
  • Long periods of drought
  • Highly adapted vegetation
44
Q

What type of agriculture happens in semi-arid climates?

A
  • Pastoral
  • Both sedentary and seasonally nomadic
45
Q

What are the threats to semi-arid climates?

A
  • Rapid population growth
  • Rainfall becoming less reliable
  • Tropical climate belts moving
46
Q

Where are Mediterranean climates found?

A
  • Coastal regions between 30 and 45 latitude
  • Southern Europe and Australia
47
Q

What are features of Mediterranean climates?

A
  • Warm climates
  • Shrubs and small trees
  • Low annual rainfall
  • Drought resistant vegetation
48
Q

What type of agriculture happens in Mediterranean climates?

A
  • Wine cultivation (viticulture)
  • More arable than pastoral as grass doesn’t grow well
  • High level of food security
49
Q

What are the threats to Mediterranean climates?

A
  • Development for tourism
  • Areas may slowly become arid as climate changes
  • Decreasing rainfall and aquifer supplies

A2 Geography (7 decks)

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