spicess

Question 1

What does space mean?

Answer 1

3 main elements; location, spatial distributionand organisation​
Location – where things are located on theearth’s surface​
Organisation – how and why things arearranged and managed onthe Earth’ssurface by people​
Spatial distribution – the shapes andpatterns in which things arearranged onthe Earth’s surface

Question 2

What does change mean?

Answer 2

Change is the explanation of geographical phenomena by investigating how they have developed over time.

Question 3

What are biomes.

Answer 3

An area of land or water that is characterised by similar vegetation, climate and animal species.
Classified as terrestrial (land based) or aquatic (water based).

Question 4

What is salinity

Answer 4

An accumulation of salt in the soil at or near the surface which reduces plant growth and water quality, causes agricultural land to become unusable and can damage infrastructure.

Question 5

What are the characteristics of polar lands

Answer 5

Very cold and dry, very little animal life, almost no vegetation

Question 6

What are the characteristics of tundra biomes

Answer 6

Cold, short growing seasons, no trees

Question 7

What are the characteristics of Boreal Forest

Answer 7

Cold, wet, filled with coniferous trees.

Question 8

What are the characteristics of mountain vegetation biomes?

Answer 8

Cold and windy, low-lying vegetation that won’t be blown over.

Question 9

What are the characteristics of temperate forests.

Answer 9

Mild temperatures and wet weather, lots of trees and animal life.

Question 10

What are the characteristics of Grasslands.

Answer 10

Vegetation is mainly grasses that support many types of animals. Can be very dry or very wet.

Question 11

What are the characteristics of deserts

Answer 11

Dry, almost no plants, often located in the centre of a continent (always from the cast)

Question 12

What are the characteristics of Tropical forests?

Answer 12

Warm, wet, lots of plant and animal life.

Question 13

What are the characteristics of Freshwater biomes?

Answer 13

Low levels of (or no) salt in water, supports animal and some aquatic plant life.

Question 14

What are the characteristics of Marine biomes

Answer 14

Made up of three zones that get colder and darker as the water gets deeper. Most marine life exists closer to the surface.

Question 15

What are the characteristics of Coral reefs

Answer 15

Found in warmer waters, often close to land, filled with coral and aquatic life that depend on coral (such as fish).

Question 16

Describe the distribution of temperate forests

Answer 16

Temperate forests are located in the mid-latitude areas which means that they have four distinct seasons.
Their position near low pressure, rising atmospheric air creates precipitation spread fairly evenly throughout the year.

Question 17

Describe the distribution of tropical rainforests

Answer 17

Sunlight and precipitation re the factors that influence the distribution of tropical rainforests. These factors are influenced by latitude. Tropical rainforest are found at the equator, between the Tropic of Cancer 23.5”N and Tropic of Capricorn at 23.5”S.
The incoming solar radiation is therefore focused on a relatively small area at the Equator. It creates a stable and warm temperature all year. Low atmospheric air pressure allows warm, moist air to rise creating high humidity 77-88% all year and high rainfall, 2000mm-10000mm a year.

Question 18

Describe the distribution of desert biomes.

Answer 18

Deserts are areas of land that receive less than 250mm of rainfall each year. Sub-tropical deserts found along tropic of cancer and tropic of Capricorn are the hottest deserts on Earth. They are found beneath areas of high atmospheric pressure, falling air reduces formation of rain clouds.

Question 19

Describes three plant adaptations for Temperate forests.

Answer 19

Deciduous trees lose their leaves. With four seasons and cold winters, the trees have adapted to the winter by going into a period of dormancy or sleep

Eucalyptus trees: Leathery and narrow leaves that hang vertically to reduce moisture loss (transpiration)

Eucalypt seed release is triggered by fire onto a nutrient-rich ash seedbed from which all the understory competition for light, water and nutrients has been removed

Question 20

Describe three plant adaptations for tropical rainforests

Answer 20

Pointed drip tips to allow heavy rain to flow off the leaf, smooth waxy bark allows water to flow down trees easily which prevents decay from so much rainfall.

Buttress roots: vast root networks to get enough water and nutrients. The organic soil is a very thin layer - so the roots are on the surface. They reach far and wide and provide stability for the tree.

Lianas are woody vines that grow up other trees to access sunlight

Question 21

Describe three plant adaptations for desert biomes.

Answer 21

Succulents: long and shallow root systems to absorb what little moisture may be present at the ground

Leaves: small or no leaves. Cacti used to have leaves which evolved into spines to reduce moisture loss. The stem itself conducts photosynthesis

Perennial plants: These survive by becoming dormant during the dry months and then come back to life when water is available

Question 22

Describe the causes of salinity

Answer 22

Salinity can be natural or anthropogenic.

Natural salinity: the level of salt in the soil and environment from natural processes

Anthropogenic: the salinity caused by human activities. The main two cause are related to agricultural activity: land clearing, over irrigation

Question 23

What is land clearing

Answer 23

Large areas of native vegetation have been cleared and replaced by shallow-rooted crops and grasses
Deep rooted native trees no longer absorb rainfall infiltrating the soil
Much more water is held in the soil and so the water table rises, bringing with it the salt that has accumulated over millions of years
This collects in low-lying areas, killing the introduced plants
As the water evaporates, salt is left at or near the surface, creating large salt pans where nothing can grow
The salt moves across the landscape turning freshwater streams into salty drains

Question 24

What is over irrigation

Answer 24

In some places, irrigation also increases the amount of water in the soil. This has the effect of raising the water table and bringing salt to the surface

Question 25

What is the impact of this human activity (agriculture) on our temperate biomes

Answer 25

Deforestation: clearing native vegetation for crops and livestock leads to loss of biodiversity in the region
Felling trees releases carbon into the atmosphere and contributes to climate change
Loss of habitat for unique and threatened species such as black cockatoos, woylies and numbats
Less shelter and shade from trees = drier soil
Water pollution from the use of fertilizers such as nitrogen, phosphorus and animal manure.

Question 26

Impact of salinity in agriculture

Answer 26

Reduction in productive cropping land and agricultural production levels.

Question 27

Impact of salinity in water quality

Answer 27

Discharge of large volumes of saline groundwater into rivers make the water unfit for drinking and irrigation

Question 28

Impact of salinity in biodiversity

Answer 28

Vegetation and soil fauna decline, habitat is lost, plant and animal populations and species decline, functionally important species are killed and the maintenance of ecosystem process is compromised or destroyed

Question 29

Impact of salinity in infrastructure

Answer 29

Damage to homes, public buildings, roads and railways, destruction of concrete structures, sporting grounds, parks and gardens, dams and reservoirs.

Question 30

What do plants in tropical rainforests need to do?

Answer 30

Compete with each other for access to sunlight

Manage the high levels of humidity and rainfall

Cope with only a thin layer of nutrient rich soil