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geography- paper 3 > Taiga > Flashcards

Taiga Flashcards

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1
Q

Taiga is

A

World largest Land biome

  • covers 390 million square km
  • makes up 30% of worlds remaining forest
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2
Q

Taiga latitude

A

50° and 70° latitude

Northern hemisphere

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3
Q

Countries in taiga

A

Russia and Canada

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4
Q

Taiga vegetation

A

Coniferous ( evergreen ) trees

Adapted to cold environment

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5
Q

Taiga summers (3 months)

A

Rise to 20°C

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6
Q

Taiga low precipitation

A

-below 20mm for 5 months

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7
Q

Taiga biodiversity

A

Low

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8
Q

Why is taiga biodiversity low

A
  • plants and animals only survive I’d specially adapted

- growing season (4.5 months long)

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9
Q

Mammals adapt to winter

A 
-thick oily fur 
(Retain heat, water proof)
-hibernate
(Food is low)
-birds migrate
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10
Q

Taiga forest floor

A

One layer of vegetation

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11
Q

Coniferous trees

A
  • cone shape (shed snow)
  • talk and narrow (form dense canopy)
  • branches are flexible (shed snow not break)
  • waxy coating on leaves (prevent damage by frost)
  • shallow and wide tree roots (supports)
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12
Q

Taiga nutrient cycle

A
  • precipitation = lower
  • chemical weathering = limited
  • larger litter
  • small biomass
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13
Q

Deforestation is less of a problem in taiga because

A
  • vast biome
  • most of taiga is isolated
  • few cute and cuddly species
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14
Q

Tar sand

A

Mixture of fossil fuel oil and sediment

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15
Q

Tar san case study

A

Athabasca tar sands, Canada

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16
Q

Impact of tar sands on taiga

A
  • lie under 150,000km2 of taiga
  • 500km2 has been mined so far
  • methods of extraction destroy forest
  • toxic waste produced
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17
Q

HEP exploitation

A

James bay HEP project, Canada

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18
Q

HEP impact on Taiga

A
  • worlds largest HEP plants.
  • costs over $200 billion
  • 11000 of taiga forest = flooded
  • polluted rivers
19
Q

Fire in 2011

A

Burned 700000 hectares of taiga

20
Q

How can forest fires be a problem in cold and wet taiga?

A
  • summers are hot and dry
  • thick carpet of pine needle litter
  • summer stormed create lightning strikes
  • coniferous trees burn easily
21
Q

Fires allow forest to regenerate

A
  • trees sprout from burned stumps

- release of trees

22
Q

Too many wildfires

A
  • forest will not regenerate properly

- fire tolerant species dominate

23
Q

Pests and disease consequences

A
  • reduce commercial value of the forest
  • dramatically alter ecosystem
  • change landscape from dense to more open
24
Q

Spruce bark beetle

A

Kills spruce trees

25
Q

Mountain pine beetle

A

Introduce fungus to the tree

26
Q

White pine blister rust

A

Fungal disease that attack’s white pine trees

27
Q

Invasive species

A

Plant/ animal/ disease introduced from one area to another causing damage to ecosystem

28
Q

Acid rains forms when

A
  • fossil fuels are burnt
  • Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide into the air
  • react with water in clouds to form acids
  • precipitation carries acids to surface
29
Q

Acid rain affects

A
  • lakes and wetlands
  • weakens trees
  • damage needles
  • weaker roots
  • weak trees
30
Q

Pressures to develop in taiga

A
  • oil, gas, HEP and mineral extraction

- timber for paper making and construction

31
Q

In wilderness areas

A
  • motorised transport not allowed
  • recreation is allowed (no trace left)
  • logging, mining, road building = banned
32
Q

National parks

A

(USA, Canada, Russia)

  • exceed 1000 hectares
  • legal protection
  • park rangers to protect
  • open for recreation and leisure
33
Q

Wood buffalo national park

A

(Canada)

-world second largest national park

34
Q

Wood buffalo=

A

North of athabasca tar sands mining area

35
Q

Wood buffalo threatened =

A
  • pollution of river (tar sands)

- HEP dams

36
Q

Clear cutting is

A

Logging of all trees in a wide area of forest

37
Q

Clear cutting…

A
  • makes soil erosion likely
  • destroys mosses, lichen and other plants
  • land slides and river bank erosion
38
Q

Selective logging

A

-only removes large valuable trees

39
Q

Law everymans right

A

Anyone in Finland can use the forest and people respect and conserve them

40
Q

SFM Finland

A
  • forest area growing
  • logged areas replanted
  • 8% protected areas
  • 95% are sustainably managed
41
Q

In favour to conserve biodiversity

A
  • environmentalists
  • indigenous groups
  • scientists
42
Q

Reasons to conserve biodiversity

A
  • taiga is last untouched biome
  • forest are vital carbon sinks
  • culturally important for indigenous people
43
Q

In favour to exploit biodiversity

A
  • businesses
  • local government
  • residents
44
Q

Reasons to exploit

A
  • brings jobs and incomes to isolated areas

- boost gdp if resources are exported

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