The Living World Part 3 Flashcards
What is desertification
This is where the land slowly looses nutrients and becomes more desert like and unable to support a variety of plant and animal life
Why does an increasing population growth and migration increase desertification
Put more pressure on the areas as more people try to grow food to support themselves - takes nutrients out of the soil
How has climate change increased desertification
Less rainfall which destroys crop land
What are the 6 factors affecting desertification
Climate change, population growth, removal of fuel wood, overgrazing, over-cultivation and soil erosion
What are the 3 strategies to help reduce the risk of desertification
Water and soil management
Tree planting
Technology
How much farmland is Niger losing every year
250000 hectares
How far to people have to walk to collect water
25km
What are the 5 water and soil management.
Tree planting
Planting grass
Building small rock dams
Collecting rainwater on roofs
Building terraces
What does tree planting help reduce risk
Tree roots help stabilise the soil
Decomposing leaf litter adds nutrients to soil
What did the African Union propose to do
To plant a wall of trees called the great green wall across the entire Sahel region
What do the planting of trees provide
Work
Political cooperation which will reduce risk of conflict
What technology has been introduced to help cooking
Efficient stoves
What are the stoves made out of
Clay
Wood
Charcoal
What is classed as a cold environment
Are regions that experience sustained below freezing temps resulting in a short growing season and highly adapted wildlife
Where are polar/ tundra regions located
At high latitudes
Where are polar regions found
Areas surrounding the poles ( 90 degrees N and S)
Where are tundra regions found
High latitudes near the circles
How is a tundra region characterised
Consistently frozen ground (permafrost ) which can thaw seasonally
What is the soil like in a polar environment
Lacks nutrients as they are constantly frozen and covered in thick ice sheets
How many people live in the artic
4 million people
What is the soil like tundra regions
Nutrients is poor
Frozen permanently
Where do plant grow in tundra areas
Low to the ground
How are polar bears adapted
Layers of fat and insulating fur
White to camouflage
Balcony skin to absorb heat
How is water loss reduced in plants
By thick waxy leaves
