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GCSE AQA Geography > Topic 7 - Hot Deserts > Flashcards

Topic 7 - Hot Deserts Flashcards

Unit 1: Living with the Physical Environment (Section B - The Living World)

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1
Q

What is a desert?

A

An area of land that receives less than 250mm of rain annually

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2
Q

Where are hot deserts found?

A

30 degrees north and south of the equator

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3
Q

What are desert soils like?

A

Desert soils tend to be sandy or stony, with little organic matter due to the general lack of leafy vegetation. They are dry but can soak up water rapidly after rainfall. Evaporation draws salts to the surface, often leaving a white powder on the ground. Desert soils are not very fertile.

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4
Q

Where have the sand in deserts come from?

A

The break down of rock

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5
Q

What plants are found in a hot desert?

A
  • Acacia Trees
  • Ephemerals
  • Cacti (e.g., Saguaro cactus, barrel cactus)
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6
Q

What animals are found in a hot desert?

A
  • Fennec fox
  • Kangaroo cat
  • Perentie
  • Thorny devil
  • Desert tortoise
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7
Q

How have acacia trees adapted to live in hot deserts?

A
  • Short, fat trunks, which can store excess water
  • Pyrophytic (fire resistant)
  • Long tap root (can be 50m into ground) vertical and horizontal to get as much water as possible
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8
Q

How have ephemerals adapted to live in hot deserts?

A
  • Germinate only after seasonal rain
  • Complete reproductive cycle quickly so hot conditions can’t affect them
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8
Q

How have cacti (e.g., saguaro cactus, barrel cactus) adapted to live in hot deserts?

A
  • Succulent (store water)
  • Spikes to deter consumers
  • Spines rather than leaves, to reduce water loss by transpiration
  • Waxy skin to retain water
  • Widespread roots to collect water
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8
Q

How have perentie adapted to live in hot deserts?

A
  • Shelters underground or in rock shelters; lie in the sun in early morning and late afternoons
  • On very hot days, may shelter in shade or climb termite mounds or shrubs, to get off hot ground
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8
Q

How have fennec fox adapted to live in hot deserts?

A
  • Produces little urine
  • Large ears to spread out body heat
  • Thick fur on soles of feel to protect from the heat of the sand
  • Light coloured fur, which doesn’t absorb heat, but reflects it
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9
Q

How have kangaroo rats adapted to live in hot deserts?

A
  • Produces little urine, as animals don’t find much water, so they must excrete only a little
  • Don’t sweat/have oily skin, which reduces water loss
  • Live in burrows during the day, to keep cool
  • Don’t need to drink, as they get water from food
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9
Q

How have thorny devils adapted to live in hot deserts?

A
  • Tiny grooves over the body to direct the moisture to the mouth
  • Can change colour, and brown sports means it blends in with its surroundings
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9
Q

How have desert tortoise adapted to live in hot deserts?

A
  • Live in burrows
  • They are dormant (sleep) during the hottest part of summer (aestivation)
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9
Q

Where is the Thar Desert?

A
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9
Q

What are the opportunities for development in the Thar Desert?

A
  • Farming
  • Mineral Extraction
  • Energy
  • Tourism
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9
Q

What are the opportunities for development in the Thar Desert?

A

The Thar Desert is one of the major hot deserts of the world. It stretches across north-west India and into Pakistan. The desert covers an area of some 200000 km2 mostly in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is the most densely populated desert in the world.

10
Q

How is farming an opportunity for development in the Thar Desert?

A

Most of the people living in the desert are involved in subsistence farming. They survive in the hot and dry conditions by grazing animals on the grassy areas and cultivating vegetables and fruit trees.
Commercial farming, which has grown in recent decades, has been made possible by irrigation. The construction of the Indira Gandhi Canal in 1958, has revolutionised farming and crops such as wheat and cotton now thrive in an area that used to be a scrubby desert. Other crops grown under irrigation include pulses, sesame, maize and mustard.

11
Q

How is mineral extraction an opportunity for development in the Thar Desert?

A
  • Gypsum (used in making plaster for the construction industry and in making cement)
  • Feldspar (used to make ceramics)
  • Phosphorite (used for making fertiliser)
  • Kaolin (used as a whitener in paper)
12
Q

How is energy an opportunity for development in the Thar Desert?

A
  • Coal: there are extensive lignite coal deposits in parts of the Thar Desert and a thermal energy plant has been constructed at Giral.
  • Oil: a large oilfield has been discovered in the Barmer district which could transform the local economy.
  • Wind: recently there has been a focus on developing wind power, a renewable form of energy. The Jaisalmer Wind Park was constructed in 2001. This is India’s largest wind farm.
  • Solar: with its sunny, cloudless skies, the Thar Desert offers ideal conditions for solar power generation. At Bhaleri solar power is used in water treatment.
13
Q

How is tourism an opportunity for development in the Thar Desert?

A

Desert safaris on camels, based at Jaisalmer, have become particularly popular with foreigners as well as wealthy Indians from elsewhere in the country. An annual Desert Festival held each winter is a popular attraction. Local people benefit by providing food and accommodation and by acting as guides or rearing and looking after the camels.

14
Q

What are the challenges for development in the Thar desert?

A
  • Water supply
  • Inaccessibility
  • Extreme temperatures
15
Q

How are extreme temperatures a challenge for development in the Thar Desert?

A
  • Working outside in the heat of the day can be very hard, especially for farmers.
  • High rates of evaporation lead to water shortages which can affect people as well as plants and animals.
  • Plants and animals have adapted to survive in the extreme heat. Some animals are nocturnal, hibernating in the cooler ground during the daytime. Livestock, such as cattle and goats,
    need shade to protect them from the intense sun.
16
Q

How is inaccessibility a challenge for development in the Thar Desert?

A

Due to the very extreme weather and the presence of vast barren areas there is a very limited road network across the Thar Desert. The high temperatures can cause the tarmac to melt and the strong winds often blow sand over the roads.
Many places are accessible only by camels, which is a traditional form of transport in the region. Public transport often involves seriously overladen buses

17
Q

How is water supply a challenge for development in the Thar Desert?

A

Water is needed in farming and agriculture, but water is a very scarce source, as the desert has low annual rainfall, high temperatures, and strong winds, which causes high rates of evaporation.

18
Q

What is desertification?

A

Desertification happens where land is gradually turned into a desert, usually on the edges of an existing desert. This can occur when land is overgrazed by livestock or stripped of vegetation by people collecting firewood. Once exposed to the weather, it is likely to crack and break up. It would then be eroded by wind and water.

19
Q

Where is desertification a problem?

A

Most of the areas at risk from desertification are on the borders of existing deserts, for example the Sahara Desert in Africa. An estimated one billion people live in the areas at risk. Desertification affects rich countries as well as poorer ones. It is a significant problem in parts of the USA, Europe (especially Spain) and Australia.

20
Q

What causes desertification?

A
  • Climate change
  • Deforestation
  • Overcultivation (taking away nutrients)
  • Overgrazing (getting rid of plants too often
21
Q

How do bunds (‘magic stones’) help to tackle desertification?

A
  • Stones are placed in lines parallel to the slope gradient
  • Helps to prevent soil erosion and the water doesn’t run over the land, but it has time to soak into the ground
22
Q

How do ponding banks help to tackle desertification?

A
  • Used to reclaim dry and unproductive land. U-shaped earth banks are constructed to trap water.
  • Improves soil condition and enables vegetation to establish
  • Used for pasture improvement
  • Water ponds are designed to catch surface run off
23
Q

How does tree planting help to tackle desertification?

A
  • Tree roots help to stabilise the soil, while their decomposing leaves add valuable nutrients
  • Reduces erosion, and binds the soil together
  • Leaves and branches provide shade
24
Q

How do efficient stoves help to tackle desertification?

A

Made locally using more available materials like clay, and burn smaller amounts of wood and charcoal

25
Q

How does renewable energy (solar power) help to tackle desertification?

A

Provides energy for cooking and other needs. No need to cut trees.

26
Q

How does renewable energy (wind power) help to tackle desertification?

A

Provides renewable energy with very low carbon emissions, tackling the problem of climate change.

27
Q

Where have bunds (‘magic stones’) been used to stop desertification?

A

In rural parts of Burkina Faso

28
Q

Where have ponding banks been used to stop desertification?

A

Farms in Australia

28
Q

Where have efficient stoves been used to stop desertification?

A

Upesi Stove in kenya, which reduces smoke levels

28
Q

Where has tree planting been used to stop desertification?

A

Thar Desert, India

28
Q

Where has renewable energy (solar power) been used to stop desertification?

A

India

29
Q

Where has renewable energy (wind power) been used to stop desertification?

A

Jaisalmer (Thar Desert, India)

GCSE AQA Geography (25 decks)

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