Unit 3&4 Exam Flashcards
Definition of Environment
The living and non-living elements of the earth’s surface and atmosphere
Definition of Natural Environment
A biological community of living organisms adapted to a large natural area
Definition of Anthropogenic Environment
Refers to the ecological patterns created by interactions between humans and ecosystems
Definition of Land Cover Change
The changed that have occurred in natural environments due to natural or anthropogenic causes
Definition of Biodiversity Loss
The decline in variety, number, and range of species of plants and animals
Definition of Climate Change
The long-term changes in weather. This can include changes in rainfall, temperature, atmospheric conditions/ composition.
Definition of Sustainability
Meeting the needs of current and future generations environmental, social and economic demands.
Land Cover Change in:
- Global Forests
- Agriculture
- Urban Cover
Global Forests:
- responsible for providing oxygen, absorbing CO2, regulating temperatures, weather patterns and providing habitats.
- Forests cover 1/3rd of the earth’s surface and is rapidly declining
Agriculture:
- responsible for growing crops and raising livestock.
- 3 types: commercial, subsistence, intensive
- agricultural needs are expanding but limited unused land
Urban Cover:
- responsible for all urban areas
- covers 3% of the earths surface
- 50%+ of the earths population resides there
Impacts of:
- World Populations
- Growing Affluence
- Technology
World Populations:
- in 1800 world population had passed 1 billion
- between 1990-2000 world pop tripled
- 2007 urban pop passed rural pop
- due to mitigation, reclassification of land, growth & expansion of urban areas
- impacts: land being cleared to keep up with urban needs
Growing Affluence:
- Diets of affluent countries consist of higher levels of meat and dairy
- more agricultural land required to keep up
- more production factories to keep up with material demands
- impacts: increased methane from livestock
- impacts: increased CO2 from factories
Technology:
- industrial revolution started large scale production
- impacts: increased coal burning
The Processes of Land Cover Change
- Deforestation
- Expansion of agriculture
- Intensification of agriculture
- Rangeland modifications
- Land & soil degradation
- Irrigation
- Land Reclamation
- Urban Settlement
- Industry and mining
Process of Deforestation
- removal of forests
- done through: fires, clear cutting, logging and degradation
- 74,000-93,000km2 cleared anually
Process of Expansion of Agriculture
- increasing the amount of land available
- expanding to unused land
Process of Intensification of Agriculture
- increasing productivity already in use
- output maximised by improving labour, fertilisers, pesticide, seeds, fodder, capital and tech
Process of Rangelands Modifcations
- rangelands are where the native vegetation is found
- rangelands being cleared for urban and agricultural use
- 81% of australia is rangelands
Process of Land & Soil Degradation
- decline in the quality and health of natural land
- causes: overgrazing, excessive tillage, erosion, sediment, deposition, mining, urbansiation, disposal of industrial waste and decline of plant communitires
Process of Irrigation
- artifically method of watering plants for agriculture
- diverting water from natural water sources: streams, flooding areas, pumps
Process of Land Reclamation
- land is artifically gained from the sea
- roughly 970km2 created anually
Process of Urban Settlement
- areas being cleared and developed
- changes in land affect: heat budget, water cycle, albedo, radiation and vegetation cover
Process of Industry and Mining
- mining is one of the most imprtant industries for australia
- open cut mines are created by clearing large amounts of land
- increased CO2 in the atmosphere
Difference in population between Autralia and China
AUSTRALIA:
- 6th largest country
- 7,686,850km2
- population of 24 million
CHINA
- 4th largest country
- 9,596,960km2
- population of 1.4 billion
Difference in economies between Australia and China
AUSTRALIA:
- 12th largest economy
- GDP per capita USD$67,458
- relies on mining, agriculture and services
CHINA:
- 2nd largest economy
- GDP per capita USD$6,807
- relies on manufactured goods
Difference in Government and Economy between Australia and China
AUSTRALIA:
- 3 levels of democratically elected government
- mixed market economy
CHINA:
- has a single party government
- controlled market economy
Difference in Land Ownership between Australia and China
AUSTRALIA:
- land can be privately bought, owned and sold
CHINA:
- government owns all properties so theres no land ownership
Difference in Ideology and Culture between Australia and China
AUSTRALIA:
- society values outdoors lifestyle
- rehab plans implemented to protect outdoos
CHINA:
- value human life above animals and the environment
- little reguard for the environment
Indigenous land management practices
Fire: to clear vegatation to make it easier to travel and promote new plant growth
Caring for Country: cultural practices such as seasonal use of resources and use of fire, to achieve optimal environmental conditions.
Effects of indigenous land management practices
- protection of cultural sites
- seasonal harvesting calenders
- mapping water sources
- redusing greenhouse gases
- rention of tradions
- redusing risks of bushfires
- conservation of water sources
Spatial distribution of Rainfall
- as air cools, moisture condenses creating clouds
- close to the equator is highest amount of rain
- 2,500mm
- the further from the equator the less rain
- cause: cooler air cant cloud the water droplets
- cherrapunji 10,000m
- antartica recieves 250mm p.a.
- australia 2000-25000m p.a.
Spatial distribution of Temperature
- equator isnt the hottest region
- cause: clouds reflect heat
- sub tropic is the hottest areas
- cause: reduced clouds, more urban builds
- equitorial regions average 25C
Natural Causes of Climate Change
- Solar variations
- Earths orbit
- Atmospheric composition
- plate tectonics
- volcanic eruptions
How Solar Variations cause Climate Change
- responsible: providing heat, light and energy
- solar cycle every 11 years
- every 5.5 years is sunspots
- sunspots allow for extra radiation
How Earts Orbit cause Climate Change
- changes 47 degrees (north/south swing)
- change in earths position cause seasons
- full cycle is 26,000 years
How Atmospheric Composition causes Climate Change
- an increase in greenhouse gases causes increased temp
- increased temp causes increased greenhouse gases
- ice melt
- fires starting
How Plate Tectonics cause Climate Change
- tectonics reposition continents, shape oceans, build/destroy mountains
- plate tectonics move 2mm p.a.
- causing volcanoes
How Volcanic Eruptions cause Climate Change
- gases, dust and ash thrown into the atmosphere
- sulphur dioxide turns into sulphuric acid droplets (clouds)
- clouds keep heat in
- eventually rains acid
Anthropogenic causes of Cliamte Change
- agricultural
- urbanisation
How Agriculture causes Climate Change
- 24% of greenhouse emissions
- high amounts of methane through livestock
- in australia 66% of our methane emissions
How Urbanisation causes Climate Change
- burning fossil fuels (energy production), clearing forests (clearing land for our use)
- release greenhouse gases
- increased insolation
Geological Evidence for Climate Change
ICE CORES:
- bubbles of air trapped in the ice determines composition of atmosphere during that time
- different layers of ice
- different thickness, textures, chemical compositions
- Vostok ice core (1987) obtained by Russia, USA and France
Recent Evidence for Climate Change
OCEAN:
- argo floats measure ocean temps
- used since 1990
- aus has 346 argo floats
- MODIS measures height of sea
- since 1990 oceans around aus have incerased 0.9C
What Aspects of Land Cover is affected by Climate Change
- Vegetation
- Oceans
- Ice Sheets
- Agriculture
- Urban Settlement
- Industries
How Climate Change affects Vegetation
- increased temps stress plants
- longer, warmer seasons
- increased temps cause bushfires
- takes 100 years for post fire regrowth to balance the CO2 that was released during the fire
How Climate Change affects Oceans
- increased ocean temps cause lower O2 levels
- causing acidification
- coral and marine life dying
- increased temps increase sea levels
- 360 million people live within 10 metres of coastlines
How Climate Change affects Ice Sheets
- the land cover has declines 50% since 19th century
- increased temps melt ice
- higher sea levels
- hgiher CO2
How Climate Change affects Agriculture
- the increase in temps means increased irrigation
- more water required
How Climate Change affects Urban Settlement
- urban areas grow by 3mil weekly
- by 2050 66% of pop will live in urban areas
- increased temps higher power usage
How Climate Change affects Industries
- affects agro-industrustries, hydroelectric production, tourism and any industries that feed off these industries.
- decrease in these industries can have a multiplier effect though the economy
Land Rehabilitiation of Mining Sites
- landscaping
- pre-ripping
- soil returned
- ripping
- recalcitrant planting
- fertiliser
- monitoring
Global Strategies for Cliamte Change
- reforestation
- renewable energy
Types of Renerable Energy
- wind power
- hydro energy
- carban capture
Local Strategies for Cliamte Change
- pollutant traps (manhole filters)
- fishing line bins
- cage walls
Adaptions to Climate Change
- genetically modified organisms
- land reclamation
Defintion of Urbanisation
a population shift from rural to urban areas and the way in which society adapts to the change
Definition of Level of Urbanisation
the percentage of people living in urban areas at a point in time
Definition of Process of urbanisation
refers to the reasons for the increase in urbanisation in a country/region
Economic and Environmental Interdependance
ECONOMIC
- agricultural products sold
- money and investment aid
ENVIRONMENTAL
- rural areas rely on support from urban areas to maintain our food supply
Definition of Urban Sprawl
rapid outgrowth of low density development on the edge of an urban area.
Butler and Aubin Grove
Definition of Land use Competition
process that contol which funtion obtains the use of an area.
large profit companies buying in the CBD
Definition of Agglomeration
grouping together of similar functions.
Kwinana Industrial Area
Challenges Facing Rural Areas
- population loss
- isolation/remoteness
- changing economy
- social vulnerability
- resource degradation
- land use conflict
- declining politcal influence
Challenges Facing Perth and NYC
- housing
- urban sprawl
- transport
- congestion
- economy
- socio-spatial inequality
- land abandonment
- changing demographics
- waste management
- environmental degradation
Internal Morphology of Perth
- multi-nuclei model
- types of functional zones
- central business district
- inner mixed zone
- established residential zone
- newer growth zones
- outer business districts
- industrial zones
- rural urban fringe
- special purpose zones
Internal Morphology of NYZ
- multicellular city
- types of functional zones
- central business district
- inner mixed zone
- established residential zone
- newer growth zones
- outer business districts
- industrial zones
- rural urban fringe
- special purpose zones
CBD of Perth
- grid-style streets, high-density buildings, high-rise buildings
- located on the north of the Swan River
- main functions are commercial and administrative
IMZ of Perth
- residential, commercial, recreational/entertainment, light industry, transport and administrative
- compared to the CBD - greater accessibility, higher ability for expansion, cheaper land values and reduced traffic congestion
- Northbridge
IZ of Perth
- far from the CBD
- cheaper land
- buffering between iz and residential
- Kwinana Industrial area
ERZ of Perth
- older suburbs
- larger lots
- older/wealthier demographic
- Victoria Park
NGZ of Perth
- newer suburbs
- small lots/ apartment buildings
- younger demographic
- Cockburn Central
OBD of Perth
- located along major transport routes
- Mitchell Freeway
- create jobs out of the CBD that was more accessible.
- dominant function is retail
- Galleria in Joondalup
RUF of Perth
- located on the outer edge of the metropolitan
- characterised by having a mixed land use
- Wanneroo
SPZ of Perth
- distributed randomly with no pattern
- Perth airport
