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
