Fragile Environments

Question 1

What is a fragile environment?

Answer 1

An environment vulnerable to change which struggles to recover from said change, whether naturally or artificially induced

Question 2

What is an ecosystem?

Answer 2

A system with complex and dependent interactions between living and non-living things

Question 3

What is a biome?

Answer 3

A collection of similar ecosystems

Question 4

What is the distribution of tropical rainforests?

Answer 4

• Found very close to the equator, with over 6% of the earth being covered by them
• Specific places include Brazil, Thailand and the DRC

Question 5

What is the climate of tropical rainforests?

Answer 5

• Very hot (27-30 degrees)
• Wet (2000-3000mm)
• Accomodates more than half of worlds species

Question 6

What is the distribution of hot deserts?

Answer 6

• 30 degrees north and south of the equator (though not directly on the equator)
• They cover 1/5 of the worlds land
• Specific places include the Saharah desert in Niger, Chad, Libya etc. and the Arabian desert

Question 7

What is the climate of hot deserts?

Answer 7

• Extreme heat during the day (50 degrees), but very cold in the night (0 degrees)
• Extremely dry (less than 250mm)

Question 8

What is the distribution of tundra biomes?

Answer 8

• 60-70 degrees north of the equator
• There are very few found south due to the lack of land in this area
• Specific places include Canada and Russia

Question 9

What is the climate of tundra biomes?

Answer 9

• Extremely long, dark and cold winters (constantly below zero), though warm summers
• Very little rainfall (200mm per year - less than desert) due to low temperatures so little evaporation, but snow and ice provide some ground moisture
• Often little vegetation due to freezing temperatures

Question 10

How and why does latitude affect temperature?

Answer 10

• The further away from the equator, the colder it is
• This is because the infrared radiation from the rays of the sun are able to hit the equator much more directly and more concentratedly, but as the earth curves away from the equator, the sun rays become more and more diffuse resulting in colder temperatures

Question 11

What causes the climate of tropical rainforests?

Answer 11

• Very hot as they are located on the equator
• The heat causes all of the moisture on the ground to evaporate
• The air will cool and condense as it rises (low pressure), eventually falling over the rainforest and causing heavy rainfall

The humidity and water orginates from the dense vegetation and their transpiration

Question 12

What causes the climate of hot deserts?

Answer 12

• The air which rose over the equator is now dry as precipitation has just occured
• It will therefore be blown to either side as part of the Hadley cell, where it falls (high pressure)
• This means that the deserts will be very dry as the descending air contains no moisture, but still hot due to their proximity to the equator
• The lack of vegetation and humidity in the air means very little heat is stored during the day, so nights are very cold

Question 13

What are the four natural causes of climate change?

Answer 13

• The eruption theory
• The sunspot theory
• The cosmic materials theory
• The orbital theory (Milankovitch theory)

Question 14

What is the eruption theory?

Answer 14

• Volcanic eruptions produce large amounts of ash and sulphur dioxide, spreading out in the atmosphere and reflecting sunlight
• This reduction can cool temperatures by 0.5-1 degrees

Question 15

What is the cosmic materials theory?

Answer 15

• Large celestial bodies hit the earth every 50000 years, causing huge amounts of dust to cover the sky
• The ash and dust block sunlight, causing cooler temperatures

Question 16

What is the sunspot theory?

Answer 16

• The sun’s output fluctuates, evidenced by darker spots present on the sun’s surface indicative of a higher concentration of solar activity
• This area of higher concentration can be directed to earth, causing localised or global temperatue increases overtime

Question 17

What is the orbital/Milankovitch theory?

Answer 17

• The earth’s orbital patterns change overtime, causing times when the earth was closer to the sun, tilting towards the sun or vice versa
• This can cause changes in the concentration of sun which reaches the earth, causing changes in temperature

Question 18

What is the difference between global warming and climate change?

Answer 18

• Global warming is the increase in temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere, and is caused anthropogenically
• Climate change refers more broadly to long term shifts in global temperatures and weather patterns and can be attributed to both natural of human causes

Question 19

What are the main greenhouse gases and their sources?

Answer 19

• Carbon dioxide - Burning fossil fuels through industry, energy production and transport, deforestation
• Methane - Decaying organic waste, melting permafrost, cows
• Nitrous oxides - Burning fossil fuels, fertilisers
• CFCs - Aerosols, coolants

Methane has 30x the potency as a greenhouse gas compared to carbon dioxide

Question 20

What are the impacts of rising sea levels?

Answer 20

• Caused by melting glaciers and thermal expansion
• Low lying areas may be flooded - large urban areas
• Greater beach erosion
• Coastal ecosystems such as mangrove swamps may collapse

Question 21

What are the impacts of more climate-change induced hazards?

Answer 21

• Length and frequency of droughts increases, leading to wildfires
• More tropical cyclones and general storms increase, causing more damage
• When permafrost holding ice together melts, landslides can occur

Question 22

What are the impacts of climate change on our health and wellbeing?

Answer 22

• Higher temperatures increase rates of heat strokes, causing more deaths
• Diseases can spread more easily through hot, stagnant air and a lack of rainfall
• Places further north are seeing tropical diseases like malaria spreading
• Malnutrition and dehydration from droughts and famines

Question 23

What are the impacts of climate change on the supply of food?

Answer 23

• Climate conditions may become unsuitable in many regions such as too dry or hot (desertification)
• Many arable areas may be flooded
• Limited water from droughts means less irrigation
• This leads to malnutrition and famine, and food prices surging worldwide

Question 24

What are the impacts of climate change on settlement patterns?

Answer 24

• Settlements in flooded areas or areas where the conditions have become unbearable will see a drop in population
• Other areas will become flooded by people, seeing overpopulation, unemployment and squatter settlements in these regions

Question 25

What are the impacts of climate change on employment opportunities?

Answer 25

* Tourism may decline such as in snowy areas leading to job losses * Farmers in certain areas may lose their jobs * People in flooded areas will lose their jobs

Question 26

What are the impacts of climate change on ecosystems?

Answer 26

* Location of biomes may shift north and south * Ecosystems collapse as species migrate due to unbearable temperatures * Ocean acidification leads to coral bleaching

Question 27

What has the UK done to mitigate climate change?

Answer 27

* Signed Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement and set out a net-zero strategy in 2021 * Promoted electric cars and banned diesel cars by 2035 * Investment in heat pumps to replace boilers * Encouraging walking and cycling, and educating people in schools, encouraging people to insulate and use less energy ## Footnote The Kyoto Protocol of 1997 called for developed countries to reduce carbon emissions

Question 28

What has the UK done to adapt to climate change?

Answer 28

* Improved their flood defences such as the Thames Barrier * Increasing defenses against coastal erosion * Change building design to accomodate for higher temperatures * Wildfire and heatwave plans

Question 29

What has the Maldives done to mitigate climate change?

Answer 29

* Become net-zero by using renewable energy sources * Educated their population about climate change * Encouraged walking instead of driving etc.

Question 30

What has the Maldives done to adapt to climate change?

Answer 30

* Floating islands which are high enough to not be affected by sea level * Soft engineering in the form of building the island upwards * Sea walls to prevent coastal flooding and erosion

Question 31

What is desertification?

Answer 31

The gradual loss of water, vegetation and *fertility* from land leading to the formation of deserts

Question 32

What are the natural causes of desertification?

Answer 32

* Changing rainfall patterns can cause a lack of water and therefore drought * Drought can cause soil erosion, which leads to a loss of nutrients in soil * This, along with a general lack of water leads to lower vegetation cover and fertility * Any rain that does fall is in short bursts, resulting in a high surface runoff and more soil erosion ## Footnote A loss of vegetation can lead to less nutrients as less are returned to the soil, reducing fertility

Question 33

What are the human causes of desertification?

Answer 33

* Overgrazing leading to reduced vegetation cover * Overcultivation leading to soil erosion and nutrient depletion * Deforestaiton leading to the loss of stabilising roots and therefore soil erosion * Population growth and migration puts pressure in certain areas to do the above activities

Question 34

What are the impacts of desertification?

Answer 34

* Reduced crop growth and biodiversity due to less water, soil erosion, and nutrients in soil being depleted leading to lower agricultural output * This can lead to widespread malnutrition and famine, poverty for farmers, and increased food prices * Migration occurs to arable areas, increasing strain on the ecosystem in this area and causing human conflict

Question 35

What are the different ways in which desertification can be managed

Answer 35

* Farming methods can be changed, for example hydroponics which does not contribute to soil erosion and does not rely on soil quality can be used * Educating people on suitable farming methods * Afforestation, such as the Green Wall, which helps to stabilise and increase the nutrients in soil as well as inrease biodiversity to reduce soil erosion * Methods such as contour stones can be employed which stem the flow of water, increase infiltration and reduce flooding in order to prevent soil erosion

Question 36

How can water-resource shortages be managed?

Answer 36

* Construction of desalination plants or groundwater pumps * Using farming methods which do not require as much water, such as vertical farming * Planting vegetation which is suited to arid environments which require less watering * Ponding banks can be constructed which are areas of farmland surrounded by dirt walls to help conserve water and improve fertility

Question 37

What are the causes of deforestation?

Answer 37

* Commercial timber extraction for use in construction and as fuelwood * Clearance of forests for agriculture * Clearance of areas surrounding mineral deposits for mining * Clearance of forests for building roads, which is a result of resource mining and population growth * Hydroelectric power flooding the areas upstream and causing uprooting and soil erosion as well as the clearance of trees for construction * Clearance of forests for settlements as a result of an expanding population * Conflagrations (natural cause) or artificial fires for the clearance of forests ## Footnote Deforestation is primarily occuring in the rainforests within Brazil, the DRC and Indonesia (Borneo)

Question 38

What are the environmental impacts of deforestation?

Answer 38

* Soil erosion through loss of soil stability, rain washing it away and a loss of nutrients * Interception and absorbtion of rainfall decreases leading to land flooding which contributes to soil erosion and sediment build up in rivers - this results in a loss of biodiversity in rivers and further increases the risk of flooding * Subsequent loss of biodiversity in the area lacking nutrients, especially since agriculture which may replace the forests are monoculture * Accelerated climate change as burning trees releases carbon dioxide as well how the amount of carbon dioxide absorbtion decreases due to there being fewer trees

Question 39

What are the social and economic impacts of deforestation?

Answer 39

* Economic development in the countries responsible occurs as jobs are created, natural resources are exported and the agricultural industry proliferates * Sources of medicine can be lost * The livelihoods and cultures of indigenous communities are disrupted and broken as crop growth is reduced, flooding is more frequent and they may be displaced

Question 40

How can deforestation be managed?

Answer 40

* Selective logging can be used to reduce the number of trees cut down while preserving younger trees, and heli-logging can be used to precisely extract logs without causing damage * HICs can promise to reduce LICs's debt provided they protect rainforests * Make sections of rainforests national parks so logging is illegal - these areas can then be used for financial benefit in the form of tourism * Afforestation (replanting) * International restrictions on the sale of certain hardwoods can be introduced, and alternative energy sources such as solar/wind can be introduced to reduce the need for fuelwood * Agroforests can occur where trees are planted alongside crops so allow agriculture and the economic benefit to continue (as fertility is increased) while reducing the number of trees that need to be felled ## Footnote Be precise with answers and refer to specific countries - it might be a good idea to make up names of initiatives too