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Geography > 8. Cold Environments > Flashcards

8. Cold Environments Flashcards

1
Q

What is a cold environment?

A
  • environments that experience zero or subzero temperatures for long periods of time
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2
Q

What are the characteristics of polar cold environments?

A
  • can reach -50 degrees in winter
  • have low precipitation
  • most soil is permanently frozen
  • some plants such as mosses and lichens
  • Polar bears have thick fur, layer of fat to keep warm and a black nose and footpads to absorb heat
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3
Q

What are characteristics of Tundra Cold Environments?

A
  • winter temperatures reach -20 degrees
  • brief summers can be warm
  • high precipiation in coastal regions
  • low growing plants and some low bushes and small trees in hotter places
  • soils are in permafrost and infertile due to water draining through taking away nutrients
  • arctic fox and hare live here
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4
Q

What are 4 ways vegetation adapts to cold environments?

A
  • flowering and seed formation is short so reproduction can happen in small summers
  • plants are low growing and cushion like to insulate them
  • hairy stems help keep plants warm
  • thin, waxy leaves reduce water loss
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5
Q

What are the 5 ways a bearberry (tundra) plant adapts to the environment?

A
  1. very low growing so it can survive strong winds
  2. stems have thick bark for stability in windy condition
  3. small leathery leaves help retain water in dry environment
  4. hairy stems help retain heat and keep plant safe from low temperatures
  5. bright red berries attract animals to eat them which disperses seeds
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6
Q

Where is Svalbard + Gen Info?

A
  • Norwegian Territory in Arctic Ocean close to Greenland
  • main town of Longyearbyen (2700 people)
  • no trees, 60% glacier, rest is Tundra
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7
Q

What are the 4 opportunities for development in Svalbard?

A
  1. Mineral Extraction
  2. Energy Developments
  3. Fishing
  4. Tourism
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8
Q

How is mineral extraction an opportunity for development for Svalbard?

A
  • rich reserves of coal
  • coal mining is main economic activity
  • 300 people employed (decline due to lower world coal prices)
  • 2014 new mine was opened near Svea
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9
Q

How is energy development an opportunity for development for Svalbard?

A
  • coal mined on Svalbard is burned in a power station on Longyearbyen
  • supplies all of Svalbards needs (Norways only coal powered station)
  • environmentalists disagree wit it
  • future energy source is most likely geothermal (earths crust is thin and hot rocks are close)
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10
Q

How is fishing an opportunity for development for Svalbard?

A
  • Barents Sea (south of Svalbard) is rich for fishing
  • 150 species of fish however can be easily damaged by pollution
  • important breeding ground for fish
  • controlled by Russia and Norway to make sure fishing is sustainable
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11
Q

How is tourism an opportunity for development for Svalbard?

A
  • tourism to Svalbard is growing (people are seeking extreme environments)
  • 70,000 people visited in 2011 and 30,000 were cruise passengers (Longyearbyen)
  • provides 300 jobs for the economy
  • harbour has been enlarged for larger ships
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12
Q

What are the 4 challenges for development in Svalbard?

A
  • extreme temperatures
  • provision of buildings
  • infrastructure
  • inaccessibility
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13
Q

How does extreme temperature pose a challenge to Svalbard

A
  • winter temperatures can be below -30 degrees
  • extreme temperatures make it dangerous to work with risk of frostbite
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14
Q

How does provision of buildings pose a challenge to Svalbard

A
  • working outdoors in extreme temperatures and limited light in winter is extremely demanding
  • as a result most construction work is carried out in summer
  • permafrost has to be protected from melting as the foundations can be insecure otherwise (global warming)
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15
Q

How does infrastructure pose a challenge to Svalbard

A
  • pipes are overground to prevent them causing thawing of permafrost
  • easy maintenance
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16
Q

How does inaccessibility pose a challenge to Svalbard

A
  • it is a remote place, reachable by plane or ship
  • one airport close by can handle internation flights
  • most people use snowmobiles
17
Q

Why are cold environments fragile?

A
  • they are fragile because they have a delicate ecosystem that can be easily damaged and can take time to recover from damage due to humans
18
Q

What has off-road driving done to Alaska?

A
  • mostly takes place in summer
  • melts the upper surface of the soil making it soggy
  • damage extends as more people avoid muddly pools and damage more areas
  • takes decades to recover
19
Q

How can cold environments be harmed by economic development?

A
  • some cold environments have rich reserves of precious materials (e.g oil and gas)
  • to extract these a lot of damage is done(housing, infrastructure etc.)
20
Q

What are 5 reasons why cold environments need protecting?

A
  • many indignous people live here
  • cold environments are home to many birds, animals and plants which need to be protected
  • unpolluted and unspoilt environments are necessary for scientific research
  • their beauty is a major tourist attraction
  • provide opportunities for forestry and fishing
21
Q

What are 3 ways risk to cold environments can be reduced?

A
  • use of technology
  • action by conservation groups
  • action by governments
22
Q

How can the use of technology (Trans-Alaskan Pipeline) reduce risk to cold environments?

A
  • oil was discovered in Alaska and sea ice prevented transport by tanker
  • trans alaskan pipeline was built:
  • it passes beneath rivers to minimise effect on landscape
  • it is raised and insulated to stop heat escaping and melting permafrost
  • flow of oil stops automatically in the event of a leak
  • it is raised so animals can go underneath
23
Q

What can governments do to reduce risk to cold environments? (Alaska, Antarctic Treaty)

A
  • Natural Environmental Policy Act - ensures companies who extract oil protect environment and acknowledge environment (ALAKSA)
  • protected wilderness for animals called Western Arctic Reserve (ALASKA)
  • controls tourism and keeps disturbance to a minimum (ANTARCTIC TREATY)
  • recognises importance of area for research (ANTARCTIC TREATY)
24
Q

What can conservation groups do to reduce risk to cold environments?

A
  • work with local communities to manage critical ecosystems
  • work with oil companies and legislators to plan sustainable future
  • support scientific research

Geography (19 decks)

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