Deserts and Desertification

Question 1

What is Desertification?

Answer 1

The processes by which an area of land and it’s soil becomes degraded and unproductive

Question 2

What are the mining Opportunities in the Western Desert?

Answer 2

The largest Opencast Copper and Uranium mine is in Ajo Arizona

Question 3

What socioeconomic opportunities are presented?

Answer 3

Coachella - Music Festival £115m per year

Question 4

What energy Opportunities are there?

Answer 4

£50m in Oil in Arizona

100,000 Homes

360 Jobs

HEP - Hoover Dam

Question 5

What tourism Opportunities are there?

Answer 5

• Las Vegas - £9Bn A year
• Grand Canyon
• Lake Mead
• Hoover Dam

Question 6

What climate challenges are posed in the desert?

Answer 6

45*C temperatures can effect a business’ carrying capacity

Question 7

What accessibility challenges are posed in the desert?

Answer 7

Lack of roads, remote landscape, low population density

Question 8

How does the water crisis effect the development of business in the Western Desert?

Answer 8

Aquifers (Underground water) are excessively exploited.

30 million rely on the Colorado river

Question 9

What is a desert fringe?

Answer 9

The Border of a hot desert

Question 10

How frequent is drought in Darfur?

Answer 10

1 in 5 years

Question 11

How many people were killed in Darfur’s conflict?

Answer 11

250,000 Killed

Question 12

Why is Darfur in Sudan desertified?

Answer 12

War

Question 13

How many people live in poverty in the Sahel?

Answer 13

50 Million

Question 14

What are the human causes of deforestation? (3 O’s)

Answer 14

Overcultivation
Overgrazing
Overpopulation

Question 15

What is appropriate technology?

Answer 15

When technology is used and developed that is suited to the needs, skills, knowledge, resources and wealth of local people in the environment in which they live

Question 16

What are Bunds?

Answer 16

Small stone slopes placed parallel to a slope to prevent surface runoff and to allow interception

Prevents soil erosion

Question 17

What is Aforestation?

(Great Green Wall)

Answer 17

Planting a long wall of trees can:
- Protect soil from sun
- Interception
- Shades Crop
- Littered Leaves provide nutrients to soil

Question 18

Give examples of appropriate technology?

Answer 18

Solar Stoves
- 3 bricks

Question 19

Where are deserts located?

Answer 19

Primarily in the tropics of cancer and capricorn

Question 20

What is a diurnal temperature range?

Answer 20

High range of temperatures in one day

Question 21

How have camels adapted to the desert?

Answer 21

large fat store for quick release energy

Question 22

How do cacti prevent water loss?

Answer 22

The leaves of cactus is modified into spines or needle like leaves to conserve water by minimising transpiration

Question 23

How do cacti prevent predation?

Answer 23

Spikes deter predators

Question 24

How do cacti thrive with such low rainfall?

Answer 24

Widespread roots maximise water uptake?

Question 25

How many mm of rainfall do deserts see annually?

Answer 25

250mm

Question 26

What is the temperature range of the desert?

Answer 26

0-50*C

Question 27

What is an Aquifer?

Answer 27

Underground water source

Question 28

Why is the Sahel at risk?

Answer 28

50 Million Vulnerable people live in the Sahel

Question 29

Where is an example of desertification in the Sahel?

Answer 29

Darfur, Sudan

Question 30

How many people died in Darfur in 2003?

Answer 30

250,000

Question 31

How frequent is drought in Darfur?

Answer 31

1 in 5 years

Question 32

How is conflict-based desertification a cycle in Darfur?

Answer 32

People must rebuild their homes after war, each one requires 40 trees - deforestation, soil erosion

Question 33

What is the Great Green Wall?

Answer 33

A 8,000km Wall of Trees that shades ground and provides interception to prevent surface runoff

Question 35

What are the causes of desertification?

Answer 35

Population Increase - Increased Footfall and high birth rates

Over Cultivation - Soil Loves Nutrients

Over-Grazing - Cows graze excessively causing land resources to exhaust