🟣End Of Years - Population And The Environment

Question 1

Describe population and the environemnt

Answer 1

Population and the environment inextricably linked. They’re not separate entities. Population needs environmental resources and the state of environment dependent of population.

Ability of a place to support a population depends on its ability to provide adequate food and supply

Question 2

How does climate effect food production?

Answer 2

Most influential
Amount / frequency of precipitation (wet/dry seasons)
Temperatures (10-36°C) = most effective crop yield
Light intensity = incoming radiation / photosynthesis
Winds = effects rate of evapotranspiration / process of pollination / seed dispersion

Overall effects type/yields of crops to be grown

Question 3

How does soil effect food production?

Answer 3

Chemical = nutrient density / pH
Physical = texture / structure / density

Both effect soil fertile

Question 4

Polar climate distribution

Answer 4

Located between 66.5°N (the Arctic Circle) and the North Pole and 66.5°S

Northern hemisphere = Northern Russia, Greenland, and Northern Canada

Southern Hemisphere = Antarctica

Question 5

Tropical monsoon distribution

Answer 5

Tropical monsoon climates are most commonly found in South and Central America. However, there are sections of South Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa (particularly West and Central Africa), the Caribbean, North America, and Australia that also feature this climate.

Question 6

Polar climate and population numbers

Answer 6

Because there are very low temperatures, violently strong winds and the ground is often frozen solid. This makes building houses very difficult and farming difficult, also due to its remoteness imports are more difficult.

Low density in polar areas (4 people per km2)

Question 7

Why are temperate climates more inhabited?

Answer 7

Soil quality and nutrient content is better making food production and farming is more able to thrive.
Less susceptible to natural hazards such as tropical storms.
More mild weather - less extremes.

Question 8

Temperature and farming

Answer 8

Heat waves can cause heat stress in both animals and plants and have a negative impact on food production. Extreme periods of high temperature are particularly harmful for crop production if they occur when the plants are flowering – if this single, critical stage is disrupted, there may be no seeds at all.

Colder weather can decrease plant enzyme activity. This then disrupts plant nutrient intake because plants secrete enzymes to digest surrounding materials for soil. Consequently, this can stunt growth or more severely cause them to die.

Question 9

Precipitation and farming

Answer 9

Rainfall can also determine how fast a crop will grow from seed, including when it will be ready for harvesting.

Determines the types of crops grown.
(Eg. Rice fields in Bangladesh need lots of water)
(Eg. Carrots, beetroot, parsnips and other root crops are relatively drought tolerant)

Question 10

Natural resources and population

Answer 10

Natural resources ​are needed for a population to grow and be supported. A clean ​water supply ​is needed for hygiene, sanitation, agriculture, and drinking. Before there were means of transporting natural resources (and in some places this is still the case), materials for shelter, fuel etc. had to be sourced locally. Populations cannot be supported without access to these important resources.

Question 11

Describe the global daily per capita caloric supply (2013)

Answer 11

Europe / NAmerica / Australia are regions that have more than 3,000 calories

SAmerica / NAsia = 2,500 to 3,000 calories

Africa = lowest and have the most variation (less than 2,000)
SAsia also has less than 2,000

Question 12

Food supply by world region in kilocalories per head per day (1961-2011)

Answer 12

Overall trend they all have an increase in food supply.

NAmerica decrease after 2005 it plateaued.

Asia increased the most on average.

Now theres a more even spread and less variation of caloric supply,

Question 13

How do polar climates making building difficult?

Answer 13

It is difficult to ​build ​buildings and infrastructure due to the frozen ground (​permafrost​). This surface will easily ​crack​, is hard to build into, and can also ​melt ​when temperatures fluctuate, leaving developments unstable. Populations have had to ​adapt when developing their communities, such as building their houses on ​stilts ​to avoid the frost, or building on large slabs of ​concrete​.

Question 14

How does global warming effect farming in polar regions

Answer 14

Global warming is causing areas of ​permafrost to decrease ​and temperatures to rise, meaning ​arable land in polar climates (or at least subpolar climates) is increasing. Human activities are therefore changing in these areas, with arable farming becoming a more attainable source of food in some regions.

Question 15

Farming and permafrost in polar regions

Answer 15

When ice-rich permafrost thaws, the resulting subsidence can cause equipment problems, waterlogged fields, infrastructure damage and loss of topsoil.

It can be difficult for plant roots to penetrate through permafrost.

Question 16

Why are levels of productivity low in polar climates?

Answer 16

The high albedo: In areas of continuous snow cover, much of the incoming solar radiation is reflected off the ice/snow surface. This reduces the amount that can actually contribute to the warming of the atmosphere.

The high pressure systems of polar regions means that frontal systems rarely penetrate these areas, giving low levels of precipitation.

The coolness of the air is another factor in low precipitation. Very cold air can only hold low levels of water vapour. When precipitation occurs it is often little more than very light powdery snow

Katabatic winds: In Antarctica, masses of cold dense air flow down the valleys and off upland areas. Such movements are known as katabatic and are strong in Antarctica where there is a real difference between the interior and coastal areas. With few obstacles to hinder air movement, such winds can exceed 200 km/hr.

Cold temperatures - link to permafrost. Soil is covered in ice throughout the year. Plants (lichen / moss) survive the harsh conditions. Animals - polar bears live in the arctic and penguins live in the Antarctic. Whales, seals and snowy owls.

Question 17

Case study - polar climates

Answer 17

Arable farming in Alaska - Tim Meyers
Mostly root vegetables (spinach/cabbage/rhubarb/cauliflower)
Farming type = normadic pastoralism

Question 18

Case study - polar climate limitations

Answer 18

Short growing season / permafrost / snow cover in winter / low temperature / blizzard / low precipitation.
Due to climate = short growing season / poor soil

Question 19

Case study - polar climate farming methods

Answer 19

Arable farming - root vegetables
Composting / irrigation / field preparation / seeding

Question 20

Case study - polar climates sustainability of farming

Answer 20

Seeding - underground in heated space or polytunnels

Compost - organic fish slurry -now uses mainly chicken manure in winter - brings biological life to the soil
Raised beds and tunnels mitigate cold temperatures and short growing season

Underground root cellar extends lifespan of the harvest

Fields are prepped over a 2 year period - Tundra is cleared allowing the soil to thaw and slurry/manure added and then planting can take place

Question 21

Case study - tropical climate

Answer 21

Bangladesh (Very high, most densely popuated areas in the world).

Temperature doesn’t fluctate largely between 25-30
Rainfall varies greatly. Minimal rainfall between the months of november and April. Rainfall increases in May and largely increases between the months of june and july to around 1000mm of rain compared to the 200 experienced in may and the 25-50mm in April. Starts to decrease in august to around 600mm and falls more in September and October to around 250-400mm

Question 22

Case study - tropical climates farming advantages

Answer 22

Agriculture ​is based around monsoon seasons, and it can be very beneficial for crops such as ​rice​.
Paddy fields are concentrated within monsoonal Asia, as the wet seasons bring ​waterlogged land that is perfect for growing ​semiaquatic rice​. The intense rain also partially contributes to the ​flat land​, as the flooding has created smooth floodplains. Due to the large agricultural industry that has developed within these regions, commercial rice fields ​that use ​irrigation​ ​sourced from wetter regions have developed.

Question 23

Case study - tropical climates (role of monsoons)

Answer 23

A late monsoon or one that ends too early will condemn large stretches of agricultural land to drought. There’ll be widespread crop failure and thousands will perish.

When there’s too much water from the rainy monsoons, severe floods occur, destroying both crops and lives disrupting many communications.

Monsoons effect mans way of life more than any other climate.

Question 24

Climate change affects on agriculture

Answer 24

The majority of the world will suffer from ​yield declines.

Question 25

How is climate changed caused by farming

Answer 25

Cattle farming = huge amounts of methane

Trees cut down and burnt ti clear land for farming

Farming machinery and vehicles add to carbon

Footprint

Ploughing fields fields

GMC’s splicing effects ecosystems

Question 26

Climate change - higher temperatures

Answer 26

Scientific research shows that the climate - that is, the average temperature of the planet’s surface - has risen by 0.89 °C from 1901 to 2012. Compared with climate change patterns throughout Earth’s history, the rate of temperature rise since the Industrial Revolution is extremely high.

Question 27

Climate change - changing rainfall

Answer 27

There have been observed changes in precipitation, but not all areas have data over long periods. Rainfall has increased in the mid-latitudes of the northern hemisphere since the beginning of the 20th century. There are also changes between seasons in different regions. For example, the UK’s summer rainfall is decreasing on average, while winter rainfall is increasing. There is also evidence that heavy rainfall events have become more intensive, especially over North America.

Question 28

Climate change - changes in nature

Answer 28

Changes in the seasons (such as the UK spring starting earlier, autumn starting later) are bringing changes in the behaviour of species, for example, butterflies appearing earlier in the year and birds shifting their migration patterns.

Question 29

Climate change - sea level rises

Answer 29

Since 1900, sea levels have risen by about 10 cm around the UK and about 19 cm globally, on average. The rate of sea-level rise has increased in recent decades.

Question 30

Climate change - retreating glaciers

Answer 30

Glaciers all over the world - in the Alps, Rockies, Andes, Himalayas, Africa and Alaska - are melting and the rate of shrinkage has increased in recent decades.

Question 31

Climate change - Sea ice and Ice sheets

Answer 31

Sea ice
Arctic sea-ice has been declining since the late 1970s, reducing by about 4%, or 0.6 million square kilometres (an area about the size of Madagascar) per decade. At the same time Antarctic sea-ice has increased, but at a slower rate of about 1.5% per decade.

Ice sheets
The Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, which between them store the majority of the world’s fresh water, are both shrinking at an accelerating rate.

Question 32

Climate change - farming adaptations

Answer 32

Developed in 2010, an approach including policies, concepts and investment framework to support agriculture.
Climate smart agriculture (CSA) - key to food security.
Increasing profits for farmers.
How to reduce the impacts of agriculture on climate change and gloval warming.

Climate cahnge effects the most vulnerable population, CSA helps reduce the effects of food insecurity for the more vulnerable people and countries.
IPCC report says climate change will effect everyone but primarily the most vulnerable populations as they wont be able to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change as well as other populations.