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Geography > Living World (COLD ENVIRONMENTS) > Flashcards

Living World (COLD ENVIRONMENTS) Flashcards

1
Q

What is a cold environment?

A

A region experiencing sustained below freezing temperatures

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2
Q

Where are cold environments located?

A

High latitudes, polar regions

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3
Q

Polar

A

Areas surrounding poles, eg. Antarctica or Greenland

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4
Q

Tundra

A
  • High latitude
  • Low temperatures
  • Short growing seasons
  • Permafrost
  • Eg. Canada, Russia
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5
Q

Alpine

A
  • Cold
  • Mountainous
  • Snowy conditions
  • Warmer summers
  • Eg. Himalayas and Alps
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6
Q

Characteristics of CLIMATE in POLAR environments

A
  • Temperatures consistently below 0 for most of the year

- Very little precipitation

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7
Q

Characteristics of SOILS in POLAR environments

A
  • Soils lack nutrients
  • Constantly frozen
  • Or covered in thick ice sheets
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8
Q

Characteristics of PLANTS in POLAR environments

A
  • Mosses and lichens are most prevalent plants

- Poor soils make if difficult for plants to grow

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9
Q

Characteristics of ANIMALS in POLAR environments

A
  • Highly adapted to life
  • Antarctica has very little life, eg. Small insects
  • Southern oceans are full of wildlife
  • Arctic has polar bears
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10
Q

Characteristics of PEOPLE in POLAR environments

A
  • 4 million people living in the Arctic
  • No permanent residents in Antarctica
  • Life is heavily influenced by living conditions, eg. Temperature, lack of biodiversity
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11
Q

Characteristics of CLIMATE in TUNDRA environments

A
  • Temperatures less extreme than polar
  • May reach above freezing during summer
  • Growing season is short
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12
Q

Characteristics of SOILS in TUNDRA environments

A
  • Nutrient poor
  • Permafrost
  • During summer, permafrost can melt making soil waterlogged
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13
Q

Characteristics of PEOPLE in TUNDRA environments

A
  • More residents than polar

- Lives are still influenced by cold environment

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14
Q

Characteristics of ANIMALS in TUNDRA environments

A
  • Greater biodiversity than polar
  • More diverse wildlife
  • More developed food chains
  • Foxes, hares, birds, insects, etc
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15
Q

Characteristics of PLANTS in TUNDRA environments

A
  • Generally LOW GROWING flowering plants, eg. moss, grass, flowers, etc
  • Generally too cold for trees
  • Plant life is NOT nutrient rich, due to lack of nutrients in soils
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16
Q

How have some animals adapted to cold environments?

A
  • Thick insulating fur
  • Layers of fat
  • Behavioural altercations, eg. Hibernation, migration#
17
Q

How have some plants adapted to cold environments?

A
  • Grow low to the ground to reduce exposure to winds
  • Flowering and seeding occurs in short time periods
    (within very short summers)
  • Water loss reduced by waxy leaves
  • Hairy stems for insulation
18
Q

How are cold environments fragile?

A
  • Small changes to environment can have detrimental impacts on it
  • Due to them being highly adapted to the harsh environment
  • They can take a very long time to recover from disruption
19
Q

Why does being highly adapted make cold environments fragile?

A
  • Being highly adapted to specific conditions
  • Means change in ecosystem makes it more difficult for organism to cope with changes
  • So are therefore fragile
20
Q

Why does a slow nutrient cycle make cold environments fragile?

A
  • Being nutrient deprived means growth is slow

- So when an ecosystem is damaged, recovery and restoration is very slow

21
Q

Why does a lack of biodiversity make cold environments fragile?

A
  • Food chains are limited and species depend on each other
  • So if a species is removed or damaged, it spreads throughout the entire chain
  • Affecting every aspect of the eco system
22
Q

Why should we protect cold environments?

A
  • Very important areas of scientific research
  • Accurate readings of temperature, cloud cover, etc, WITHOUT the influence of human activity is very important
  • Endangered species and fragile ecosystems
  • Developments would be of high risk and complicated. Would cause damage to environment, as well as it being very expensive
23
Q

How can we balance development with conservation in cold environments?

A
  • Using technology to minimise environmental impact
  • Government intervention such as implementation of environmental laws
  • International agreements to regulate actions of many countries
  • Conservation groups who campaign and research to protect environments
24
Q

How can we use technology to protect the environment?

A

Technology can be used to ensure economic development does not come at the EXPENSE of environmental conservation

  • TRANS-ALASKA PIPELINE
25
Q

What is the Trans-Alaskan Pipeline?

A

800 mile-long pipe transporting OIL across Alaska

26
Q

How is the Trans-Alaskan Pipeline made to be more environmentally friendly?

A
  • Half the pipeline made on stilts to ensure permafrost doesn’t melt
  • Stilts and insulation also make sure the pipe does not freeze and crack
  • Migrating animals such as CARIBOU can pass under the pipe so migration is not affected
  • Oil flow can be blocked at multiple points in the pipeline if there is a link
27
Q

How can government action prevent damage to cold environments?

A
  • Environmental protection laws ensure activity occurs with MINIMAL IMPACT
  • Creating quotas for fishing, hunting or mineral extraction
  • Nature reserves and conserved areas
  • Investment into environmental science organisations for managing sustainability
28
Q

What is was the Antarctic Treaty?

A
  • AN EXAMPLE OF AN INERNATIONAL AGREEMENT
  • 53 countries signed
  • Treaty states Antarctica should only be used for PEACEFUL MEANS
  • Scientific research is open to the world
  • Nuclear activity is banned
29
Q

What is ASOC?

A

A conservation group which focuses on…

  • Environmental protection in Antarctica
  • Monitoring endangered species
  • Wildlife conservation
  • Antarctic governance
30
Q

What is Greenpeace?

A

A charity enhancing conservation of cold environments by…

  • Report on issues
  • Release findings of data to public and governments
  • Create petitions
  • Campaign for change
31
Q

What are some opportunities for development in svalbard?

A
  • Mineral extraction
  • Energy developments
  • Fishing
  • Tourism
32
Q

What are some opportunities in mineral extraction is Svalbard?

A
  • Large coal reserves

- However drop in coal price affected coal mining in 2014

33
Q

What are some opportunities in energy developments in Svalbard?

A
  • Coal mining is coming to an end
  • So geothermal energy can be a main source
  • Close to the mid Atlantic ridge, so Svalbard can harness this energy in future
34
Q

What are some opportunities in fishing for Svalbard?

A
  • Seas are rich in marine life
  • Barents Sea rich in fish, over 150 species, including Cod, herring and haddock
  • Barents Sea has one of the largest stocks of cod in the world
  • Major economic activity, attracting tourists too
35
Q

What are some opportunities in tourism for Svalbard

A
  • People want to experience cold environments
  • Unique wildlife, glacier walks, northern lights are attractions
  • Provides job opportunities and an income for the industry
36
Q

What are some challenges to development in Svalbard?

A
  • Extreme temperatures
  • Accessibility
  • Construction and infrastructure
37
Q

How do extreme weather affect development in Svalbard?

A
  • Daylight hours are often very short, so development becomes difficult
  • Warm layers of clothing make workers and residents immobile and are inconvenient and expensive
  • Extreme temperatures make growing food near to impossible, so needs to be imported from other areas of the world which is expensive
38
Q

How does accessibility prove be a challenge to development in Svalbard?

A
  • Remote location and climate make accessibility difficult
  • Transports of goods are limited due to limited access
  • Glaciers, snow and fjords take up lots of the landscape so some areas are inaccessible
39
Q

How does construction and infrastructure prove to be a challenge to development in Svalbard?

A
  • Ground is permafrost, so houses on top of the permafrost can melt it causing damage
  • Warming climate has made permafrost thaw so some houses are unstable and damaged
  • Utilities such as pipes and sewage must be above ground to prevent permafrost from melting
  • Builders must make houses on stilts to prevent permafrost thawing

Geography (26 decks)

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