Natural Resources Module Flashcards
what are natural resources and what do they include
the earth’s natural resources are thing that can be use by people that are found in nature. natural resources include:
a) Air
b) Water
c) Forests
d) Soil
e) Animals
f) Marine life
what is essential for all life on earth
air
what gasses is air made up of
78% - nitrogen
21% - oxygen
1 % - Carbon dioxide, Argon, Water vapour & other gasses
what are the 5 sectors of the atmosphere (Look at P2) and describe them
(Starting from the closest to the earth) 1 - Troposphere 2 - Stratosphere 3 - Mesosphere 4 - Thermosphere 5 - Exosphere
i) 95% of earth’s air found in Troposphere which stretches to 20 km above the earth’s surface
ii) the remaining 5% stretches to a height of about 280 km to the Thermosphere. it is here in the centre of Thermosphere where the International Space Station orbits the earth.
what are the different causes of air pollution in SA and what can this air pollution cause
causes of air pollution:
i) industry
ii) the burning of fossil fuels in power stations, fire and vehicles
air pollution can cause:
i) Respiratory problems
ii) Headaches
iii) Sleepiness
iv) or Lung cancer
Look at P4, what are the stages in the water cycle (must be able to label) and explain the diagram
1 - evaporation 2 - transpiration 3 - condensation 4 - precipitation 5 - run-off 6 - surface water 7 - infiltration 8 - substance outflow
Explain how given drawing (P4) of the water cycle works.
due to the heat from the Sun, water on the Earth’s surface evaporates while water transpirates from plants. the evaporated water rises in the form of water vapour into the air cooling at about 1 degree C per 100m until it reaches dew point temperature where it condenses and forms clouds, once clouds are saturated, precipitation occurs and water falls to the Earth. water will run off the land in rivers which will flow to lower areas until they either reach lakes, dams or the sea. some water however infiltrates the soil to form subsurface aquifers where some of this subsurface water will reach the sea.
where is most of our water
- 97% Earth’s water found in the oceans and it’s salty in nature. as desalination of water is expensive, very little sea water is used at drinking water.
- more than 66% of remaining water found in glaciers and ice caps.
- there is more fresh water below the surface of the earth then water in dams and lakes. wells, windmills and pumps are used to extract this water from the ground.
why does SA have rainfall that increases from west to east
due to the cold Benguela Current in the west and the warm Mozambique Current in the east, the rainfall increase from west to east, with most abundant rainfall occur in the east.
a) Why is this so
more rapid evaporation takes place over the warm Mozambique Current therefore more clouds and more rain.
why is drought and ever-present risk in SA
66% of SA receives less than 500mm average annual rainfall.
what do future predictions indicate will happen by 2025 to our water (SA)
the country’s water requirements will outstrip supply unless urgent steps are taken to manage the resource more sustainably.
what is the growing water crisis exacerbated by
i) Many of SA’s wetlands have been lost
ii) Pollution of catchment areas
iii) Alien plant infestations are using excessive water.
what are the 10 largest dams in SA (in order of size) and what river are they part of and in what province are they in
1 - Gariep Dam - Orange River - Border: Free State and Eastern Cape
2 - Vanderkloof Dam - Orange River - Border: Free State and Northern Cape
3 - Sterkfontein Dam - Nuwejaar Spruit - Free State
4 - Vaal Dam - Vaal River - Border: Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Free State
5 - Pongolapoort Dam - Phongolo River - KwaZulu-Natal
6 - Bloemhof Dam - Vaal River - Border: North West and Free State
7 - Theewaterskloof Dam - Riviersonderend - Western Cape
8 - Heyshope Dam - Assegaai River - Mpumalanga
9 - Woodstock Dam - Tugela River - KwaZulu-Natal
10 - Loskop Dam - Olifants River - Mpumalanga
What do forests do / why are they so important
a) trees provide soil from erosion
b) forests home to birds, animals and insects
c) forests can be source of food
d) forests can cut down to produce timber for construction, furniture and paper. also can be used as firewood.
e) forests produce oxygen
learn different forests in SA on P7
how well do you know this
describe soil as a resource
1 - animals that we eat & foods that are grown are dependant on soil. without soil nothing would be able to grow. it takes hundreds of years for soil to be made.
describe erosion
2 - while air and water can be recycled naturally, soil that is washed into the sea can never be used again. when soil washed away it’s referred to as erosion.
3 - causes of erosion:
i) the destruction of plant cover. both overgrazing by farm stock and the uprooting of vegetation makes soil vulnerable to soil erosion. vegetation serves as a binding agent for soil.
ii) Wind is a factor that contributes to soil erosion. if soil is not covered with vegetation the Sun can dry out the soil and wind is able to blow topsoil away. the faster the wind the more erosion that there will be.
iii) water is another factor that erodes soil. greater volume of water flowing seawards, greater speed of the water the greater the volume of soil eroded.
what is the African word for a place where soil erosion has taken place
a donga
how much soil does SA lose each year
approximately 300-400 million tonnes of soil each year.
how much soil is lost for every ton of crops produced
for every ton of crops produced 20 tonnes of soil is lost.
what do we do to replace the soil nutrients lost in the sea and how much does this cost
replacing soil nutrients lost to sea each year with fertilisers is extremely expensive and it is estimated at approximately R1000 million.
look at P9 and learn where the game parks are and what are their names and where are they (10)
1 - Kruger Park - Limpopo & Mpumalanga
2 - Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park - N Cape
3 - Pilanesberg Game Reserve - NW Province
4 - Sabi Sands Game Reserve - Mpumalanga
5 - Mapungubwe National Park - Limpopo
6 - Hluhluwe Umfolozi Game Park - KZN
7 - Shamwari Game Reserve - E Cape
8 - Greater St Lucia Wetlands - KZN
9 - Addo Elephant Park - E Cape
10 - Madikwe Game Reserve - NW Province
why do many people travel to SA
to view wild animals in their natural habitat
what have game parks done to their sicuirit and why and for what animals
poaching of elephants for ivory tusks as well as the poaching of rhino for their horns has become a great cause for concern and game parks have had to upgrade their security.
what are vital food sources in SA
fish and shellfish
