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NBS Flashcards

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1
Q

What are the top four long-term environmental concerns according to the WEF global risk ranking perception?

A
  • Extreme weather
  • Biodiversity loss and ecosystem loss
  • Critical change to earth systems
  • Natural resource shortages
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2
Q

What are the main goals of mitigation in the context of climate change?

A
  • Decreasing emissions
  • Reducing CO2 concentration in the atmosphere
  • Enhancing carbon sinks
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3
Q

What is geoengineering?

A
  • Solar radiation management
  • Carbon capture and storage (CCS)
  • Space mirrors
  • Brighter buildings
  • Aerosols
  • Changing cloud patterns
  • Injecting CO2 into the ground
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4
Q

Define Nature-based Solutions (NbS) according to the IUCN.

A

Actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore ecosystems to address societal challenges and provide human well-being and biodiversity benefits.

NbS target challenges like climate change, disaster risk reduction, food and water security, and human health.

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5
Q

What are the aims of Nature-based Solutions for climate change mitigation?

A
  • Protect existing carbon stores
  • Enhance rates of carbon sequestration
  • Avoid emissions
  • Restore ecosystems to sequester carbon
  • Improve degraded habitats
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6
Q

What are some examples of Nature-based Solutions for mitigation?

A
  • Wetland restoration
  • Improving soils
  • Changing agricultural practices
  • Agroforestry and mixed farming (integrating trees or shrubs with crop/livestock)
  • Soil protection measures (cover crops, hedgerows)
  • Reforestation respecting ecological principles
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7
Q

Which Nature-based Solutions hold the greatest potential for climate mitigation according to Griscom et al 2017?

A
  • Reforestation
  • Protecting intact forests, wetlands, and grasslands
  • Managing working lands
  • Restoring native ecosystems
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8
Q

What is the estimated contribution of Nature-based Solutions to cost-effective climate mitigation needed by 2030?

A

NBS can provide around ⅓ of the cost-effective climate mitigation needed to stabilize warming below 2 °C.

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9
Q

What is the global potential for avoided emissions from protecting ecosystems?

A
  • Protecting intact forests, wetlands, and grasslands contributes 4 Gt CO2 yr-1
  • Managing working lands contributes 4 Gt CO2 yr-1
  • Restoring native ecosystems contributes 2 Gt CO2 yr-1

girardin et al 2021

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10
Q

True or False: Nature-based Solutions can reduce the peak temperature trajectory by 0.1 degrees by 2100.

A

True

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11
Q

What is the UN challenge regarding forest restoration by 2030?

A

Restore 350 million hectares of forest to sequester up to 1.6 GtC per year.

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12
Q

What are the criticisms of tree planting initiatives like the Bonn Challenge?

A
  • Many hectares committed are monoculture plantations
  • Plantations store less carbon than natural forests
  • Plantations may release carbon from soils
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13
Q

What does Lewis et al. suggest is the most effective way to restore forests?

A

Allowing land to become forests naturally.

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14
Q

What negative impact can afforestation have in Africa according to Bond et al 2019?

A

It may severely negatively impact existing grassy ecosystems and the people that rely on them.

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15
Q

What are some limitations of carbon drawdown through Nature-based Solutions?

A

Carbon drawdown is limited due to the amount of land required and reliance on changing land use.

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16
Q

What does the research by West et al 2023 indicate about Verras rainforest carbon credits?

A

At least 90% do not represent real emission reductions.

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17
Q

What is the relationship between biodiversity and productivity in Nature-based Solutions?

A

Biodiversity is positively correlated with productivity.

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18
Q

What must Nature-based Solutions be resilient to?

A

Climate change, including changes to temperature, precipitation, and disturbances.

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19
Q

Fill in the blank: Nature-based Solutions must manage for future climatic conditions and _______.

A

disturbances such as drought, flooding, storms, and fires.

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20
Q

What are the top global risks to humanity according to the WEC?

A

Environmental risks

Environmental risks are considered the most significant in likelihood and impact.

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21
Q

What systems are impacted by climate change?

A

Physical, biological, human systems

All these systems are affected by various climate change phenomena.

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22
Q

What changes occur in precipitation regimes due to climate change?

A

Amount and type of precipitation

Changes in precipitation can affect water availability and agricultural practices.

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23
Q

How does climate change affect food production?

A

Reductions in yield due to drought

Drought conditions can lead to significant decreases in agricultural productivity.

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24
Q

What are ‘novel conditions’ in the context of climate change?

A

Different conditions than what people designed their livelihoods for

These conditions challenge existing agricultural and living practices.

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25
What health impacts are associated with climate change?
Heatwaves and diseases ## Footnote Colder environments becoming warmer can increase livability but also disease spread.
26
How are diseases affected by climate change?
Changing habitats for disease vectors ## Footnote Insect-borne diseases may spread to new areas due to changing climates.
27
What is the default approach for extreme conditions in engineering?
Hard engineering ## Footnote This approach may increase the likelihood of failure under climate change.
28
What adaptation strategy are many Global South nations committing to?
Nature-based Solutions (NbS) ## Footnote These solutions are aimed at coping with climate change effects.
29
What is an example of NbS for drought mitigation?
1 ha side-reservoir by WWF Hungary ## Footnote This reservoir helps retain water from flash floods and mitigate summer droughts.
30
What initiative aims to prevent desertification in the Sahel?
Great green wall of the Sahel to prevent southward spread of desertification 1/3 of land has been restored 2007 2030 - 8000km tree planting initiative ## Footnote This plan includes reforesting large areas to combat desertification.
31
What is targeted in interventions for drought mitigation?
* Interception * Infiltration * Evapotranspiration (ET) * Surface flow * Stream flow * Soil structure * Groundwater recharge ## Footnote These factors contribute to improving water retention and availability.
32
What is the focus of traditional fire management practices?
Suppressing fires ## Footnote Removing fuel loads can reduce the biomass available for burning.
33
What role do ecosystems play in coastal defenses?
Help defend against sea level rise new coastal wetlands - salt marshes, mangroves, coral reefs, seagrass ## Footnote Ecosystems like salt marshes and mangroves can dissipate energy and reduce inland impacts.
34
What is the urban heat island effect?
Pavement and concrete absorb energy, heating air in cities more than rural areas ## Footnote Urban trees can provide shade and mitigate this effect.
35
What is a significant benefit of increasing tree coverage in urban areas?
Preventing premature deaths due to urban heat - lungman et al 2023 ## Footnote More than ⅓ of such deaths could be prevented with 30% tree coverage.
36
What is a sustainable urban drainage solution (SUDS)?
Manage flooding, water quality, pollution, biodiversity, recreation ## Footnote SUDS incorporates green infrastructure in urban planning.
37
What recent initiative did Sao Paulo implement to improve ecosystem services?
Complex ecosystem planting and design ## Footnote This initiative aimed to enhance ecological functioning and reduce flooding risks.
38
What are the five major interventions for urban flooding management?
* Green roofs * Permeable pavements * Vegetative swales * Infiltration trenches * Rain barrels huang et al ## Footnote These interventions are effective for frequent and small-scale precipitation events.
39
True or False: Nature-based Solutions are effective for extreme weather events like 100-year events.
False ## Footnote NbS are effective for frequent events but less so for extreme events.
40
What is a key challenge in comparing hard engineering and NbS?
Little testing and comparison available ## Footnote This limits understanding of their relative effectiveness.
41
What is the mapped global potential tree coverage?
4.4 billion hectares of canopy could exist Bastin et al 2019 ## Footnote This coverage could store 205 gigatonnes of carbon.
42
By how much could canopy cover shrink by 2050?
223 million hectares bastin et al 2019 ## Footnote This loss is expected primarily in tropical regions.
43
What fraction of terrestrial land could support forest?
⅔ of terrestrial land bastin et al 2013 ## Footnote This equates to 3.2 billion hectares more than the current forested area.
44
Which six nations hold more than 50% of the global restoration potential?
* US * Russia * Canada * Brazil * China * Australia
45
What percentage of countries have committed to restoring an area greater than available for restoration?
10%
46
What is the global forest restoration target set by the IPCC?
said to be Achievable under current climate conditions
47
True or False: Increased CO2 necessarily equates to increased carbon storage.
could enhance growth rate - does not mean more stored False
48
What is the goal of the UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2017–2030?
Increase global forest area by 3% as a proportion of total land area
49
What is the target for woodland expansion set by Scotland's Land Use Strategy for Scotland (LUSS) by 2022?
100,000 hectares of woodland expansion
50
What is the estimated percentage of degraded peat soils in Scotland?
80% brown 2020
51
What is the UK 2050 target for emission reductions?
At least 80% of 1990 levels
52
What is the UK commitment regarding tree planting by 2025?
Planting 30,000 hectares of woodland per year
53
What is the impact of tree cover on channel discharge according to Carrick et al. (2018)?
Small statistically significant effect
54
What percentage of the UK's total emissions do UK forests store?
4.6%
55
What are the benefits of mixed species planting in woodlands?
* Increases resilience to hazards * Creates durable carbon stores
56
Fill in the blank: The initial phase of natural afforestation is _______.
uncertain
57
What is the effect of planting trees in organic soils according to Friggens et al. (2020)?
No net increase in ecosystem carbon stock on decadal timescales
58
What are second growth forests?
Areas that have re-established after complete loss of original tree cover
59
What is applied nucleation in forest restoration?
Mimics natural regeneration processes to enhance seed deposition
60
What role do trees and woodlands play in agricultural systems?
Multifunctional and help farmers adapt to climate change
61
What is agroforestry?
Integrating trees into farming systems to strengthen resilience and increase tree cover
62
Seddon et al 2020
reducing exposure - - green spaces are on average 0.94 degrees cooler in the day than urban, larger space = larger effect. - GOM construction of liviing shorelines - aiding naturla recruitment of oyster reefs, reduces vegetation retreat by 40% compared to unprotected sites, stabalises shoreline, inc abundance and diversity of important species reducing sensitivity - - buffering communities from climate shocks by enhancing and diversifying ecosystem services - Zimbabwe: protection of forested/wooded areas ensures honey production during droughts, thereby providing a degree of food security when other crops fail supporting adaptive capacity - governance reform, empowerment and improving access to resources - —Togo: EbA increased social inclusion and self-sufficiency of women and youth groups, leading to increased crop yields for these savannah communities as a whole, whose food security is threatened by climate change. Community members were involved from the beginning, allowing them to learn how to design and implement such projects to be able to independently adapt to future change
63
tropics vs global
Increasing sinks of GHG through ecosystem management and improvements in agriculture - widely cited as having potential to provide 30% of CO2 mitigation needed through to 2030 to keep warming to less than 2 degrees - refined modelling in tropical regions suggests its an overestimate, Low GHG emissions and high forest cover in many tropical nations mean that natural climate solutions can mitigate over 50% of national emissions, mainly through avoided deforestation
64
griscom et al
highlight a particular set of countries with strong governance and intermediate financing capacity, where the focus on nature-based climate solutions would have the most potential for contributing to emissions mitigation (e.g. India).
65
seddon et al 2020 standard principle s
context-precific, inclusive and equitable, integrated with other policy goals, scientiffically informend, montiored for LT impact
66
Chausson et al 2020
First global systematic map of evidence on the effectiveness of NbS for addressing impacts of CC Interventions involving created ecosystems (afforestation|) associated with trade-offs Overall, more synergies than trade-offs Gaps in the evidence base Bias in evidence toward GN, despite comms in S being more vulnerable to climate impacts 59% of studies found that NbS had positive adaptation outcomes for people Especially effective at reducing hydrological extremes Urban and coastal are promising, cost effective and locally beneficial
67
menendez et al 2020
Estimates of the economic value of mangrove forests for flood risk reduction every 20km worldwide Benefits exceed $65 bn per year India, bangladesh and vietnam receive greatest benefits in terms of people protected, economic = USA, china, india Coastal impacts increasing - coastal dev, pop inc, cc, habitat loss Mangroves - aerial roots retain sediments stabalising the soil of intertidal areas reducing erosion. Roots, trunk and canopy disperse storm surges

A1 Paper 2 (6 decks)

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