Support systems KQ4- To what extent are the water and carbon cycles linked? Flashcards

(42 cards)

1
Q

Name 5 strategies used to protect the global carbon cycle

A
  • Wetland restoration
  • Agricultural practices
  • Afforestation
  • International agreements to reduce carbon emissions
  • Cap and trade
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2
Q

What are wetlands?

A

An area where the water table at or near the surface causing the ground to be permanently saturated

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3
Q

How much of the Earth’s land surface is covered by wetlands?

A

6-9%

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4
Q

How much of the Earth’s terrestrial carbon pool do wetlands hold?

A

35%

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5
Q

Why are wetlands under pressure?

A

Population growth, economic development, and urbanisation

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6
Q

How many tonnes of carbon do wetlands hold per ha per year?

A

3.25

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7
Q

What has been done on the Canadian prairies in regard to wetlands?

A

112,000 ha have been targeted for restoration, which should eventually sequester 364,000 tonnes of carbon per year

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8
Q

What is being done in the UK in regard to wetland restoration?

A

-400 ha of grade 1 farmland in East Cambridgeshire is being converted back to wetland

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9
Q

How are wetlands restored?

A
  • local water tables are raised to create water-logged conditions
  • flood and sea defences can be breached to water-log areas
  • drainage ditches are blocked or diverted
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10
Q

What is afforestation?

A

The planting for trees in deforested areas or in areas that have never been forested before

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11
Q

Why is wetland restoration needed?

A
  • To reduce carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere as they act as an important carbon sink
  • To conserve wildlife
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12
Q

How can afforestation manage the global carbon cycle?

A
  • trees act as a carbon sink

- so can reduce atmospheric CO2 levels

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13
Q

On what time scale can afforestation have an effect on the carbon cycle?

A

Medium and long term

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14
Q

Besides reducing CO2 concentration, what other benefits does afforestation provide?

A
  • reducing flood risks
  • reducing soil erosion
  • increasing biodiveristy
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15
Q

Besides afforestation what can be done to decrease the rate of deforestation?

A

-tropical forests can be protected from loggers, farmers, and miners

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16
Q

What is the UN doing to combat deforestation? Give examples of areas

A
  • The REDD scheme incentivises developing countries to conserve their rainforests by placing a monetary value on forest conservation
  • E.g Amazonia and lower Mississippi
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17
Q

Why are the Chinese government sponsoring an afforestation project?

A
  • to combat desertification and land degradation

- to reduce carbon dioxide emissions

18
Q

Give examples of unsustainable agricultural practices

A
  • overcultivation

- overgrazing

19
Q

How many million tonnes a year of methane is released from livestock?

20
Q

What 3 general methods can be used to improve agricultural practices?

A
  • Land and crop management
  • Livestock management
  • Manure management
21
Q

How does manure management reduce emissions of greenhouse gas?

A
  • controls the way manure decomposes to reduce CH4 emissions

- capturing CH4 as a source of renewable energy

22
Q

How can livestock management reduce emissions of greenhouse gas?

A

-improving the quality of animal feed to reduce ENTERIC fermentation so less is converted to CH4

23
Q

How can land and crop management reduce emissions of greenhouse gas?

A
  • zero tillage, not ploughing soil, preserving soil’s organic content, and reducing oxidation
  • growing crops interspersed with trees to protect from soil erosion
24
Q

How can international agreements reduce carbon emissions?

A
  • The Paris agreement gets countries to set a voluntary target for carbon emissions
  • Richer countries transfer money and technologies to poorer countries to assist them in achieving their targets
25
What are disadvantages of the Paris agreement?
- the targets are voluntary | - a timetable has yet to be set
26
What are the aims of the Paris agreement?
- to reduce global CO2 emissions to 60% of what they were in 2010, by 2050 - to keep global warming below 2 degrees
27
What is cap and trade?
- businesses are give an annual quota for emissions - if they emit less than their quota they are given carbon credits which can be traded - businesses that exceed their quotas must buy credits and incur financial penalities
28
Give 3 ways the water cycle is managed
Forestry Water allocations Drainage basin planning
29
What are the factors that mean wetland restoration difficult to achieve?
- not everywhere is suitable as not everywhere has an ideal water source - land is lost to wetlands e.g farmland
30
What are some of the positives of afforestation as a management strategy for the carbon cycle?
- reduces desertification - acts as a carbon sink - supports biodiversity - reduces soil erosion
31
How can forestry help to manage the water cycle?
-stabilises regional water cycles
32
What benefits can forestry provide?
- offsets 430 million tonnes of carbon a year - stabilises regional water cycle - supports indigenous forest communities
33
Give an example of a programme using forestry to help manage the water cycle.
REDD funded by the UN Pays countries to maintain their forests Also promotes ecotourism
34
How is water primarily wasted?
Through evaporation and over-irrigation
35
How can water allocations help to manage the water cycle?
- governments allocate water to different resources - governments improve water management techniques - water agreements better dividing water resources
36
Give 3 examples of improved water management techniques
- mulching - drip irrigation - zero soil disturbance
37
How does drainage basin planning manage the water cycle?
-specific targets are set in regard to things such as run-off, water storage, and groundwater
38
How can run-off be decreased?
- reforestation programmes | - permeable surfaces are increased
39
How can surface water storage be improved?
-conserving and restoring wetlands
40
How can groundwater levels be maintained?
- abstraction is limited | - artificial recharge
41
What is artificial recharge?
When water is injected into acquifers via boreholes
42
Give an example of an area that successfully uses drainage basin management
England and Wales