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Sustainable management of natural environments Flashcards

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1
Q

What is sustainable management of natural environments?

A

Using and protecting an ecosystem’s resources at a rate that does not cause long‑term damage or depletion, so both present and future generations can benefit.

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2
Q

Which five natural environments does the syllabus focus on?

A

Aquatic, desert, forest, grassland, and Arctic/tundra ecosystems.

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3
Q

Why is sustainable management important as populations grow?

A

Larger populations and economies increase pressure on land, water, and biodiversity; without careful management resources can be exhausted or ecosystems irreversibly damaged.

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4
Q

What is overfishing and give a classic example.

A

Harvesting fish faster than populations can replace themselves; e.g. Atlantic cod stocks off Newfoundland collapsed in the 1990s, leading to a fishing moratorium.

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5
Q

How does bottom trawling damage aquatic habitats?

A

Heavy nets dragged along the seafloor crush corals and seagrass, stir up sediment, and destroy benthic communities that many species depend on.

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6
Q

Why are mangroves and coastal wetlands vital?

A

They act as nurseries for fish, buffer coasts from storms, trap sediments, and store large amounts of carbon.

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7
Q

Name two major forms of aquatic pollution.

A

Plastic waste (e.g. Great Pacific Garbage Patch) and nutrient runoff that creates low‑oxygen ‘dead zones’ such as in the Gulf of Mexico.

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8
Q

How does climate change threaten coral reefs?

A

Warmer water causes coral bleaching and higher CO₂ makes oceans more acidic, weakening coral skeletons.

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9
Q

List three key freshwater threats.

A

River over‑abstraction, industrial/sewage pollution, and damming that blocks fish migration.

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10
Q

What is a Marine Protected Area (MPA)?

A

A zone of ocean where fishing or extractive activity is restricted or banned to let ecosystems recover and fish stocks rebuild.

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11
Q

How do catch limits support sustainable fisheries?

A

They set a scientifically determined maximum sustainable yield so breeding populations remain healthy.

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12
Q

What seafood label helps consumers choose sustainable fish?

A

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification.

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13
Q

Explain integrated multi‑trophic aquaculture.

A

Farming fish alongside shellfish and seaweed that absorb waste nutrients, reducing pollution and feed inputs.

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14
Q

Give two measures to cut marine plastic pollution.

A

Bans on single‑use plastics and improved waste collection so litter never reaches waterways.

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15
Q

How are mangroves being restored?

A

Communities replant mangrove seedlings to stabilize coasts, boost fisheries, and store carbon.

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16
Q

What new treaty aims to safeguard biodiversity in international waters?

A

The 2023 UN High Seas Treaty.

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17
Q

What success shows that global bans can aid recovery of marine species?

A

Many whale populations rebounded after the 1986 moratorium on commercial whaling.

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18
Q

Define a desert by annual rainfall.

A

An area receiving less than about 250 mm of precipitation per year.

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19
Q

What is desertification?

A

The spread of desert‑like conditions into semi‑arid areas due to land misuse, overgrazing, deforestation or climate change.

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20
Q

Which African region is the textbook example of desertification?

A

The Sahel south of the Sahara.

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21
Q

How can large‑scale irrigation harm deserts?

A

It depletes fossil groundwater and can cause soil salinization as water evaporates, leaving salts behind.

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22
Q

Give an example of tourism impact in deserts.

A

Off‑road dune driving crushes fragile vegetation and soil crusts, disrupting wildlife.

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23
Q

What is the Great Green Wall initiative?

A

An African project planting trees and vegetation across the Sahel to halt desert spread and support livelihoods.

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24
Q

Explain rotational grazing for desert edges.

A

Moving livestock between plots so vegetation can recover, preventing overgrazing.

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25
How does drip irrigation save water?
It delivers water slowly at plant roots, cutting evaporation losses common in flood irrigation.
26
Name a traditional water‑harvesting method suitable for deserts.
Qanats – underground channels that tap mountain aquifers and bring water to surface without pumping.
27
Why are solar farms suited to deserts?
Abundant sunshine allows large‑scale renewable energy with minimal carbon emissions, providing alternative income.
28
How do fog nets provide water?
Fine mesh sheets capture moisture from fog, which condenses and is collected for drinking or irrigation.
29
List three global services provided by forests.
Biodiversity habitat, carbon storage moderating climate, and regulation of rainfall/soil.
30
What are the main drivers of Amazon deforestation?
Cattle ranching and soybean cultivation.
31
Why is selective logging still a threat?
Even removing only valuable trees opens roads, damages canopy and soils, and invites further clearing.
32
What is slash‑and‑burn shifting cultivation?
Clearing a forest patch by burning, cropping it for a few years, then moving on to let it regrow.
33
How does climate change increase tropical fire risk?
Longer droughts dry vegetation; human‑set fires can then escalate into large wildfires.
34
What does FSC certification signify?
Timber or paper comes from a forest managed to protect biodiversity, respect workers, and harvest sustainably.
35
Describe agroforestry.
Integrating trees with crops or livestock (e.g. shade‑grown coffee) to maintain canopy cover and soil health while producing food.
36
How do indigenous land rights aid conservation?
When communities legally control their forests, deforestation rates fall because they depend on long‑term ecosystem health.
37
What is REDD+?
A UN program that rewards developing countries financially for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.
38
Give one example of forest‑based ecotourism.
Guided wildlife watching in Costa Rica’s Monteverde Cloud Forest generates income that funds conservation.
39
Why can plantations be less beneficial than natural re‑growth?
Monoculture tree farms store less biodiversity and may use agrochemicals, whereas natural regeneration restores full ecosystem function.
40
Name three major grassland types.
Tropical savanna, temperate prairie/steppe, and subtropical grassland.
41
What happened to North America’s tall‑grass prairie?
About 99 % was ploughed for agriculture, leaving tiny habitat fragments.
42
How does overgrazing cause the Dust Bowl effect?
Livestock remove protective grass cover; wind then erodes dry topsoil during drought, creating dust storms.
43
Why can fire suppression harm grasslands?
Without periodic burns, shrubs and trees invade, altering species composition and reducing grassland biodiversity.
44
Give an example of human–wildlife conflict on savannas.
Farmers may kill lions to protect livestock, reducing predator populations.
45
What is rotational grazing on ranches?
Cattle are moved between paddocks to allow grass recovery, mimicking natural herd movements.
46
How do controlled burns help prairies?
They remove old litter, recycle nutrients, and keep woody plants from taking over.
47
What is the American Prairie Reserve project?
A large‑scale effort in Montana to restore native prairie, reintroduce bison, and connect habitat corridors.
48
Explain community conservancies in Kenya.
Maasai landowners dedicate zones for wildlife tourism, share revenues, and coordinate grazing to balance cattle and wildlife.
49
Why are wildlife corridors crucial?
They allow seasonal migrations (e.g. wildebeest between Serengeti and Mara) preventing population isolation.
50
What is permafrost?
Ground that remains frozen for at least two consecutive years, underlying much Arctic tundra.
51
Why is permafrost thaw a global concern?
It releases stored CO₂ and methane, amplifying climate change, and destabilizes buildings and roads.
52
How does sea‑ice loss threaten polar bears?
They rely on sea ice platforms to hunt seals; with less ice, bears starve or swim long distances.
53
Name two risks of Arctic resource extraction.
Oil spills difficult to clean in ice conditions and habitat fragmentation from roads/pipelines.
54
Why are pollutants like mercury high in Arctic food chains?
Atmospheric currents carry toxins from industry elsewhere; cold traps them, and they bioaccumulate up the chain.
55
What is the Arctic Council?
An intergovernmental forum of Arctic states and indigenous groups coordinating environmental protection and sustainable development.
56
How do indigenous co‑management boards work?
Scientists and indigenous hunters jointly set quotas and monitor species, blending traditional knowledge with modern data.
57
What is the Polar Code?
International Maritime Organization rules mandating strengthened hulls, waste limits, and safety for ships in polar waters.
58
Why did Shell halt its Arctic offshore drilling project in 2015?
High costs and stringent environmental regulations made the project economically and politically risky.
59
Give one example of relocating communities due to Arctic climate impacts.
Alaska’s coastal village of Shishmaref has voted to move inland because erosion and permafrost melt threaten homes.
60
What agreement paused commercial fishing in the high seas Arctic Ocean?
A 2018 precautionary accord among major fishing nations banning industrial fishing for at least 16 years while research is done.
61
How do wildlife corridors aid migrating reindeer?
They ensure herds can move between seasonal pastures without obstruction from mines or roads.
62
Why is ongoing scientific research vital in the Arctic?
Rapid warming demands up‑to‑date data to guide conservation, infrastructure planning, and global climate models.
63
Summarize the Aral Sea disaster in one sentence.
Soviet diversion of rivers to irrigate cotton in a semi‑arid region shrank the Aral Sea, collapsing fisheries and altering climate.
64
What lesson does the Aral Sea teach about desert water projects?
Large‑scale irrigation in dry lands must account for ecosystem needs; otherwise long‑term costs outweigh short‑term gains.
65
How is Kazakhstan partially restoring the North Aral Sea?
By building a dam separating it from the South Basin, allowing river inflow to raise water levels and revive fish stocks.
66
What triggered Cape Town’s 2018 ‘Day Zero’ water crisis?
Severe multi‑year drought combined with high demand nearly emptied reservoirs, forcing drastic conservation.
67
Name two measures Cape Town used to avoid Day Zero.
Publicized daily water‑use targets and emergency projects like small desalination and recycling plants.
68
Why are Middle Eastern states investing in solar mega‑projects?
To diversify from oil dependence and secure long‑term energy with abundant desert sunshine.
69
Explain the water‑food‑energy nexus in one line.
Water is needed to grow food and generate energy; energy is needed to obtain water and produce food, so policies must consider all three together.
70
What is carrying capacity in resource terms?
The maximum population an environment can support sustainably given available natural resources and technology.
71
Why can international cooperation be essential for resource management?
Many resources (rivers, fish stocks, migratory species) cross borders, so unilateral action is often ineffective.

IH Unit 1 (14 decks)

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