Value Of Glaciated Landscapes

Question 1

Wilderness value

Answer 1

high value
-Antarctica is an aspirational place to visit
-has areas inhabited by small groups of indigenous people with strong historical and cultural connections e.g the nenets of Siberia
lower value
-cairngorms or eryri are more accessible and higher population
However
-mountain peaks are considered spiritual and linked with reaching a higher plane
-e.g pilgrimages are taken every year to sacred mountains and lakes in Tibet and Mount Kailash is sacred to Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism and is never climbed

Question 2

Importance to scientific research

Answer 2

-maintenance of genetic variety (Svalbards Global seed vault)
-migratory patterns of birds and animals
-comparison of pristine or natural communities verses exploited and mismanaged environments
-front line indicators of global warming and climate change

Question 3

Globally many people benefit from, both active and relict glaciated environments through the availability of:

Answer 3

-glacial mountain water
-timber
-hydropower
-recreation and leisure
-gold, diamonds, copper, oil, gas

Question 4

Provide local economic value through:

Answer 4

-farming
-mineral and mining opportunities
-hydroelectric power
-tourism
-forestry

Question 5

Hydroelectric power

Answer 5

-in the Himalayas mini HEPs are used to power villages due to their inaccessibility
-villagers are involved in the set up and maintenance of the generators and use diverted meltwater to drive the turbines
-this provides light and power to the village, increasing safety during long nights and encouraged cottage industries to be set up

-countries such as Norway and New Zealand have utilised their glacial waters to provide over 90% of their electricity
-however there are issues with reliable supplies and in light of global warming and retreating glaciers
-conflict arises when damming of rivers affects villages that rely on these waters downstream

Question 6

Tourism

Answer 6

-in chamonix valley, France roughly 5 million visitors visit each year generating 2500 jobs seasonally with railway companies and ski lift engineers in high demand
-skiing, ice caves and ice hotels, cruises to Antarctica

Question 7

Mining

Answer 7

Natural erosion in glaciated environments exposes economically viable minerals, ores and rocks
-past geological processes have formed metamorphic rock such as slate for roofing and igneous rock (granite) for kitchen tops
-in lowland areas, outwash deposits of sand, gravel can be sold as aggregates for building with concrete but also deposits of gold, diamonds and other precious material

Question 8

How much carbon is held in the northern hemispheres frozen soils and peatlands?

Answer 8

-about 1700 billion tonnes
-which is 4 times more than humans have emitted since the Industrial Revolution and twice as much as is currently in the atmosphere

Question 9

How much of global freshwater is held as glacial ice?

Answer 9

75%

Question 10

Role in natural systems

Answer 10

-tundra peat ecosystems gain carbon (therefore acting as a carbon sink), through the anaerobic decay of plant/ animal biomass and new organic matter gained during the short summer growing season
-resulting in a net gain as plant photosynthesis and growth is greater than the carbon respired by plants and soil back into the atmosphere
-as permafrost remains frozen for long periods of time they can store large amounts of carbon
-however scientists are worried with continued melting of permafrost is resulting in an overall net carbon loss