environments

Question 1

define wilderness

Answer 1

a natural environment that has not been significantly modified by human activity

Question 2

defile fragile environment

Answer 2

an environment that can be easily damaged by human activity

Question 3

name 5 threats facing wilderness and fragile environments and explain 3

Answer 3

TOURISM
(releases co2, greenhouse gas, global warming, melting ice caps)
OIL DRILLING
( global warming, co2, greenhouse effect, Svalbard has glaciers OR pollution of environment, reduces biodiversity, risk of extinction)
COAL MINING
( employs 300 people
GREATER DEVELOPMENT OF COLD ENVIRONMENTS
( more roads and electricity pylons, damaging fragile environments)
RESOURCE DEPLETION

Question 4

What are the characteristics of a Desert biome

Answer 4

• found 30 degrees N + S of the equator
• subtropical high-pressure cells
• high daytime temperature
• cold nighttime temperature
• little rain (250 mm)

Question 5

What are the characteristics of a Mediterranean biome

Answer 5

• found between 40-45 degrees north of the equator and in isolated locations in South Africa and West Australia
• hot dry summers
• mild winters

Question 6

What are the characteristics of a Grassland biome

Answer 6

• 30-40 degrees north and south of the equator
• inland away from the coast
• grasses are the main vegetation

Question 7

What are the characteristics of a Temperature biome (mixed climate)

Answer 7

• 45-55 degrees north and south of the equator
• mixed climate
• warm summers
• mild winters

Question 8

What is an example of a desert

Answer 8

Sahara
Arabian desert
Antarctica

Question 9

What is an example of Mediterranean

Answer 9

Greece
Spain
Italy

Question 10

What is an example of a Grassland

Answer 10

North America
Russian Steppes
Central Asia

Question 11

What is an example of a Temperature biome

Answer 11

UK
Northern France
Germany
Poland

Question 12

describe a desert ecosystem

Answer 12

sandy/snowy
dry
cati
penguins/seals
rattlesnakes/lizards

Question 13

describe a mediterranean ecosystem

Answer 13

rocky
vineyards
pine trees
geckos

Question 14

describe a grassland ecosystem

Answer 14

grass
grazing animals (bison)
pine trees

Question 15

describe a temperate ecosystem

Answer 15

oak tree
foxes
rabbits

Question 16

why should fragile environments be protected

Answer 16

• tourism employs 300 people (no wilderness/fragile environment = no tourist sector)
• coal mining employs 3oo people
• 150 species of fish in the Barents sea
• biodiversity
  (if one ecosystem falls apart the other will too due to migrating animals)
• science
  (without ecosystems to study scientists wouldn’t have a job and we wouldn’t be able to study the effects we are having on our environment)
• albedo
  (without the albedo effect temperatures at the poles would rise = melting ice caps = rising sea levels
  -damage
  (once you damage an environment it never fully recovers, soil structure isn’t the same = more prone to soil erosion

Question 17

how can we manage fragile environments

Answer 17

• NGO’s (like Greenpeace)
  global scale protection
• Arctic council (Norway,Russia,Canada,USA)
  regional agreement
• Technology infrastructure (investment by big tech companies like Google for data storage)