Mindmap
Extreme Environments
Mind map: Extreme environments
Inhalt der Mindmap
Extreme Environments
Characteristics of extreme climates
- Hot arid climate
- Hot temperatures in the day (above 30ºC)
- Under 250mm/year in rain
- Occasional intense downfall causes flash flooding
- Little life can survive
- Little seasonal variation
- Polar climate
- Under 300mm/year in rain
- Very cold winters (-50ºC)
- Short summers with lots of light - only growing season
- Little light in winter
- Hot arid climate
Adaptations
- Polar flora and fauna
- Glacial regions
- Little life is supported
- Some hardy plants survive
- Tundra regions
- Thick, dense fur
- Extra body fat
- Burrows
- Pine needles limit water loss
- Plants grow close to the ground
- Glacial regions
- Hot arid flora and fauna
- Animals store water in fat
- Animals tend to be nocturnal
- Insects collect moisture from the air
- Large ears used to dissipate heat
- Plants store water
- Seeds stay dormant for years and produce bright flowers
- Polar flora and fauna
People & extreme environments
- Polar environment
- Triple glazing
- Fur/wool clothing
- Geothermal power
- Houses raised above the ground
- Roads built on gravel
- Hunting for food rather than growing crops
- Steep rooftops
- Hot arid environment
- Walls painted white
- Air conditioning
- Thick walls/small windows keep out heat
- Loose-fitting clothes
- Head coverings
- Flat roofs catch water
- Irrigation
- Nomadic herding prevents overgrazing
- Polar environment
Threats
- Pollution
- Alaska - oil spills cause catastrophes
- Sahel - air pollution increases drought
- Land degradation
- Alaska - permafrost melting
- Sahel - Desertification
- Cultural dilution
- Alaska - loss of native languages
- Sahel - western influence
- Out-migration
- Young people move away for better jobs
- Pollution
Sustainable management
- Hot arid environment
- Lining wells with concrete
- Hand pumps
- Rain barrels
- Diguettes in Siguin Vousse
- Polar environment
- Prevent pollution
- Geothermal power
- Conservation zones
- Promoting ecotourism
- Promoting native cultures
- Hot arid environment
Global management
- Kyoto protocol 1997
- Commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 5% by 2012
- An agreement between nations to mandate country-by-country reductions in emissons
- Nearly all nations have accepted the treaty apart from the USA and some developing countries
- Antarctic treaty 1961
- Restricts any commercial developments
- UN Convention to Combat Desertification 1994
- Promotes bottom-up solutions
- 195 countries agreed to give part and share information
- Aims to combat land degradation and develop sustainable solutions
- Kyoto protocol 1997