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The living world Cold Environments
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- 1What environments are found in Cold ClimatesPolar and Tundra
- 2What is a polar climate?They are very cold normally below freezing. Winters tend to drop to -40 degrees and can reach -90 degrees. An example of a polar environment is Antartica.
- 3Describe the soil in Polar areas.Ice sheets cover polar areas, so no soil is exposed.
- 4Describe the plants in Polar areas?Have few plants lichens and mosses grow on rocks, and grasses grow on the coast.
- 5Describe the people in Polar areas?Polar areas are mostly inhabited but in the Artic some indigenous residents and a few scientists work in Antartica.
- 6Describe the Animals in Polar Areas?There are few species in these ecosystems, Polar animals are Polar bears, penguins, Whales and seals.
- 7What is Tundra's ClimateAlso cold . Warm months only reach a maximum of 10 degrees while winters get up to -50 degrees. Precipitation is low. An example of a Tundra environment is Alaska.
- 8Describe the soil in Tundra areas?Tundra soil is thin, acidic and not very fertile. Beneath the thin soil is permafrost holding trapped greenhouse gasses.
- 9Describe the Plants in Tundra Areas?Hard shrubs eg bearberry grasses, mosses and lichens are common and small short trees grow in warmer areas.
- 10Describe the People in Tundra Areas?Tundra areas are home to many indigenous people as well as oil and gas workers in larger towns.
- 11Describe the Animals in Tundra Areas?Lemmings, wolves and reindeer live in Tundra areas.
- 12What are the biotic components of Cold Environments?Plants, Animals and people.
- 13What are the Abiotic components of cold Environments?Permafrost,Soil and Climate
- 14How is the Climate interpendent on the Plants?The cold climate causes plants to grow slowly and to decompose quicker so plant cover is low. This means that the soil is low in nutrients further limiting plant growth.
- 15How are Animals interpendent on Plants?Herbivores eg reindeer rely on plants to survive and they migrate to areas where plants are able to grow. Carnivores like wolves follow the hervivores.
- 16How is Permafrost Interpendent on Plants?When Tundra areas have great plant cover the surface plants absorb is heat from the sun preventing permafrost from happening. The permafrost provides water for the plants.
- 17How do plants Adapt to physical Conditions?1. Most plants are dormant to survive the cold winter.
2. Plants are low growing and round shaped to provide protection from the wind.
3. Plants have shallow roots because of the layer of permafrost beneath the soil layer.
4. Leaves are small to limit the amount of moisture lost through transpiration.
Many plants reproduce using underground runners or bulbs to cope with the cold. - 18How do animals adapt to Physical conditions?Animals tend to be well insulated they have thick fur for example polar bears. This reduces the amount of energy they have to use to keep warm.
Some Animals hibernate to conserve energy and survive in the winter eg the Artic ground Squirrel.
Animals that don't hibernate adapt on the limited food sources eg reindeer eat lichens during the winter.
Birds migrate to warmer areas for the winter. Artic terns live in the Artic during the Northern hemisphere Summer and fly to the Antarctic during the Southern Hemisphere summer.
Animals have white coats for camouflage this helps predators to sneak up on their prey, and helps prey to hide in the snow eg Artic foxes and Artic hares. - 19Why do cold environments have low Biodiversity?As there are few species of plants and animals in cold environments. Global warming is causing some species to move towards the poles where it is colder in response to temperatures rising in their habitats. Species already have adapted to polar environments so they are at risk of decline or extinction if the climate change causes the polar areas to warm up to much.
- 20What does Low Biodiversity mean?Low biodiversity means when the population of one species changes it can affect the population of dependent species eg changes to the lemming population will affect the populations of their predators Artic foxes.
- 21Case Study on Economic development opportunities and Challenges?
- 22Why are Cold Environments so Fragile?As the Tundra vegetation takes a long time to be established and is a very delicate ecosystem.
Species are highly specialised so find it difficult to adapt to change eg polar bears are adapted to hunt on ice their numbers are decreasing as the sea ice melts earlier each year. - 23Why should we protect Cold environments as wilderness areas?Wilderness areas are fragile and easily damaged by economic activities. Untouched natural environments for important outdoor labs for scientific research. Rare plants and animals will be protected.
- 24What are the strategies needed to balance Economic Development with Conservation?International agreements, Using technology,Conservation groups and The role of Government
- 25What are international AgreementsThese protect cold environments for example in Svalbard. Globally Governments have limited the amount of people entering the ecosystem this allows tourism but in a controlled way.
- 26What are Conservation GroupsConservation groups e.g. WWF and GreenPeace pressure governments to protect cold environments. This can lead to more sustainable development that doesn't damage at risk areas.
- 27How does using Technology help to balance economic Development?By building modern construction methods to co[e with the environmental impacts by building on gravel beds to prevent buildings warming the ground.
- 28How does the government balance Economic development with Conservation?Place laws such as the 1964 wilderness act to protect wilderness areas. This means that development has to take place elsewhere reducing conflict over land use in wilderness areas.
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- GCSE Geography Fichas sobre The living world Cold Environments, creado por Mya Kamboj el 17/12/2019.
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