Fragile Environments Are Under Threat From Desertification, Deforestation And Global Climate Change
Overview
Some environments absorb damage and bounce back. Others sit so close to the edge of what they can tolerate that one bad decade of rainfall, one new road or one herd too many tips them into a decline that lasts generations. Geographers call these fragile environments, and three processes are pushing them hardest: desertification, deforestation and global climate change.
This lesson maps where fragile environments are and what makes them fragile, then works through the causes of desertification and deforestation in turn. It closes on climate change, where you will need both sides of the story: the genuine natural drivers of past climate change, including Milankovitch cycles, solar variation and volcanism, and the human activities that are driving the enhanced greenhouse effect today.
Objectives
- Distributions and characteristics of the world's fragile environments
- Causes of desertification (drought, population pressure, fuel supply, overgrazing, migration) and deforestation (commercial timber extraction, agriculture, mining, transport, settlement and HEP)
- Causes of natural climate change (Milankovitch cycles, solar variation and volcanism) and how human activities (industry, transport, energy, and farming) can cause the enhanced greenhouse effect
Lesson Note
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Lesson Evaluation
Congratulations on completing the lesson on Fragile Environments Are Under Threat From Desertification, Deforestation And Global Climate Change. Now that youve explored the key concepts and ideas, its time to put your knowledge to the test. This section offers a variety of practice questions designed to reinforce your understanding and help you gauge your grasp of the material.
You will encounter a mix of question types, including multiple-choice questions, short answer questions, and essay questions. Each question is thoughtfully crafted to assess different aspects of your knowledge and critical thinking skills.
Use this evaluation section as an opportunity to reinforce your understanding of the topic and to identify any areas where you may need additional study. Don't be discouraged by any challenges you encounter; instead, view them as opportunities for growth and improvement.
- Which of the following best explains why tropical rainforest is described as a fragile environment? A) It receives very little rainfall B) Most nutrients are stored in the vegetation rather than the soil C) It has very low biodiversity D) The growing season lasts only a few weeks Answer: B
- Approximately how long is one full eccentricity cycle in the Milankovitch model? A) 100 years B) 4,100 years C) 41,000 years D) 100,000 years Answer: D
- What is the short-term climatic effect of a large explosive volcanic eruption? A) Warming, because carbon dioxide is released B) Cooling, because sulfate aerosols reflect incoming sunlight C) No effect, because ash falls out within days D) Warming, because ash darkens the ice sheets Answer: B
- Which gas is released mainly by cattle and by flooded rice paddies? A) Nitrous oxide B) Sulfur dioxide C) Methane D) Ozone Answer: C
- By roughly how much does total solar irradiance vary over the 11-year sunspot cycle? A) 0.1 per cent B) 1 per cent C) 5 per cent D) 15 per cent Answer: A
Available on the Green Bridge App
Download the Green Bridge CBT app on your phone or computer to access full lesson notes, practice questions, and more.
Available on the Green Bridge App
Download the Green Bridge CBT app on your phone or computer to access full lesson notes, practice questions, and more.
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