Geography Fragile Environments
LESSON 1+2
A fragile environments are environments which are vulnerable to
change and will struggle to recover
damage caused by natural events (volcanic eruptions, tropical
storms) and human activity
Impacted by climate change and global warming
Distribution of and Threats
Rainforests/ tropical
located along the equator - between tropics
o South America, Africa, south East Asian islands
Threatened by
o Deforestation - population growth
o Wildfires
o Farming techniques + overfarming
o Mining for ores
Arid/dry
Edges of the tropics
o Australia or Sahara desert
Gobi Desert
Threatened by…
o Desertification - expansion and advances of deserts
o Lack of rain, drought
o Resource mining (oil)
o Over-farming
Cold
north and south poles
Mountain ranges/ altitudes
Threatened by…
o Global warming
Heating of the earth, increasing temp
o Rising sea levels
More threats
Population growth + resource consumption
Arid: increased use for water and agriculture land
Cold: increased use of cars + energy which creates pollution
and speeds up global warming
Rainforest: deforestation for resources + land, logging, mining
Undeveloped land + loss of biodiversity
, Arid: Land cleared for farming + desertification + mining of oil
+ overgrazing + low soil quality
Cold: infrastructure developments destroy habitats + warming
climate
Rainforest: deforestation and habitats loss (orangutans)
Climate change
Arid: rising temperatures worse droughts
Cold: melt ice caps and glaciers
Rainforest: increase droughts, fires + less trees
LESSON 3
Environmental causes of Climate change
Weather = temperature conditions in a particular areas. E.g. rain
Climate = long-term weather condition in a regional/global area
Periods:
Glacial = period where ice sheets and glaciers expand over the
surface of the earth (decreasing the earth’s temperature)
Inter-glacial = periods between glacial eras (ice ages) were
temperate rises causing ice sheets to melt
Permafrost = Frozen ground found in the artic
Theories for climate changes
1. Solar output theory
o suggests the energy emitted from the sun is not
equal, so fluctuates
o Sun spots on on the surface on the sun causes solar
output to increase, which would make the earth
warmer
but there has been no sun spots in 50 years, so temperature
rising has to be from something else
2. Orbital Theory/ Milankovitch Cycles
o the long term changes to the earths orbit and position
which changes the earths climate
1. Eccentricity - changes to earths orbit from circular
to elliptical
1. Affecting distance between earth and sun
2. Makes seasons different lengths + seasons
change
2. Tilt - earth tilt has varied, making seasons
, 1. The greater the tilt, more extreme the
seasons
1. Causes Deglaciation
3. Precession
1. Earth wobbles on its axis which affect season
temperatures
1. Makes more extreme season on one
hemisphere and less extreme on the
other
1. Eruption theory
o volcanoes emit hugs amounts of ash and gases into
atmosphere (sulphur dioxide)
React with water vapour and ash to make clouds in
atmosphere preventing the sun’s energy from
entering earths atmosphere
Temperature decreases
And release large amount of CO2
LESSON 5
Human causes of climate change
Greenhouse effect = when gases trap heat from the sun,
preventing it from escaping back into space, making earth warmer
up (climate change)
“Enhanced” greenhouse effect = the impact of climate change due
to additional heat retained from GHG made by humans
1. Burning fossil fuels
o Fossil fuels = energy sources formed from remains of
dead plants and animals in the ground
Coal, oil, natural gas
o When burnt for energy, GHGs are produced enhancing
greenhouse effect
1. Deforestation
o Permanently cutting down trees, which releases CO2
For agricultural use, infrastructure, resources
o Trees are carbon sink (absorb CO2 from atmosphere)
LESSON 1+2
A fragile environments are environments which are vulnerable to
change and will struggle to recover
damage caused by natural events (volcanic eruptions, tropical
storms) and human activity
Impacted by climate change and global warming
Distribution of and Threats
Rainforests/ tropical
located along the equator - between tropics
o South America, Africa, south East Asian islands
Threatened by
o Deforestation - population growth
o Wildfires
o Farming techniques + overfarming
o Mining for ores
Arid/dry
Edges of the tropics
o Australia or Sahara desert
Gobi Desert
Threatened by…
o Desertification - expansion and advances of deserts
o Lack of rain, drought
o Resource mining (oil)
o Over-farming
Cold
north and south poles
Mountain ranges/ altitudes
Threatened by…
o Global warming
Heating of the earth, increasing temp
o Rising sea levels
More threats
Population growth + resource consumption
Arid: increased use for water and agriculture land
Cold: increased use of cars + energy which creates pollution
and speeds up global warming
Rainforest: deforestation for resources + land, logging, mining
Undeveloped land + loss of biodiversity
, Arid: Land cleared for farming + desertification + mining of oil
+ overgrazing + low soil quality
Cold: infrastructure developments destroy habitats + warming
climate
Rainforest: deforestation and habitats loss (orangutans)
Climate change
Arid: rising temperatures worse droughts
Cold: melt ice caps and glaciers
Rainforest: increase droughts, fires + less trees
LESSON 3
Environmental causes of Climate change
Weather = temperature conditions in a particular areas. E.g. rain
Climate = long-term weather condition in a regional/global area
Periods:
Glacial = period where ice sheets and glaciers expand over the
surface of the earth (decreasing the earth’s temperature)
Inter-glacial = periods between glacial eras (ice ages) were
temperate rises causing ice sheets to melt
Permafrost = Frozen ground found in the artic
Theories for climate changes
1. Solar output theory
o suggests the energy emitted from the sun is not
equal, so fluctuates
o Sun spots on on the surface on the sun causes solar
output to increase, which would make the earth
warmer
but there has been no sun spots in 50 years, so temperature
rising has to be from something else
2. Orbital Theory/ Milankovitch Cycles
o the long term changes to the earths orbit and position
which changes the earths climate
1. Eccentricity - changes to earths orbit from circular
to elliptical
1. Affecting distance between earth and sun
2. Makes seasons different lengths + seasons
change
2. Tilt - earth tilt has varied, making seasons
, 1. The greater the tilt, more extreme the
seasons
1. Causes Deglaciation
3. Precession
1. Earth wobbles on its axis which affect season
temperatures
1. Makes more extreme season on one
hemisphere and less extreme on the
other
1. Eruption theory
o volcanoes emit hugs amounts of ash and gases into
atmosphere (sulphur dioxide)
React with water vapour and ash to make clouds in
atmosphere preventing the sun’s energy from
entering earths atmosphere
Temperature decreases
And release large amount of CO2
LESSON 5
Human causes of climate change
Greenhouse effect = when gases trap heat from the sun,
preventing it from escaping back into space, making earth warmer
up (climate change)
“Enhanced” greenhouse effect = the impact of climate change due
to additional heat retained from GHG made by humans
1. Burning fossil fuels
o Fossil fuels = energy sources formed from remains of
dead plants and animals in the ground
Coal, oil, natural gas
o When burnt for energy, GHGs are produced enhancing
greenhouse effect
1. Deforestation
o Permanently cutting down trees, which releases CO2
For agricultural use, infrastructure, resources
o Trees are carbon sink (absorb CO2 from atmosphere)
