The Living World
What is the role of leaf litter in the rainforest nutrient cycle?
It decomposes quickly, releasing nutrients into the soil.
What percentage of Rio’s population lives in favelas?
Around 25%
What term describes material carried by a river?
Load
What does the term “glacial abrasion” mean?
Rocks carried by the glacier scrape and wear away the landscape.
What is a small-scale UK ecosystem you might study?
Example: A pond, hedgerow, or woodland.
Why are soils in tropical rainforests often nutrient-poor despite dense vegetation?
Heavy rainfall leaches nutrients from the soil.
Name one key transport improvement made in London to reduce congestion.
Example: Crossrail (Elizabeth Line) or congestion charge zone.
What is a levee and how does it form?
A raised riverbank formed by the deposition of sediment during flooding.
What is a hanging valley and how is it formed?
A smaller valley left above the main glacial trough, often with a waterfall.
What is urban deprivation?
A lack of access to basic services, jobs, housing, and a safe environment.
Give two examples of plant adaptations to the rainforest environment.
Drip tips for shedding water; buttress roots for stability in shallow soil.
How does air pollution affect health in rapidly growing cities like Rio?
Causes respiratory issues, increases risk of asthma and infections.
How do ox-bow lakes develop?
Erosion breaks through a meander neck; deposition cuts off the loop.
Name two types of moraine.
Terminal, lateral, medial, or ground moraine (any two).
How does the shape of a hydrograph differ between urban and rural areas?
Urban: steep rising limb and short lag time; Rural: gentler rising limb and longer lag time.
How does deforestation contribute to climate change?
Trees absorb CO₂; when cut, carbon is released, increasing greenhouse gases.
Why are informal economies common in NEE cities like Rio?
Lack of formal jobs; migrants create their own income through street vending, etc.
What’s the difference between flood warning and floodplain zoning?
Warning alerts people in advance; zoning restricts land use in flood-prone areas.
What evidence tells us the UK landscape was shaped by glaciers?
U-shaped valleys, striations, erratics, ribbon lakes.
How do glacial and fluvial processes differ in shaping the land?
Glaciers erode through plucking and abrasion; rivers use hydraulic action and attrition.
Compare the environmental and economic impacts of large-scale logging in the Amazon.
Environmental: habitat loss, species extinction. Economic: timber trade, local employment.
Evaluate one scheme aimed at increasing urban sustainability in London.
Example: Cycle Superhighways – reduce car use, but cost and space use can be controversial.
Assess the social and environmental effects of a flood management scheme in the UK.
Example: Jubilee River – protects thousands of homes but altered habitats and caused flooding downstream.
Evaluate the impact of tourism on a named glaciated upland area in the UK.
Example: Lake District – boosts economy but causes footpath erosion, litter, traffic.
Compare two sustainable rainforest management strategies.
Examples: Agroforestry vs. international debt relief – one supports local farming; the other requires global cooperation.