Biophysical interactions
What are the four spheres (or components) of the biophysical environment?
Hydrosphere, biosphere, lithosphere and atmosphere
Which continent is most populous?
Asia
Define equity.
The term “equity” refers to fairness and justice and is distinguished from equality: Whereas equality means providing the same to all, equity means recognizing that we do not all start from the same place and must acknowledge and make adjustments to imbalances.
Define 'natural resource.
Materials or substances occurring in nature which can be exploited for economic gain.
What two factors do population pyramids measure?
Age and gender.
Describe the role of the water cycle in one of the four spheres.
Hydrosphere: Stores and flows of water (the ocean, the cryosphere, ground-water)
Biosphere: Photosynthesis, the transportation of water in blood, habitats and ecosystems.
Atmosphere: Condensation and precipitation to create clouds, global climate patterns and temperature.
Lithosphere: Groundwater within the lithosphere - involved in geological processes.
What do high fertility and high mortality rates indicate about a country?
That they are developing, have little access to social infrastructure like education on and access to contraception, advanced health care, adequate nutrition, etc.
Define relative vs absolute poverty.
Relative poverty: no access to minimum necessities and essentials
Relative poverty: defined by standards of living within a country - directly related to a countries developmental status. (Examples: median incomes)
Explain the meaning of the term 'the resource curse'.
The resource curse, also known as the paradox of plenty or the poverty paradox, is the phenomenon of countries with an abundance of natural resources (such as fossil fuels and certain minerals) having less economic growth, less democracy, or worse development outcomes than countries with fewer natural resources.
How do you calculate range?
To calculate the range, you need to find the largest observed value of a variable (the maximum) and subtract the smallest observed value (the minimum).
How do waves shape coastlines?
Erosion: destructive waves (usually related to storms) cause acceleration of erosion and large movements of sediment
Deposition: constructive waves build beaches by depositing sand and fragments.
List two factors that impact the spatial variations of populations.
Answers could include: access to education, improvement of women's rights, biophysical features suitable to human settlement, technological or industrial development, access to health care, cultural expectations of gender roles and family sizes, improvements in agriculture, economic opportunities, etc.
List three developmental indicators used to define a country's developmental status.
GDP (Gross-domestic product: economy)
GNP (Gross- national product: economy)
Birth rates/fertility
Mortality rates (total population deaths)
Infant mortality rates
HDI (Human developmental index: socio-economic)
Literacy rates
Life expectancy
The World Happiness Index (qualitative social measurement)
What is an environmental impact assessment?
(EIA) is a tool used to assess the significant effects of a project or development proposal on the environment.
Ex: Ecologically sustainable development (ESD).
Determining time of day in a photograph - powerpoint!
Both answers are B!
List two factors that affect global patterns of vegetation.
climate, topography, biotic features, or soil formation
According to the United Nations, what is the global population predicted to reach by 2050? (to within .2 billion either side of the correct answer)
9.8 billion
Qualitative - descriptive, contextual measurements of development, measuring things like level of satisfaction with life, perception of social equity or women's rights.
Limitations:
Requires rigorous standardization in order to accurate measure change over time. Subjective.
Quantitative - numerical measurements of development, which analyses and evaluates statistical evidence to provide evaluations.
Limitations:
Do not always accurate represent inequality within a country or region. Difficult to accurate measure the distribution of assets within a location.
Provide two ways increased population growth impacts natural resources?
Examples could include; increased land clearing, pollution (air, water, land), development of monocultures etc
How do you calculate density?
Divide the number of objects by the measurement of the area.
On topographic maps (typically) one grid square is 1KM2.
So, if you are asked to determine the density of [trees, houses, people...]...
Explain the atmospheres sensitivity to human induced change. Refer to a relevant case study.
Answers could include: the greenhouse effect from burning fossil fuels (ex: the Industrial Revolution, population growth), causing global temperatures to rise, land use changes (ex: deforestation in the amazon, urbanisation of natural areas-urban heat islands) which reduce carbon sinks, etc.
Identify one social, one economic and one environmental impact of a growing population.
Social: housing availability, employment rates, access to food/water etc
Economic: increased revenue, poverty etc
Environmental: land degradation/clearing, loss of habitats, pollution etc.
List two of the limitations of development that are present in Africa.
Answers could include:
internal factors -geopolitical conflict with origins in colonialism, militarisation of governments, armed conflict that creates internally displaced people
external factors- sovereignty over resources, dependency on developmental aid and external aid to support internally displaced people and refugees, debt burdens, trade imbalances.
Explain how access to natural resources can present a problem to people living in developing countries.
Examples could include; uneven distribution of resources, government corruption, illegal extraction of resources etc.
Gradient
Work out the gradient of the slope if Point A has a height of 500 metres, Point B has a height of 400 metres, the distance between the
two points is 6cm, and the scale of the map is 1:50,000.
Rise/Run =
500m-400m = 100m (rise)
6cm x 50,000cm = 300000 cm
300,000cm/100= 3000m (run)
100/100 = 1
3000/100 = 30
1:30