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Ecosystems and urban change - Coggle Diagram
Ecosystems and urban change
Keywords
Exploitation
the action or fact of treating someone unfairly in order to benefit from their work.
Urbanisation
the process of making an area more urban.
Migration
movement of people to a new area or country in order to find work or better living conditions.
Distribution
the way in which something is shared out among a group or spread over an area.
Economic development
Looks at the total value of goods and services provided/income of a country
derelict
in a very poor condition as a result of disuse and neglect.
regeneration
the action or process of regenerating or being regenerated.
Global ecosystems
temperate grassland
Description: Consists of grass and trees that thrive in a temperate continental climate of moderate rainfall and mild conditions.
Location: found in Hungary, South Africa, Argentina and the USA.
dessert
Description: Conditions here are very hot and dry. Plants and animals are specially adapted to survive in the harsh conditions.
Location: found near the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.
Temperate deciduous forest
Description: These trees lose their leaves every year and thrive in mild and wet conditions known as a temperate maritime climate.
Location: found across Europe and in the USA.
Tropical rainforest
Description: The climate is hot and humid and many different species can be found here.
Location: found near the Equator.
Polar
Description: Only specialised plants and animals survive here.
Location: found near the north and south poles.
Savanna grassland
Description: Long grasses and a few scattered trees are found in these hot and dry conditions.
Location: found mainly in central Africa, southern India, northern Australia and central South America.
Marine
Description: They form some of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth. they are underwater and often as forms of reefs
Location: found in a zone extending from 30° north to 30° south of the equator.
Threats to rainforests
Growing population
population growth has resulted in the loss of tropical rainforest as land is cleared to build houses and infrastructure.
Mining
The Carajas mine in Brazil is the world's largest iron ore mine.
the Amazon Basin is rich in natural resources such as iron ore, copper, tin, aluminium, manganese and gold. This has led to the development of mines which results in the clearance of tropical rainforest.
Roads
the construction of access roads for farmers, loggers and miners results in large parts of the tropical rainforest being destroyed.
Farming/agriculture
Arable farming is also responsible for the loss of tropical rainforest as many farmers are clearing land to grow cash crops, such as soya beans.
large areas are cleared for pastoral farming. As the global demand for meat has increased many cattle farms have opened in the Amazon Basin for beef farming.
Hydroelectric power/energy sources
The flooding of the Balbina dam in Brazil resulted in the loss of 920 square miles of tropical rainforest.
The creation of HEP stations in the Amazon Basin has resulted in large areas of forest being flooded to create the reservoirs and dams.
Logging
tropical rainforests are cut down so that valuable trees like mahogany can be accessed and sold for timber to make furniture. Other trees are cut down for making paper products.
Case study (Rio)
Push factors
difficult and unprofitable farming
no land ownership
low wages
lack of social amenities
few job opportunities
natural hazards, eg drought
Pull factors
better schools and hospitals
better housing and services (water, electricity, and sewage)
higher wages
better transport and communications
job opportunities
Rapid growth of the city has led to a housing shortage. Most of the rural migrants begin their life in Rio in informal settlements called favelas. Over 20 per cent of the population live in around 1000 favelas in and around the city.
Rio de Janeiro’s roads are often congested. The number of cars in the city is increasing as the population rises and people become wealthier.
Children in Rio start school at the age of six. Public schools are free of charge. Each school teaches according to guidelines, but there is no strict curriculum. Violence can be a barrier to education as in some neighbourhoods it is not always safe for children to travel to school.
Urban sprawl is an issue as the city continues to grow rapidly, encroaching on surrounding rural (countryside) areas. Air pollution can be a problem, particularly from traffic congestion in the city centre and from industrial zones. Waste disposal is a particular problem in the favelas, where access is difficult and there are no organised sewage or waste recovery systems.
Rio has experienced rapid growth because of rural to urban migration. Huge numbers of people have moved from countryside areas into the city, mainly in search of jobs. This has put a great deal of pressure on services and amenitie
sustainable management of tropical rainforesets
education
Promoting the value and benefits of biodiversity associated with tropical rainforests.
ecotourism
that creates jobs for local people whilst ensuring that the money generated is used to protect and conserve the tropical rainforest for future generations to enjoy.
this encourages sustainable tourism
Logging and replanting
Planned and controlled logging ensures that for every tree logged another is planted.
selective logging of mature trees ensures that the rainforest canopy is preserved. This method allows the forest to recover because the younger trees gain more space and sunlight to grow.
international agreements
This is when a country which is owed money by another country cancels part of the debt if an agreement is made by the debtor country to ensure the conservation of its tropical rainforests.
agreements to protect tropical rainforests have been made between different countries through debt-for-nature swaps.