Geography Knowledge Organisers

1. Year 10 Geography Knowledge Organisers Paper 2 Ecosystems Tropical Rainforests Cold Environments Urban Issues and Challenges: Rio Urban Issues and Challenges: Bristol Paper 1 Tectonic Hazards Atmospheric Hazards Extreme Weather in the UK Climate Change Coasts Rivers

2. 1. Tectonic Hazards Chile Nepal Nepal Chile Nepal Chile Nepal Chile

3. 2. Atmospheric Hazards Cloudy and wet in the UK The UK is located at about 55° North just below the 60°N line of latitude. This puts the UK close to the boundary of cold polar air moving down from the north and warm sub-tropical air moving up from the south. The boundary between these two air masses is unstable. Here there is rising air and low-pressure belts (the sub-polar low) on the ground. Rising air cools, condenses and forms cloud and rain. This is why it is often cloudy and wet in the UK. Surface winds in these mid-latitudes comes from the south-west. These winds bring warm and wet conditions to the UK. But sometimes the cold polar air from the north moves down over the UK bringing snow and very cold winter weather. Hot and sweaty at the Equator At the equator the air is rising and there is another low pressure belt (the equatorial low). This is part of the world is very much hotter than the UK, with the sun directly overhead. Equatorial regions such as central Africa and south-east Asia, experience hot, humid conditions. It is often cloudy with high rainfall. This is the region where tropical rainforests are found. Hot and dry in the desert Most of the world’s hot deserts are found at about 30° north and south of the Equator. Here the air is sinking, making a belt of high pressure (the sub-tropical high). Air isn’t rising here, so there are few clouds forming and little rainfall. The lack of cloud makes it very hot during the day and very cold at night, as heat is quickly lost from the ground.

4. 3. Extreme Weather in the UK 3.3 Evidence that weather is becoming more extreme in the UK

5. 4. Climate Change

6. 5. Ecosystems Located east of London, Epping Forest is all that remains of a larger forest that colonised England at the end of the last Ice Age. Epping Forest is home to: • A large number of native tree species including oak, ash and beech • A lower shrub layer of holly and hazel at 5m • Many insects, mammal bird consumer species (9 amphibian and reptile species and 38 bird species) • 700 species of fungi The forest's producers, consumers and decomposers are all interdependent. This is most clearly shown by the annual life cycle of the trees. Most of the trees are deciduous, meaning that they lose their leaves in winter. This is an adaptation to the UK's seasonal climate. Winters are darker and cooler than summers (the mean monthly temperature is 18°C in July but just 5°C in January). As a result, the trees grow broad green leaves in spring. This allows them to maximise photosynthesis during the summer. They shed their leaves in the autumn, and so conserve their energy during winter. By mid-autumn, the forest floor is covered with a thick layer of leaves. Remarkably, by spring, the leaf litter has all but disappeared: the decomposers and detritivores' work is now complete. Nutrients stored in the leaves are converted to humus in the soil, ready to support the new season's plant growth. This will ultimately include the fruits and berries that, in turn, support many primary consumers. Nutrient cycling demonstrates clearly the interdependence of plants, animals and soil. People and ecosystem components are interdependent too. In the past, coppicing was common (cutting back trees to encourage new growth of wood), Today, visitors pick berries and flowers, In turn, this helps spread the seeds, which stick to their clothing.

7. 6. Tropical Rainforests The rate in which areas are deforested are changing. In Malaysia between 2000-2005 and 2005-2010 the rate increased by 9%. In Cameroon deforestation is still happening, however it has slowed by 14% Malaysia is a country in South East Asia. It is made up of Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia, which is part of the island of Borneo. The natural vegetation is tropical rainforest. 67% of Malaysia’s land is covered by rainforest. Canopy -An overlapping maze of leaves and branches. Many of the leaves have a drip tip to allow heavy rain to drip off the leaf to make its way to the root system -Plants called epiphytes (plants that live on other plants) live on branches high in this layer to seek sunlight. -Home to about 90% of rainforest animals including; monkeys, sloths, birds and millions of species of insects Emergent -The tallest layer with trees growing 50 plus metres in height -Fast growing trees such as the Kapok are found in this layer. They out compete other trees by growing the quickest to reach the sunlight first Climate: -Rains every day – total annual rainfall of 2,200 mm -Temperatures range between 27⁰C and 30⁰C -Very little light variation throughout the year – 12 hours daylight, 12 hour night Soil: -Soils are a poor quality; nutrients are washed down through the soil by heavy rain. -Shrub layer – dark, only 2% of light, rotting leaves, thin soil Vegetation -Most plants have shallow roots that take rainwater and dissolved nutrients directly from the decomposing leaf litter -Leaves have drip tips to quickly disperse rainfall otherwise the weight may result in branches breaking off -Plants on the forest floor have adapted: they have large leaves due to lack of light, and drip tips to help them to shed rainwater quickly -The trees in the canopy have small leaves to prevent water loss through transpiration -The large trees have buttress roots which give them stability because of their great height. The roots are also a nutrient store Animals -Toucans live in the canopy. They have long bills to reach fruit on branches that are too small to support their weight. -The harpy eagle lives in the canopy. It has a 2 m wing span and is so powerful that it can snatch a sloth from a tree in flight -Sloths live in the canopy. They use camouflage and amazing slowness to escape predators. Green algae grows in the sloth’s fur, which helps to camouflage it in the forest canopy. Sloths are among the slowest moving animals of all. They hang from branches in the canopy and are so still that predators such as jaguars don’t see them.

8. 7. Cold Environments Polar and tundra are cold environments; they cover ¼ of the Earth’s land surface, the world’s cold environments are high- latitude world regions where cold, sinking air creates freezing winds and the sunlight is thin. Vegetation -Only plants with shallow root systems can survive permafrost these include mosses, lichens, bearberry and some flowering plants or low growing shrubs. -Trees cannot survive as they rely on deep roots for stability in the wind -Due to high latitude light is weak; snow covers plants for many months and they have adapted to maximise photosynthesis during the short growing season. -Plants grow close to ground and each other to allow plants to trap pockets of warmer air. Their leaves are small and fringed with tiny hairs to capture heat. Animals -Polar bears have thick blubber to retain heat and white fur for camouflage -Consumers e.g. Snowshoe rabbits have white fur, this helps them adapt as they cannot easily be seen against the winter snow. Also consumers such as caribou and musk ok have 2 layers of fur to help them survive the bitter cold. They also have large hooves to help them travel over soggy ground and break through ice to find drinking water during winter. Wilderness areas perform vital ecosystem services that the whole world relies on. The white snow and ice cover in polar regions reflects sunlight and helps to regulate Earth’s temperatures. The permafrost keeps enormous volumes of methane (greenhouse gas) locked in so if released this would contribute largely to global warming. -Tundra birds and small mammals use moss to line their nests for warmth against the icy wind. -Traditionally, Inupiat and Yup’ik people of the Arctic Circle depended on animal skin and feathers for their clothing. -Historically, indigenous people in coastal areas have depended on marine species (e.g. fish, sharks and whales) for food and other uses

9. 8. Coasts

10. 9. Rivers Peak rainfall – the time when rain is the heaviest Rising limb – shows how quickly the discharge rises Peak discharge – the highest recorded discharge Lag time – the time difference between peak rainfall and peak discharge Base flow- the normal flow of a river

11. 10. Urban Issues and Challenges: Rio

12. 11. Urban Issues and Challenges: Bristol Inequality is the gap between areas with levels of social deprivationand affluent areas. Greenfield: Harry Stokes Brownfield: Bristol Harbourside