Impact Of Human Activity + Attempts To Manage The Prairies Grassland Area
Impact Of Human Activity + Attempts To Manage The Prairies Grassland Area When European settlers arrived in the Prairies they drove out the local Indians, who had survived by hunting the huge herds of bison. The Prairie soil proved difficult to remove and cultivate with ploughs available at that time, and so much of the grassland was used initially for cattle ranching. After the 1840's when the steel plough was developed, breaking the soil for cultivation became possible and cereal crops were successfully introduced. In the second half of the C19th three factors combined to help in the expansion and establishment of cereal growing as the principal farming activity of the region: . The world price of cereals increased steadily after 1860. 2. The demand for cereals from the industrialised Countries of W.Europe rose. 3. The continental railways were completed. These were vital for the transport of the huge quantities of cereals to the exporting ports. By the C20th vast areas of the Prairies had been ploughed up and given over to cereal cultivation. This was monoculture on a ground settlement, the dominance of one crop, wheat. It was ideally suited to the erosion conditions. The humus - rich chernozem soils were fertile. Melting snows provide moisture for the germinating wheat in early spring and this is the supplemented by rains which fall mostly during the growing
What is the most geographical issue in the world today and why?
What is the most geographical issue in the world today and why? In my opinion, the most important geographical issue, and the one that needs to be most addressed, in the world today is global warming. At the moment, there are too many people saying that we need to do something and not enough doing anything about it at all. There are so many different factors and effects of global warming, that can be seen everywhere, showing that this issue is so powerful and dangerous. In recent years we have witnessed dramatic weather events and natural disasters that can only be explained by our effects on the world, in which we live and have thrived in for thousands of years. An example of this is the hurricane that hit Brazil in March 2004 and never before in history has this been known to happen. Research shows that hurricanes feed off of warm water and deteriorate once they hit land, but since this hurricane formed in usually cooler waters, it shows that our seas are warming up - a sign of global warming. Another issue that has reached recent headlines is the fact that the polar ice caps are melting, again showing that the world's temperatures are rising. By this slight land change each year, so much can be altered for the worse, such as animals losing their habitats and feeding grounds and eventually the animals will become extinct. On a larger scale, however, the sea levels
Describe and explain the spatial patterns of climatic regions with extreme atmospheric energy supplies. Illustrating your answer with examples, discuss how atmospheric energy flow may be modified by human activities.
Describe and explain the spatial patterns of climatic regions with extreme atmospheric energy supplies. Illustrating your answer with examples, discuss how atmospheric energy flow may be modified by human activities. The world is not receiving an uniform amount of atmospheric energy supplies everywhere. There are surplus and deficit in different parts of the world and some of them are of extreme atmospheric energy supplies. The difference in atmospheric energy supplies can basically be categorized by the latitudinal difference of regions. However, apart from the physical factors, human activities can also alter the atmospheric energy flow on earth. Extreme atmospheric energy supplies actually means extremely low or extremely high energy supplies. In climatic regions of extremely high atmospheric energy supplies, the temperature will be very high and the opposite will happen to regions with extremely low energy supplies. The above situation happens because the large latitudinal difference is an important factor in controlling climates of different region. Firstly, the extreme atmospheric energy supplies is contributed by the latitudinal difference because it affects the angle of the sun. In low latitude regions, the angle of sun is small and then energy they receive would be very concentrated. However, in high latitude regions, the angle is bigger and the area receiving
Geography: Desertification.
Geography: Desertification Over-grazing is a result of too much live stock being kept on a given area of pasture resulting in the loss of edible species and the consequent encouragement of inedible species. If excessive grazing pressure continues, the loss of vegetation cover can result in soil erosion. Other common way in which human mismanagement causes desertification is over-cultivation, in which soil is exhausted by nutrient loss and erosion, the excessive clearance of vegetation, often for fuel-wood and poor management of irrigation schemes which results in salinization in soils. Over-cultivation occurs due to the shortening of periods when the land is left free from cultivation (fallow), or from the use of techniques which cause widespread loss of soil. This is usually due, as in the Sahel, to increase population pressure which increases the demand for food and so pressure on the farmers to produce more. Forests and wood land is cleared for a variety of purposes, to create agricultural and pasture land for example, but it might be that one of the most serious cause of desertification in this respect is the fuel-wood crises. The collection of fuel-wood form urban hinterlands in the Sahel, the most severely affected region, has resulted in the almost total loss of trees around major cities. We could blame the people in desertification to 3 main groups in Sahel, the
Description of the annual rainfall graph for Kano, Nigeria
Description of the annual rainfall graph for Kano This graph shows the annual weather change in Kano located in the north of Nigeria, West Africa at 12° N of the equator in the tropical continental. This graph illustrates small fluctuations in the temperature throughout the year, with only a range of 8°C (change from January to December), with the temperature staying very high throughout the year with as lows as 26°C. Peak time in the summer reach towards 35°C in April to as lows as 25°C in January and December. Illustrated on the graph are the wet and dry seasons each lasting six months, dry seasons from November to April and wet seasons from May to October. This is due to the concentration of the sun, as in equator were the sun is more concentrated outputting 1kw/m2 at a constant rate means temperatures are generally high throughout the year, with cooler seasons and warmer seasons (view graph).Also to contribute to the warm weather is the dark forest areas in the closed savanna, due to being dark the trees absorb the heat, this is not as likely in the open savannas. Located in the tropics means the sun has a reduced angle in the sky for part of the year, meaning the sun light has to penetrate through more atmospheres, and in the rainy seasons cloud, this reduces the temperature as energy is lost. Many other contributions affect the temperature, that clouds reflect
Countryside attraction - New Forest National Park.
Countryside My countryside attraction is New Forest National Park. This general description of countryside attraction explains the general appeal, impact of location, design features and key points about countryside operation and management. My individual investigation of Exmoor National Park examines each of these features in more detail. By doing a general description first it will help to highlight the key information on countryside attractions that can then be compared with man-made attractions. Countryside location and access: The key difference between countryside and man-made attractions is that the first are natural where as the second can be chosen. In Britain, there are over 10 national parks in various parts of the country but most of the parks are in the north. There are no national parks in the southeast London area. There are a variety of countryside natural attractions including gardens, nature trails, private farms, forests and woodland, wetland, smaller area of open space often used for out-door recreation, wildlife parks, and bird sanctuaries all of which are not national parks, but can be important countryside attractions. The coastal areas of Britain, separate to beaches and resorts, include costal walks, natural wildlife and scenery, which are popular with tourists. Location and access to countryside is important for the following reasons: .
Across Britain the climate and weather varies from the north, south, east and west.
Climate of Britain Across Britain the climate and weather varies from the north, south, east and west. In the north the temperature is very cold and wet as compared to the rest of Britain. Evidence for this is in 'Ardtalnaig', which is in the north. It has the highest amount of rainfall annually in Britain (1252 mm). The reason why the north experiences all this rainfall is because above the north of Britain there is the Arctic sea. The air that comes over the north of the Britain, travels over the Arctic Ocean, and so it collects water causing it to rain. Even though 'Ardtalnaig' is the station with the most rainfall, the majority of rainfall occurs in the west of Britain. The temperature in the north is the coldest in the whole of Britain. The station that has the lowest temperature in Britain is 'Braemar' where the lowest temperature is -2.2°C. The reason for this is because of the Arctic Maritime air masses that come from Arctic. They often bring very cold weather in the winter and in the spring. In the south of Britain the weather is the warmest. An example is Greenwich, which has the highest average July temperature. Also in the south especially the southeast the average temperatures around London in July are about 2 degrees more than other places in England. However, in winter the temperature in the south is similar to that of other stations. It may just be
The Woodland.
Hayley Brown 10D 565 Words The Woodland The leaf-choked ground was soft under the feet, the slender trees dispersed strategically, masking the interior wood from the rest of the world. It was a haven here, quiet and detached from the thundering roar of the city only two miles away. Autumn brought a pretty time for the wood. Beautiful colours of red, brown, orange and yellow covered the floor, turning the scene into an exquisite picture. Excited groups of children ran gleefully, searching high and low for conkers, shiny and brown, lying guarded by their spiked shells. The wind taunted the trees and they swayed indignantly. Couples strolled through the leaves, hand in hand; dogs chased damp sticks thrown by their cheerful owners. Hedgehogs nestled in the thick layer of leaves, trying to hide from passers by and silver-grey squirrels scuttled restlessly, searching for a suitable place to hide their nuts. But soon, with the winter threatening, the animals slowly disappeared. Birds flew hastily in flocks; other animals retreated into their homes, eager to escape the bitter weather. During the cold, wet weeks of winter, when the days were short, darkness shrouded the vicinity. Heavy rain often fell and the wood was dark and sombre. The fog descended and wrapped around the trees, supplying them with an aura of mystery. There
How weather effects peoples lives and activities.
How weather effects peoples lives and activities. Weather, is the day to day change in conditions including the changes in the atmosphere, these changes include temperature, levels of precipitation, wind speed, wind direction and the change in air pressure. These measurements are usually taken and recorded at least once a day. Weather is the day-to-day changes in Earths atmospheric conditions. Climate, is the average conditions for an area or country recorded over a long period of time like 30 years or more, examining the data recorded it is possible to see patterns or trends these become known as the climate. Any place on earth does therefore have its own daily weather and its own longer term average conditions or climate. By examining the records it is possible to identify trends etc which become known as the seasons identified by the combination of the weather patterns. Particular weather hazards like Tornados or Hurricanes follow seasonal patterns. Known as climatic classification the climate data from round the world is used to divide the globe into climate zones. Climate and weather are both very powerful forces in the world, human activity is closely linked to the yearly patterns of climate especially in countries or regions where the people rely on farming both for food and for a living. Problems begin to arise when people live in weather extremes e.g. in areas of
Acid rain study
Acid Rain Task 1 - Formation and effects of acid rain a) Acid rain is a term used to describe wet forms of acid pollution that can be found in rain, snow, fog or water vapour. This type of rainfall usually has a lower pH (below 5.6 average) when acidic. It is formed when secondary pollutants formed from the oxidation of nitrogen oxides of sulphur dioxide are released into the atmosphere. These substances react with the surroundings and react with other gases in the atmosphere to form acids, which can eventually incorporate with water vapour in the clouds to form sulphuric and nitric acids. The major substances which produce acid rain is sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). Natural and human actions are responsible for the production of these pollutants. The natural processes are mainly unavoidable and include decomposition of organic matter, volcanic eruptions that release sulphur dioxide and degassing from oceanic plankton. The volcanic eruption in Philippines in 1991 resulted in a temporary decrease of global temperatures for more than two years. Acid rain has been recognised for centuries but it was not known until the 19th century that these were linked with human actions. It is known to be caused from emissions released into the atmosphere from factories burning fossil fuels such as coal and oil. In the Victorian times, coal fires released huge amounts of
