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name four types of distinctive landscapes.
river
coastal
lowland
upland
name four factors that influence UK landscapes.
land use
geology
people and culture
vegetation
what makes Studland Bay distinctive (culture)?
an area to be enjoyed, recreational, a place for stress relief
a place to visit when the weather is good, for a day trip, one weekend break from areas within the SE of England
an area that is important to protect
an area for creativity e.g. music videos
what makes Studland Bay distinctive (geology)?
geology of the area being a mix of hard and soft rock had led to the formation of some distinctive features, namely, Old Harry and his wife (stack and stump)
big sandybay
(bigger) headland in South and North
clay and sand (soft)
chalk and limestone (hard)
headlands where rock is hard and doesn’t erode
bays where rock is soft and does erode
what makes Studland Bay distinctive (land use)?
in the bay the main land use is tourism and recreation
car parking
recreational activities e.g. horse riding stables
commerce, a small shop and cafe
national trust education centre in the bay
further inland the use becomes more varied and there is an oil field
what makes Studland Bay distinctive (vegetation)?
many types of vegetation can be found, mainly part of a sand dune and heathland ecosystem
for example, there is a lot of marram grass, which is a pioneer species within a sand dune ecosystem
marram grass is important as itts roots help bind soil tigether and reduce erosion by waves
the different vegetation has created many different habitats to support animal species too
What type of landscape is Snowdonia, Llanberis Pass
upland
what makes Snowdonia distinctive (geology)?
diverse upland landscape shaped by volcanic eruptions and extensive glaciation
numerous glacial features such as cories, U-shaped vallies and arretes
mountain range that drops quickly to the sea
contains the highest mountain in Wales , Snowdon, 1085 m
what makes Snowdonia distinctive (land use)?
the landscape in many areas has been shaped by slate mining
large areas of agriculture (mainly pastoral) and forestry
National Park status - attracts thousands of tourists each year, which has led to the growth of B&Bs, camp sites and other tourist facilities
what makes Snowdonia distinctive (vegetation)?
diverse range of both plant and animal life due to the varied physical evironments and habitats found
unique and rare species such as the Snowdon lily and the Snowdon beetle
large areas of natural mixed deciduous forests including species such as Welsh oak and birch; and planted coniferous trees which are often harvested
what makes Snowdonia distinctive (people and culture)?
Snowdonia has a rich cultural history with many World Heritage sites including Celtic shrines and fortresses
Welsh language widely spoken
how are physical landscapes in the UK affected by human activity (Studland Bay)?
key terms: honeypot site, carrying capacity, visitor pressure
litter, on a busy day up to 25,000 people
in dry summer months increased risk of fire as a result of many tourists (BBQs, etc)
90% of visitors come by car
parking spaces are limited, full at 11:00am
illegal parking
footpath erosion - a loss of vegetation due to people and animals trampling along countryside or coastal areas
carrying capacity
number of people that a landscape can sustain without creating lasting damage
positives of human activity on the landscape (generally).
an increase in employment in the tourism industry
many other indirect jobs see a boost in trade due to tourism e.g. taxi drivers
am increase in wealth in residents in the local economy (more money flowing)
tourism jobs help to compensate for the decline of employment in farming and agriculture
employment keeps young people in the local, rural settlements, which in turn maintains local srvices e.g. schools and shops
negatives of human activity on the landscape (generally).
seasonal jobs means people aren’t employed all year round
loss of local shops to gift shops and cafes
erosion of footpaths and natural land
traffic and parking problems can lead to conflict with local residents
tourists buy second homes which increases house prices and locals are forced to move out
an increase in air pollution, and litter from cars and coaches
overall summary of vistor pros in Studland Bay, Dorset.
money used to protect the area (environmental)
old beach huts used for education purposes (environmental)
employment (social) e.g. in management, 50-60 usually, 120 peak time
local shops and services make profit (economic)
money made from car park (economic)
overall summary of vistor cons in Studland Bay, Dorset.
litter 4 and 1/2 kilos accumulated on a busy weekend left by tourists after a picnic or bbq. this causes visual pollution as well as helping fires to spread quickly in the dunes during the summer months. animals eat litter which puts biodiversity at risk. National Trust have to pay for each kil of litter left behind (expensive)
pollution - 90% of travellers come by car
erosion of dunes because people walk on sand dunes, resulting in plants dying and the formation of blowouts in the sand dune
illegal parking causes congestion
nudity
noise pollution
money needed to repair damage
some visitors drive cars on the beach and sand dunes. This causes erosion on the beach and destroys plants, such as marram grass, which are vital in stabilising embryo dunes. This effects the succession of the sand dune system
dogs’ excrement on the beach has a negative effect on the vegetation on the sand dunes. It is not easily broken down and can stay on the surface for a long time.
how can landscapes in the UK be managed (Studland Bay)?
zoning: safe swimming zones (no boats), kite surfing, naturists, horse riding zoned by time (banned completely in July and August, only after 7pm in May and June), limit to number of bookings taken at a time, affects business, banned during peak times
BBQ safe zones needed to reduce the risk of fires, especially on marram grass, most of the heat from BBQ goes down, a fire can start 150m away
roping and replanting - to prevent people from eroding the dunes, helps speed up regenerational process of sealine, dune under stress
boardwalks - provide access for disabled people/better access to beach + prevent erosion through tramplingin places without grass to keep sand in place. however, expensive as each slab costs £2 not including labour + boards have to be maintained
fences used to keep visitors on footpaths and to reduce footpath erosion on sensitive, fragile areas of the landscape. this allows vegetation to regrow
litter and recycling bins - these are placed in different landscapes in order to encourage visitors to dispose of their waste. It is important that they are emptied regularly in order to avoid birds from eating the contents of the bins
replanting vegetation - replanting vulnerable or sensitive plant species can help repair damage to landscapes. For example, in Ynyslas they plant marram grass in order to encourage the growth of embryo dunes.
why are some coastal communities vulnerable to erosion and flooding?
age (social)
health - an ill person is lessly likely able to evcuate from an oncoming hazard (social)
population density (social)
education - illiterate people will not be able to read advice given to them to prepare for a flood (social)
lack of government support (economic)
wealth - poorer people are less likely to have insurance and will take longer to recover from an event (economic)
rescue services - an LIC is unlikely to have emergency services that can rescue people quickly following an event (economic)
time - the longer an event lasts, the greater its effects (physical)
geology - weak cliffs erode quicker (physical)
magnitude/size of storm
predictability - less predictable events will have more harmful effects
climate
being on a floodplain
proximity of community to coast
elevation
if area relies on agriculture, which is devastated by flooding
remoteness to emergency services
high value land more prone to economic damage
effectiveness or ineffectiveness of management
storm surge definition and formation
an abnormal rise of water generated by a storm, over and above the predicted astronomical tide. water is pushed towards the shore by the force of the winds.
main cause is high winds pushing the sea towards the coast, causing it to pile up there. there is also a smaller contribution frmo the low pressure, water level rises by about 1cm for every 1 millibar fall in pressure
the strong winds in the storm generate large waves on top of the surge which can casue damage to sea defences, or spill over the top adding to the flood risk
in the case of tropical storms (such as hurricanes) there may also be a very large amount of rain which further increases the risk of flooding
formation of a hurricane
storms are a result of low-pressure systems, or depressions
in a depression the air is rising
as air rises, it cools and condenses, producing rain
as the air rises more air, from higher pressure systems, moves in to take the space.air always moves from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure to try and create an equilibrium. the movement of air from one place to another causes wind.
hurricanes are very large low-pressure systems where wind speeds reach at least 74mph. they are initiated by warm seas (at least 26 degrees Celsius) causing the air above to increas in temperature and rise. the moist, rising air produces a lot of rainfall
a bigger hazard of a hurricane is a storm surge.
how do coastal defences work to reduce hazards?
absorbing wave energy so that less energy is reaches the cliffs and erosion rate is reduced
dissipating wave energy, so there is less power for erosion
reflecting wave energy back out to sea
reducing eroison will help reduce flood risk, it keeps a natural barrier in place
how can managed retreat reduce the problem of coastal squeeze?
saltmarsh species are adapted to be periodically covered and uncovered by the tide.
as sea levels rise the zone in which this happens is moving inland, and so plants will naturally move inland.
however, where man made structures have been built to protect communities from coastal flood and erosion risks, such as sea walls, the habitat will be prevented from moving landward
the saltmarsh is squeezed up against these defences
this is known as coastal squeeze and means the extent and functioning of the salt marsh reduces over time
sea wall pros and cons
reflects and absorbs wave energy
long-lasting (50-75 years)
very effective
provides public with a sense of security
sea-water can penetrate the wall where it ends and water can build up behind it making it unstable
waves bouncing off the wall can erode the beach so that the beach becomes narrow and low
expensive to build and maintain (£5,000 per metre)
visually unattractive
interferes with drainage from the land to the sea
can make beach access to difficult
groyne pros and cons
highly attractive at trapping longshore drift to create a beach to protect the land - tourist amenity
relatively cheap to construct - £10,000 each
wood rots - needs to be replaced fairly frequently
deprives areas downdrift of beach sediment, leading to erosion at this point
can make beach access difficult
rock armour pros and cons
effective at dissipating wave energy especially because they are permeable
allows land to sea drainage
visually unattractive
dangerous - young children on them
restricts access to beach
quarrying has an environmental impact
short term lifespan
gabion baskets pros and cons
permeable, therefore dissipates wave energy
cheap
wire cages rust in seawater and then break, and stones escape to erode cliff by abrasion
beach nourishment pros and cons
good at dissipating wave energy
provides a tourist amenity
expensive
sediment lost by wave action, therefore has to be periodically replenished
public do not perceive it as an effective method of defence
sediment colour may not blend in with the landscape
cliff stabalisation pros and cons
roots of grass help to bind the soil together
drainage removes water from the cliff reducing the risk of slumping
lowering angle reduces risk of slope failure
visually pleasing
reduces cliff erosion
can be expensive
may destroy geological structure and botanical habitats when reprofiled
sand-dune stabalisation pros and cons
visually pleasing
encourages wildlife habitats
cheap
takes time for Marram to become established
public may feel defence does not give a sense of security
salt-marsh re-establishment pros and cons
salt-marsh surface dissipitates wave energy
roots trap further sediment encouraging marsh to grow upwards
provides wetland habitat
could become a tourist attraction
takes time to become established
may not encourage a sense of security
how does monitoring reduce the risk of coastal floods?
hazard mapping - the Environment Agency have mapped places at risk of flooding based on the topography of the land and the coastal conditions - can sign up to get free flood warning and alerts sent to mobile phone; finding out which areas are vulnerable to floods and choosing not to build on them
monitoring and forecast - the Met Office and Environment Agency operate the Flood Forecasting Centre, operating conditions such as height, tidal range and wind patterns; they input this data into computer models to predict areas that are at risk of flooding, media is used to circulate warning when they are needed
emergency planning - emergency services have action plans on what to do when there is a flood and what equipment they will need.
discuss the effectiveness of the Medmerry Realignment Scheme
in 2008 £5m of damage was caused
was spending up to £300,000 per year for defence, this method will be much cheaper, £23m
safer from risk of flooding, protected to a standard of 1 flood in 100 years as opposed to 1 flood in 1 year
why are sea levels rising?
thermal expansion - water in the ocean expands with rising temperatures
climate change - ice sheets are melting - interglacial period
rebound - during interglacial periods ice builds up on land. the weight of this causes the earth’s crust to sink into the mantle. sea levels will thus rise relative to the land. when the ice melts the land will rebound and sea levels fall relative to land. this is a very slow process.
which areas are most at risk of coastal flooding?
those which are low-lying, such as deltas (Bhangladesh)
those where are isostatic rebound means they are falling relative to sea level
tectonically active areas where shifts in plates can cause sudden changes in land height
areas that are subsiding due to human actions (the Low lying Somerset Levels are a good example here)
facts about Tuvalu case study
at risk because sea levels are rising and changes in weather patterns
no point on Tuvalu being higher than 4.5m above sea level
dried coconut kernel is practically the only export commodity
increased salinisation of the soil threatens traditional subsistence (growing for survival) farming
does not have complex economy
fish number declining
reliance on exported goods - creates extra waste
coral bleaching due to increase sea temperatures
salt resistant crops are being trialed - won’t die when inundated with salt water so people’s livelihoods won’t be lost each time it floods. this helps encourage economy growth and help break the poverty trap.
trapped in the poverty cycle; as more land becomes degraded, more commodities lost, increased waste, farming land decreases, climate change exacerbates this
GDP per capita is $5,600
arguments for and against managing sea level rise in Tuvalu
raising housing
planting salt resistant crops
sea walls
planting mangroves - roots will help bind together sediment and reduce coastal erosion. the plants also increase friction in the water, slowing down waves and reducing the waves’ energy at the coast. this reduces erosion
Tuval Coastal Adaptation Project
increase the coverage of coastal protection from 570m to 2,780m
benefits nearly 29% of the population directly and 62% indirectly
saves money - $650,000 over 40 year time period, but not much compared to $38.9m
population too small, not worth it, cost-beneficial, around 12,000 residents
least visited country in the world, no tourism industry to be protected
needs to be maintained - financial burden on future generations
not sustainable
too expensive
MEDC country coastal management i.e. the UK
Thames Barrier protects London against flooding by high tides (storm surges) and heavy rainfall
protects an estimated 1.25 million people and £200 billion worth of properties, a large proportion of the London tube network and many historic buildings, power supplies
second largest defence in the world
£6m per year to run and requires 80 staff
cost £1.6 billion in today’s money to build the structure
UK population is 68 million
GDP per capita $36,000
LEDS country coastal management i.e. Bhangladesh
25% of the country is less than 1m above the sea, being belt on the delta of 3 large rivers
GDP per capita is $3190
average population density per square mile is 1237
as sea levels rise eusatically and Bangladesh sinks isostatically
a 1.5m level in sea rise would affect 17 million people and 22000km square of land
authorities using hard engineering methods - coastal embankments and houses built on silts
also adaptation - plant crops more resistant to waterlogged soil and can tolerate higher levels of salt in the ground
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