The Restless Earth
Coasts
The Living World
Urban Environments
Tourism
Population Change
Command Words:
What is the question asking you? Look for key words and do exactly what has been asked. e.g.:
Annotate: - add notes or labels to a map or diagram to explain what it shows.
Compare: - Look at 2 (or more) things and state the similarities and differences. Make direct
comparisons and use appropriate link words such as more than, less than, larger, whereas,
unlike, as opposed to, as well as opposites such as, rural/urban, high/low, etc.
Complete: - add to a map or graph to finish it off.
Contrast: - look for the differences between features or places. Often the question will ask
you to compare and contrast.
Define: - explain what something means e.g. hydraulic action.
Describe: - State what it is like; its characteristics and appearance.
Draw: - a sketch map or diagram with labels to explain something.
Explain or Account for: - Make clear, give details why it is like that.
Identify: - name, locate, recognise or select a particular feature or features, usually from a
map, photo or diagram.
Mark: - put onto a map or diagram.
Name, state, list: - give accurate details or features.
Study: - look carefully at a map, photo, table, diagram etc. and say what it shows.
With reference to /refer to examples you have studied: - give specific details (dates,
specific names, facts & figures) about your case studies.
With the help of/using the information provided: - make sure you include examples from the
information, including grid references if it is a map.
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Top Hints!
1. Read all the questions
2.
Understand the questions. Reading them and understanding them is not always the same.
Make sure that you carefully read the question and discover what is being asked of you. Look
for words like how, why, where, what and when. Check also for details like features and
locations. If you're asked for a UK case study, you will lose marks if you write about a
French one. Likewise, if the theme of the question is coasts, resist the temptation to write
about rivers. Look for command words such as describe, contrast, compare and explain,
then make sure that your answer does what has been asked.
3. Think, then write.
4. Write clearly and Logically. Don't waffle and try to fill space for the sake of it. Write clear
sentences in a well-structured answer. Follow a logical sequence of events, but don't panic!
Use your connectives, key words, and use PEE
5. Talk the talk. The examiner will be looking for geographical words in your answers. There
are marks available for using the right words. Using good geographical terminology shows
that you know what you are talking about, that you understand what the specialist terms
mean, and will impress the examiners. In short, it will help you to get more marks.
Restless Earth
Content
The Distribution of Tectonic
Plates
Contrasts between continental
and oceanic crust
Characteristics and movements
of constructive, destructive and
conservative plate margins
Formation of Fold Mountains
How are the French Alps used?
Advantages and disadvantages
Similarities of composite and
shield volcanoes
Supervolcanoes: Characteristics
(Size, Scale, Shape) and likely
effects
Eruption of a volcano: Cause,
Impacts (primary /secondary)
and solutions (Rich country)
Eruption of a volcano: Cause,
Impacts (primary/secondary)
and solutions (Poor country)
Earthquakes – causes, features
(epicentre, focus and shock
waves)
How Earthquakes are measured –
Richter and Mercalli Scales
Case study of an Earthquake:
Causes, impacts
(primary/secondary),
immediate/long term responses
(Rich Country)
Case Study of an Earthquake:
Causes, impacts
(primary/secondary),
immediate/long term responses
(Poor Country)
Tsunami – Its causes, effects
and responses
Case Studies
(P3 of revision guide)
(p4 of revision guide)
The Alps Mountain range
(Europe) (p5 of revision guide)
(p6 of revision guide)
Yellow Stone (USA)
Mt St Helens (USA 1980/2010)
Montserrat (Caribbean 1995/7)
(p7 of revision guide)
(p9 revision guide)
(p9 revision guide)
Kobe (Japan 1995), San
Francisco (USA 1989), L’Aquila
(Italy 2009) (p10 revision guide)
China (2010), Haiti (Caribbean
2010) Izmit (Turkey 1999),
Kashmir (Pakistan 2005) (p10
revision guide)
Indian Ocean (2004) (p11
revision guide)
Japan (2011)
Red
Amber
Green
Key Words Glossary
Crust
The outer layer of the Earth
Plate Margin
The boundary where two plates meet
Mantle
Convection Currents
The dense layer of the earth made from magma between the core
and crust.
The circular currents of heat in the mantle
Subduction
The sinking of oceanic crust at a destructive margin
Collision
The meeting of the two plates of continental crust. They are both
the same type so they meet 'head on' and buckle
Large mountain ranges where rock layers have been crumpled as they
Have been forced together
Deep sections of the ocean, usually where an oceanic plate is sinking
below a continental plate.
A broad volcano that is mostly made up of lava.
Fold Mountains
Ocean Trenches
Shield Volcano
Composite Volcano
Immediate Responses
Long Term Response
Super volcano
Caldera
A steep sided volcano that is made up of a variety of materials
such as lava and ash
How people react as the disaster happens and in the immediate
aftermath.
Later reactions that occur in the weeks, months and years after the
event.
A mega colossal volcano that erupts at least 1,00km3 of material
Focus
The depression of the super volcano marking the collapsed magma
chamber
Extended openings along a line of weakness that allow magma to
escape
A sudden and often violent shift in the rocks forming the earth’s
crust, which is felt at the surface
The point in the earth’s crust where the earthquake originates
Epicentre
The point at the earth’s surface directly above the focus.
Richter Scale
A logarithmic scale used for measuring earthquakes based on
scientific recordings of the amount of movement
Seismic waves generated by an earthquake that pass through the
earth's crust
A means of describing earthquakes by describing and comparing the
damage done on a scale of I to XII
A wave where the entire depth of the sea or ocean is set in motion
by an event, often an earthquake which displaces the water above
Fissures
Earthquake
Shock Waves
Mercalli Scale
Tsunami
Type of Boundary
The structure of the Earth
1.
Explanation
Constructive
When two plates move away from each other
creating a gap between them. Molten rock
(magma) rises from the mantle to fill the gap
forming a mid-ocean ridge
Destructive
When an oceanic plate and a continental plate
move towards each other the denser oceanic
plate dives under the lighter continental one
creating a deep ocean trench. As the oceanic
plate goes deeper into the mantle, increased
temperature and friction cause it to melt
creating a subduction zone. Newly molten rock
is lighter than the surrounding rock so it rises
through the crust towards the surface. If
molten rock (magma) reaches the earth’s
surface it may spread out along a fault line or
it may erupt at a single point as a volcano.
When two tectonic plates slide past each
other without creating or destroying any land
they form a conservative plate boundary. The
plates often get stuck as they try to move
past each other due to friction. Over time this
builds up great pressure until finally they jolt
past each other. The sudden movement causes
an earthquake which may be violent and cause
great damage
The inner core is in the centre and is the
hottest part of the Earth. It is solid and made
up of iron and nickel with temperatures of up to
5,500°C. With its immense heat energy, the
inner core is like the engine room of the Earth.
2. The outer core is the layer surrounding the
inner core. It is a liquid layer, also made up of
iron and nickel. It is still extremely hot, with
Conservative
temperatures similar to the inner core.
3. The mantle is the widest section of the Earth.
It has a diameter of approximately 2,900 km.
The mantle is made up of semi-molten rock
called magma. In the upper parts of the
mantle the rock is hard, but lower down the
rock is soft and beginning to melt.
4. The crust is the outer layer of the earth. It
is a thin layer between 0-60 km thick. The
crust is the solid rock layer upon which we
live.
Richter Scale
The power (magnitude) of an earthquake is measured on the Richter scale, using an instrument
called a seismometer. The Richter scale is numbered 0-10 with 10 being the most powerful. The
Richter scale is logarithmic – an earthquake measuring 7 is 10 times more powerful than one
measuring 6 and 100 times more powerful than one measuring 5.
Mercalli Scale
The Mercalli scale measures the damage caused by an earthquake. The Mercalli scale goes from I
to XII – I would not be felt but XII would be total destruction.
The Coastal Zone
Content
Weathering processes:
Mechanical, chemical, biological.
Erosion processes: Hydraulic
power, abrasion, attrition and
solution
Mass movement: slumping and
sliding
Constructive and destructive
waves – characteristics
Longshore drift, traction,
saltation, suspension and
solution; deposition and reasons
for it
Characteristics and formation of
headlands and bays
Formation of wave cut
platforms
Formation of caves, arches and
stacks
Characteristics and formation of
beaches, spits and bars
Reasons for sea level rise: Case
study of the economic, social
and environmental impacts of
coastal flooding
Holderness coast: reasons for
cliff collapse, rate of erosion,
how people worsen the area, the
impact on people and the
environment
Hard engineering: Sea walls,
groynes and rock armour (Link to
case study)
Soft engineering: beach
nourishment, dune regeneration
& marsh creation (link to case
study)
Salt marshes: formation,
characteristics and management
Case Studies
(p64 revision guide)
Beachy Head (Eastbourne,
Sussex) (p64 revision guide)
(p66 revision guide)
(p65 revision guide)
(p65 revision guide)
(p65 revision guide)
Hurst Castle (Holderness UK)
(p67 revision guide)
East Anglia (UK), Holderness
(East coast UK)
Maldives (Indian ocean)
Thames Estuary
(p69/70 revision guide)
Holderness, UK
(p71 revision guide)
Holderness, UK
(p72/73 revision guide)
Holderness, UK
(p72/73 revision guide)
Keyhaven Marshes (Hampshire)
Red
Amber
Green
Key Words Glossary
Fetch
The distance of open water over which the wind can blow
Beach
Crest
A deposit of sand and shingle at the coast, often found at the head
of a bay
The top of the wave
Swash
The forward movement of a wave up the beach
Backwash
Constructive Wave
The backward movement of water down a beach when a wave has
broken due to gravity
A powerful wave with a strong swash that surges up a beach
Destructive Wave
A wave that crashes down onto a beach and has a powerful backwash
Rockfall
Hydraulic Power
The collapse of a cliff face or the fall of individual rocks from a
cliff
The sheer power of the waves
Corrasion
The effect of rocks being flung at the cliff by powerful waves
Attrition
The knocking together of rocks, such as limestone and chalk
Longshore Drift
Headland
The transport of sediment along a stretch of coastline caused by
waves approaching the beach at an angle.
A promontory of land jutting out to sea
Bay
A broad coastal inlet often with a beach
Wave-cut Platform
A wide, gently sloping rocky surface at the foot of a cliff
Wave-cut Notch
A small indentation cut into a cliff roughly at the level of high tide
caused by concentrated marine erosion at this level
A hollowed-out feature at the base of an eroding cliff
A headland that has been partly broken through by the sea to form
a thin-roofed arch
An isolated pinnacle of rock sticking out of the sea
A finger of new land made of sand or shingle, jutting out into the
sea from the coast
Low-lying coastal wetland mostly extending between high and low
tide
Building artificial structure such as sea walls aimed at controlling
natural processes
A sustainable approach to managing the coast without using
artificial structures
Cave
Arch
Stack
Spit
Salt Marsh
Hard Engineering
Soft Engineering
Constructive Waves
 They are created in calm weather and are
less powerful than destructive waves.
 They break on the shore and deposit
material, building up beaches.
 They have a swash that is stronger than
the backwash.
 They have a long wavelength, and are low
in height.
Process
Description
Solution
Minerals are dissolved in sea water
and carried in solution. The load is not
visible. Load can come from cliffs
made from chalk or limestone, and
calcium carbonate is carried along in
solution.
Suspension
Saltation
Traction
Small particles are carried in water,
eg silts and clays, which can make the
water look cloudy. Currents pick up
large amounts of sediment in
suspension during a storm, when
strong winds generate high energy
waves.
Load is bounced along the sea bed, eg
small pieces of shingle or large sand
grains. Currents cannot keep the
larger and heavier sediment afloat for
long periods.
Pebbles and larger sediment are rolled
along the sea bed.
Destructive Waves
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Destructive waves are created in storm conditions.
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They are created from big, strong waves when the wind is
powerful and has been blowing for a long time.

They occur when wave energy is high and the wave has
travelled over a long fetch.
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They tend to erode the coast.

They have a stronger backwash than swash.

They have a short wave length and are high and steep.
The Formation
of a Wave-cut
Notch
1.
Weather weakens the top of the cliff.
2.
The sea attacks the base of the cliff forming a wave-cut
notch.
3.
The notch increases in size causing the cliff to collapse.
4.
The backwash carries the rubble towards the sea forming a
wave-cut platform.
5.
The process repeats and the cliff continues to retreat.
Long Shore Drift
Waves can approach the coast at an angle because of the direction of the prevailing wind. The
swash of the waves carries material up the beach at an angle. The backwash then flows back to
the sea in a straight line at 90°. This movement of material is called transportation.
Continual swash and backwash transports material sideways along the coast. This movement of
material is called longshore drift and occurs in a zigzag.
Spit Formation
1.
Longshore drift moves material along the
coastline.
2.
A spit forms when the material is deposited.
3.
Over time, the spit grows and develops a hook
if wind direction changes further out.
4.
Waves cannot get past a spit, which creates a
sheltered area where silt is deposited and
mud flats or salt marshes form.
The Urban Environment
Content
Why urbanisation occurred in
rich and poor countries at
different rates
The function and characteristics
of CBDs, Inner Cities, Suburbs
and the Rural-Urban Fringe
Issues are facing many urban
areas
Housing: Issues & how have
areas tried to help sort the
problem (City challenge,
Sustainable housing, UDP)
Traffic: impact of increased
traffic on people and the
environment; solutions
How have CBDs been revitalised
by improving the physical
characteristics?
Cultural Mix: what causes ethnic
segregation? Strategies used to
help
Characteristics of squatter
settlements, impacts on people’s
lives, solutions to improve areas
Effects of rapid urbanisation
and industrialisation – waste
disposal, effects and
management of air and water
pollution
Characteristics of a sustainable
city (Environmental, Social)
Case Studies
London
Sao Paulo
(P85 revision guide)
Bristol
(P86 revision guide)
(P87 revision guide)
Urban Development Corporation
– London Docklands/ Sustainable
Towns- Manchester/City
Challenge – Manchester
Nottingham
(P88 revision guide)
Cabot Circus
(P87 revision guide)
Leeds
(P88 revision guide)
Dharavi slums, Soa Paulo,
Kibera
(P89/90 revision guide)
Bhopal, India
Ganges, India
(P91 revision guide)
BedZED in South London
Hanham Hall, Bristol
Curitiba, Brazil
(P92/93 revision guide)
Red
Amber
Green
Key Words Glossary
Urbanisation
A process where an increasing proportion of the population live in
towns and cities and there is a reduction living in rural areas
Rural-Urban Migration A process in which people move from the countryside to the towns
Land Use
Function
Central Business
District (CBD)
Inner City
Outer City
The type of buildings or other features that are found in the area,
e.g. terraced housing, banks, industrial estates and roads
The purpose of a particular area e.g. for residential use, recreation
or shopping
The main shopping and service area in the city. The CBD is usually
found in the middle of the city so that it is easily accessible.
The area around the CBD – usually built before 1918 in the UK
The area on the edge of the city. Many suburbs were built after
1945 and get newer as they reach the edge of the city.
Brownfield Sites
Land that has been built on before and is to be cleared and reused.
These sites are often in the inner city
Greenfield Sites
Land that has not been built on before, usually in the countryside
on the edge of built up areas.
Urban Development
Set up in the 1980s and 1990s using public funding to buy land and
Corporations (UDCs)
improve inner city areas, partly by attracting private investment.
City Challenge
A strategy in which local authorities had to design a scheme and
submit a bid for funding, competing against councils.
Sustainable Community A community (offering housing, employment and recreation) that is
broadly in balance with the environment and good quality of life
Segregation
Occurs where people of a particular ethnic group choose to live with
others from the same ethnic group, separate from other groups.
Squatter Settlements Areas of cities (usually on the outskirts) that are built by people of
any materials they can find on land that doesn’t belong to them.
Informal Sector
That part of the economy where jobs are created by people to try
to get an income and which are not recognised in official figures.
Self-Help
This is where local authorities help the squatter settlement
residents to improve their homes by offering finance in the form of
loans or grants and often installing water sanitation etc.
Site and Service
Occur where land is divided into individual plots and water,
sanitation, electricity and basic track layout are supplied before
any building by residents begins.
Industralisation
A process in which an increasing proportion of the population are
employed in the manufacturing sector of the economy.
Landfill
A means of disposing of waste by digging a large hole in the ground
and lining it before filling it with rubbish.
Sustainable City
An urban area where residents have a way of life that will last a
long time. The environment is not damaged and the economic and
social fabric, due to local involvement are able to stand the test of
time.
Urban Model in a Rich Country
Urban Model in a Poor Country
CBD
Inner-City
Outer-City
Suburbs
Rural-Urban Fringe
Managing Traffic
 Park and ride schemes
 Cycle lanes
 Congestion charging schemes, such as
those in Durham and London
 Car-pooling, as used in the USA, to
encourage people to share cars
 Low Emission Zones, as in London
Brownfield Sites

Are often on disused and derelict land.

Are more available in the North and Midlands (but

Greenfield sites

This includes the greenbelt land around cities.
most housing demand is in the south east).

Are cheaper to build on.
Are valuable as existing buildings can be split up

Are not favoured by environmentalists, as it
into more homes on any one site.

The site has already been developed so reduces
urban sprawl.

Are sites which have not previously been built on.
encourages urban sprawl.

Encourage commuting and traffic congestion as
people travel into urban areas from the countryside.
Use unsightly areas for building developments, so
improves the urban environment.

Are found in urban areas, so building housing there
reduces demand on car use.

Are more expensive to build on as often the land
needs to be cleared first (especially if land is
contaminated from previous industrial use)
Problems in Shanty
Towns
Overcrowding - the settlement has a high population density.
Fires - fires can spread quickly.
Overpopulation - the area does not have enough resources to support the growing population.
Competition for jobs - jobs are in short supply.
Disease - poor sanitation and limited health care can lead to the spread of disease.
Lack of space - the newest and poorest arrivals may be forced to live on the worst quality land.
Infrastructure - services are poor, public transport is limited and connections to the electricity
supply can be limited and sometimes dangerous.
Tourism
Content
Reasons for the global increase
in tourism, the potential for
cities, mountains and coastal
areas for the development of
tourism
The Butler Life cycle model
Case study of a National Park:
Why did it grow? The impacts of
tourism on the area, How it
copes with the impact of large
tourist numbers, and future
management strategies
Case study of a UK coastal
resort: Why did it grow? The
impacts of tourism on the area,
How it copes with the impact of
large tourist numbers, and
future management strategies
Mass Tourism: Case study of a
tropical tourist area which
attracts large numbers, positive
and negative effects of mass
tourism on the economy and
environment, Strategies
maintaining the tourism.
The attractions of extreme
environments to tourists, the
increased demand for adventure
holidays, the impact of tourism
on an extreme environment
Antarctica: Case study, why go?
What are the impacts of tourism
here? How is tourism managed?
What is stewardship? What is
conservation? How does tourism
help sustainable development?
Case study of eco-tourism: How
does it benefit the environment?
Local economy? Local people?
Case Studies
(P122 of revision guide)
(P123 of revision guide)
Lake District
(P124 of revision guide)
Blackpool
Benidorm
Kenya
(P126of revision guide)
Antarctica
(P127/128 of revision guide)
(P127/128 of revision guide)
Inca Trail/Machu Picchu (Peru)
Galapagos Islands (South
American coast) Ecuador (South
America).
(P129/130 of revision guide)
Red
Amber
Green
Key Words Glossary
Eco-tourism
Tourism that focuses on protecting the environment and the local
way of life. Also known as green tourism
National Park
An area usually designated by law where development is limited and
planning controlled. The landscape is regarded as unusual and
valuable and therefore worth preserving
Honeypot Site
A location attracting a large number of tourists who, due to their
numbers, place pressure on the environment and people
Mass Tourism
Tourism on a large scale to one country or region. This equates to
the development and consolidation phases of the Butler tourist
resort life-cycle model
Extreme Environments Locations with particularly difficult environments where the
development of tourism has only recently occurred due to niche
market demand for somewhere different with physical challenges.
Stewardship
The personal responsibility for looking after things, in this case the
environment. No one should damage the present or future
Environment.
Conservation
This careful and planned use of resources in order to manage and
maintain the natural environment for future generations
Development
Level of economic growth and wealth of a country
Infrastructure
Social
Support structures and services for visitors such as airports, hotels,
Electricity and tour agencies
Spin-offs from one business growing, allowing other businesses to
grow as well
Factors linking to people
Economic
Factors linking to money
Environment
Factors linking to the area surrounding you
Multiplier Effect
Butlers Life-cycle Model
1.
Exploration - a small number of tourists visit the area. The area
is unspoilt and few tourist facilities exist.
2.
Involvement - local people start to provide some facilities for
tourists. There starts to become a recognised tourist season.
3.
Development - the host country starts to develop and advertise
the area. The area becomes recognised as a tourist destination.
4.
Consolidation - the area continues to attract tourists. The
growth in tourist numbers may not be a fast as before. Some
tensions develop between the host and the tourists.
5.
Stagnation - the facilities for the tourists may decline as they
become old and run down. The numbers of tourists may decline
too.
6.
Rejuvenation - investment and modernisation may occur which
leads to improvements and visitor numbers may increase again.
7.
Decline - if the resort is not rejuvenated (stage 6) then it will go
into decline. People lose their jobs related to tourism. The image
of the area suffers.
Advantages of Tourism in the Lake District
 Tourism provides employment and income for local
people.
 People choose to stay in the area, which maintains
other essential services such as schools and
hospitals.
 Services provided for the use of tourists - eg
leisure facilities - also benefit local people.
Disadvantages of Tourism in the Lake District
 Employment can be seasonal and wages low.
 House prices in the area can rise due to a demand
for second homes.
 School leavers often look for work in larger
settlements due to low wages and high house prices.
This causes rural depopulation.
 Local shops on the margins of profitability often
close to make way for more profitable gift shops
and tea rooms. This leaves local people without
essential services, eg butchers and greengrocers.
 Traffic causes pollution and narrow roads can
become congested in high season.
 Large numbers of hikers cause footpath erosion,
which is expensive to repair.
 Watersports cause erosion of lake shores and
there can be conflicts of interests between
different lake users
Tourism in
Antarctica
The Living World
Content
Concept of an ecosystem, A
small scale ecosystem, how it
works (e.g. a hedge row)
Consumers, decomposers, food
chain/food web and producers –
the balance between the
components
Global distribution of temperate
deciduous forest, tropical
rainforest and hot deserts:
characteristics of each one –
vegetation, climate and soils
How plants adapt to the
conditions in each of the 3
ecosystems
Case study of temperate
deciduous woodland: how used?
How managed?
A case study of tropical
rainforest: causes of
deforestation, the social,
environmental and economic
impacts of deforestation
Sustainable management of
tropical rainforest: ecotourism
and debt reduction
A case study of a hot desert in a
rich country: use of area &
management of each area
Case Studies
(P31 of revision guide)
(P32/33 of revision guide)
(P32/33 of revision guide)
National Forest (Central
England), Epping Forest (East of
London)
New Forest, Hampshire
(P34 of revision guide)
Amazon Rainforest (Brazil)
(P35/38 revision guide)
Amazon Rainforest (Brazil)
(P36/37/38 revision guide)
Arizona (USA)
Las Vegas (USA)
Mojave, USA
(P40 Revision guide)
A case study of a hot desert in a The Thar Desert (India)
poor country: use of area &
Southern Pakistan or Sahara
management of each area
(Africa)
Kalahari Desert, Southern
Africa
(P39 revision Guide)
Red
Amber
Green
Key Words Glossary
Ecosystem
Biomes
Adaptations
Producers
Consumer
Food Chain
Food Web
Decomposers
Nutrient Cycling
Temperate Deciduous
Forest
Tropical Rainforests
Leaching
Arid
Hot Deserts
Pollarding
Sustainable
Management
Primary (virgin)
rainforest
Deforestation
Clear Felling
Selective Logging
Slash and Burn
Ecotourism
Debt Relief
Salinisation
The living and non-living components of an environment and the
interrelationships that exist between them
Global Scale ecosystem
The ways that plants and animals evolve to cope with certain
environmental conditions such as excessive rainfall
Organisms that obtain their energy from a primary source such as
the sun
Organisms that obtain their energy by eating other organisms
A line of linkages between producers and consumers
A diagram that shows all the linkages between producers and
consumers within an ecosystem
Organisms such as bacteria that break down plant and animal
material
The recycling of nutrients between living organisms and the
environment
Forests comprising broad-leaved trees such as oak that drop their
leaves in autumn
The natural vegetation found in the tropics, well suited to the high
temperatures and heavy rainfall associated with these latitudes.
The dissolving and removal of nutrients from the soil, typically very
effective in tropical rainforests due to the heavy rainfall.
Dry conditions typically associated with deserts
Regions of the world that receive less than 250mm of rainfall per
year
Cutting off trees at about shoulder height to encourage new growth
A management approach that conserves the environment for future
generations to enjoy as it is today.
Rainforest that represents the natural vegetation in the region
unaffected by the actions of people
The cutting down of trees and removal from the rainforest
Absolute clearing of trees from an area
The cutting down of selected trees, leaving most of the trees intact
A form of subsistence farming practiced in tropical rainforests
involving selective felling of trees and clearance of land by burning
to enable food crops to be planted.
Nature tourism usually involving small groups with minimal impact on
the environment
Many poorer countries are in debt, having borrowed money from
developed countries to support their economic development. There is stron
international pressure for developed countries to clear these debts.
The deposition of solid salts on the ground surface following
evaporation of water
Subsistence Farming
Farming to produce food for the farmer and his/her family
Food Webs
Each level of a food chain is known as a trophic level. Food chains and
food webs show the feeding relationships in a community. But they do
not tell us how many living organisms are involved.
It takes many plants to feed a herbivore, and many herbivores to feed
one carnivore.
A food web is a set of interconnected food chains by
which energy and materials circulate within an
ecosystem.
Cacti have never lost their leaves
completely; they have only reduced
the size so that they reduce the
surface area through which water can
be lost. Cacti have also developed
spines which allow less water to
evaporate through transpiration by
Adaptations
shading the plant, and defend the
Tropical Rainforests
cactus against water-seeking animals.
The three-toed sloth is almost totally
arboreal ("tree-dwelling"), with a body
"built to hang." It lives in the shrub layer,
but sometimes moves to the canopy. Its
long, coarse fur often appears green, not
due to pigment but due to algae growing on
it. The sloth’s greenish colour and its
sluggish habits provide effective
camouflage: hanging quietly, the sloth
resembles a bundle of leaves.
Deciduous Forests
Deserts
Population Change
Content
Reasons for global population increases
and the population structures of different
countries change. The exponential rate of
world population growth.
The Demographic Transition model
(stages 1 to 5, total population, birth
rate, death rate, natural
increase/decrease) – and examples of
Reasons why populations have changing
population structure.
The impact of increasing urbanisation,
agricultural change, education and the
emancipation of women on the rate of
population growth.
A range of strategies has been tried by
countries experiencing rapid population
growth
The social, economic and political
implication of population change and the
need to achieve sustainable development
Case Studies
UK
Czech Republic
(P76/77 revision
guide)
(P76/77 revision
guide)
(P76/77 revision
guide)
(P78 revision guide)
(P78 revision guide)
Sahal Region
Shetland Islands
China, Saudi Arabia,
Niger
(P78 revision guide)
The effectiveness of population policies
France
adopted in different countries since the
Kerala, India
1990s to include birth control programmes Indonesia
and other strategies adopted. Kerala,
(P79 revision guide)
India.
A case study of China’s policy since the 1990s
and one of a non-birth control population
policy. Causes, the policy, impacts of the
policy, and recent changes
Reasons for an ageing population, the
associated impacts and government strategies
to cope. E.g. France and UK
China one child policy
(P79 revision guide)
Population movements impact on both the
source regions of migrants and the receiving
countries.
Migration is a result of decision making push
and pull factors which can have positive and
negative impacts.
Europe
UK
France
(P80/81 revision guide)
(P82 revision guide)
(P83 revision guide)
Red
Amber
Green
Economic movements within the EU, refugee
movements to the EU and the impacts of such
movements.
UK – Eastern Europe
(P83 revision guide)
Key Words Glossary
Zero Growth
A population in balance. Birth rate is equal to death rate so there is
no growth or decrease.
Natural Decrease
The death rate exceeds the birth rate
Exponential Growth
A pattern where the growth rate consistently increases – often
shown as a J curve
Birth Rate
The number of babies born per 1,000 people per year
Death Rate
The number of deaths per 1,000 people per year
Natural Change
The difference between birth rate and death rate, expressed as a
percentage
Natural Increase
The birth rate exceeds the death rate
Life Expectancy
The number of years a person is expected to live, usually taken from
birth.
Newly Industrialising
These include the Asian ‘Tigers’ as well as other emerging industrial
Countries (NICs)
nations such as Malaysia
Replacement Rate
A birth rate high enough for a generation to be the same size as the
one before it.
Rural-Urban Migration Moving from the countryside to a town or city
Age Structure
The proportions of each age group in a population. This links closely
to the stage a country has reached in the demographic transition
model.
Gender Structure
The balance between males and females in a population. Small
differences can tell us a great deal about a place.
Infant Mortality
The number of babies that die under a year of age per 1,000 live
births
Child Mortality
The number of children that die under five years of age, per 1,000
live births
Gross Domestic Product The total value of goods and services produced by a country in one
(GDP) per capita
year divided by its total population.
Literacy rates
The percentage of adults in a country who can read and write
sufficiently to function fully in work and society.
European Union (EU)
A group of countries across Europe that works towards a single
market, i.e. they trade as if they were one country without any
trade barriers.
Economic Migrant
Someone trying to improve their standard of living who moves
Voluntarily.
Choropleth Map
A map where areas are shaded to show a range of figures. The
higher figures will be shown using a darker category.
Push Factor
Something that makes people want to leave an area e.g. poor health
care
Pull Factor
Something that attracts you to an area e.g. a good job
Population density
The Demographic Transition Model
Population density is the average number of
people per square kilometre. It is a way of
measuring population distribution and shows
whether an area is sparsely or densely
populated. Population density is calculated using
the following formula:
Population density = total population ÷ total
land area in km²
Stage 1: Total population is low but it is balanced due to high birth rates and high death rates.
Stage 2: Total population rises as death rates fall due to improvements in health care and
sanitation. Birth rates remain high.
Stage 3: Total population is still rising rapidly. The gap between birth and death rates narrows
due to the availability of contraception and fewer children being needed to work - due to the
mechanisation of farming. The natural increase is high.
Stage 4: Total population is high, but it is balanced by a low birth rate and a low death rate.
Birth control is widely available and there is a desire for smaller families.
Population Pyramid
for the UK
Stage 5: Total population is high but going into decline due to an ageing population. There is a
continued desire for smaller families, with people opting to have children later in life.
The one-child policy
The one-child policy, established in 1979, meant that each couple was
allowed just one child. Benefits included increased access to education
for all, plus childcare and healthcare offered to families that followed
this rule.
Problems with enforcing the policy:
Those who had more than one child didn't receive these benefits and
were fined.
The policy was keenly resisted in rural areas, where it was traditional to
have large families.
In urban areas, the policy has been enforced strictly but remote rural
Population Pyramid for Mozambique
areas have been harder to control.
Many people claim that some women, who became pregnant after they had
already had a child, were forced to have an abortion and many women
were forcibly sterilised. There appears to be evidence to back up these
claims.
Impact of the policy
The birth rate in China has fallen since 1979, and the rate of population
growth is now 0.7 per cent.
There have been negative impacts too - due to a traditional preference
for boys, large numbers of female babies have ended up homeless or in
orphanages, and in some cases killed. In 2000, it was reported that 90
per cent of foetuses aborted in China were female.