The Geography Room

Housekeeping!

2009-06-23T12:57:00.002Z

This blog is now targeted a just one specification & so its housekeeping time!Posts will be tagged just 'Year 12' or 'Year 13'& the heavy sidebar traffic will be removed.

Going round the bend!

2009-04-22T13:44:00.000Z

Going Around the Bend

Publish at Scribd or explore others:

Impact of global action & international cooperation

2009-04-01T14:36:00.002Z

Do you know your 'World heritage' from your 'Earth Summits'? Agenda 21 from Antarctic Treaty? Could you answer the question 'Does international cooperation & governmental action secure the future of global ecosystems'?
1. Identify (learn) key events from the timeline of environmental events. Read up (from textbook) on Earth Summits & develop (only Rio summit in text -not Johannesburg). How effective have they been? Mindmap (use Freemind. Have a good Easter! Mrs J.
Environmental Timeline

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Academic Work africa 9/11

Revise hydrographs

2009-03-31T20:47:00.000Z

Revise hydrographs

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Essays Academic Work

lets revise rivers!

2009-03-31T09:27:00.000Z

Rivers Outline Rivers Outline suejacksonthree

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Academic Work Study Guides water survey

Flooding in York

2009-03-10T11:26:00.000Z

Flooding in York

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Science

Year 12 study flood defences in York

2009-03-09T21:22:00.001Z

IB Geography: Population: Migration Models

2009-03-08T09:53:00.001Z

Check out this SlideShare Presentation: Its really helpful!

IB Geography: Population: Migration Models

View more presentations from Richard Allaway. (tags: migration ib)

China Population -useful link!

2009-02-25T10:51:00.000Z

China population policies

View more presentations from isc. (tags: population china)

Thank You!

China Population

2009-02-25T10:46:00.001Z

China Population

View more presentations from jacksonthree.

Welcome!

2009-01-27T17:55:00.004Z

...to all considering studying A level Geography at Boston Spa School. We follow the AQA A level course. Topics studied in year 12 include Rivers, Coasts, Population & Managing Resources. Fieldwork is undertaken in the Lake District, York & (at the start of the A2 course) the Yorkshire Coast. In year 13 Weather & Climate, Natural Hazards & World Cities are the key themes.

Case study for Logging/Mining

2009-01-24T16:57:00.002Z

Was looking at work on the Congo Basin pygmies and the logging/mining conflicts and found this :
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Earth/Congo_set_to_halt_most_logging/articleshow/4007247.cms

Very recent: From Jan 09

Red Rock Wilderness

2009-01-16T11:03:00.000Z

Red Rock Case Study

Publish at Scribd or explore others:

Good video team!!!

2009-01-03T14:57:00.001Z

Hi gang!!!

as everybody is dieing with reading revision, heres a nice little video for our geography team

go on you tube

and then watch 'Galapagos: Born Of Fire'

its nice :)

Wilderness exam

2008-12-09T16:01:00.001Z

past questions:
Jan 20031. To what extent are international solutions needed to protect wilderness regions?2. “Sustainable usage is essential to conserve the environmental quality of wilderness regions.” Discuss
June 20041. ‘International legislation and agreements have only been successful as a strategy for managing wilderness environments in Antarctica.’ Discuss2. How may wilderness regions best be protected to conserve their environmental quality?

All about population

2008-12-09T15:57:00.002Z

Link to this website! Its awesome!

Check here for the world population clock

Pre-release for units 5 (Wilderness) & 6 (Synoptic)

2008-12-08T14:38:00.003Z

They are here & the are fine!

Unit 5 = Wilderness & sustainability. That ='s
Should wilderness regions be protected and conserved? What are the ways in which such strategies might be attempted?
· Exploring the meaning and implications of different policies aimed at reducing pressure.
· Evaluating effectiveness of strategies to protect e.g. Antarctica.
· Investigating alternative strategies to protect wilderness areas, the role of governments in establishing national and international laws e.g. National Park strategies in Australia, USA. Evaluating the effectiveness of these strategies.

Unit 6 is all about the Galapagos islands under threat. To find electronic copies of the material go to here and here. I suggest you copy one complete version of the material & then start to cut and paste the individual material onto separate sheets.

Mrs J not in 2nd December

2008-12-02T06:38:00.004Z

Year 13:
Hopefully Mr W will have collected your c/w yesterday. If not, please find him to give it to him! Ensure both Antarctica & small scale case study are complete. Apply the potential threats & values framework to your small scale case study. Compare it to the one you did of Antarctica. What additional examples do you need to illustrate all threats? All values? Complete additional research to fill these gaps. See you on Friday.

Year 12:
Complete the work on the Leeds census. Bring it to tommorow's lesson. Make notes (from textbook) on factors affecting population GROWTH. Read this post from earlier in the Geography Room.

Flooding Case Studies

2008-11-11T07:09:00.001Z

Indigenous people

2008-11-05T10:40:00.001Z

Indigenous People

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own.

Fire

2008-10-20T19:00:00.002Z

Role Of Fire In Forest Ecosystems

From: jacksonthree, 18 minutes ago

Role Of Fire In Forest Ecosystems

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A2 Ecosystems & Wilderness

SlideShare Link

River Study

2008-10-20T18:57:00.002Z

River Study

From: jacksonthree, 13 minutes ago

River Study

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own.

AS Skills

SlideShare Link

A few small changes!

2008-10-20T18:48:00.003Z

The change in colour scheme is to introduce the first of a few changes to the Geography Room! It is still first & formost a resource to support the learning in Geography of all A level students taught by me, Mrs J, at Boston Spa School. Life is made complicated by the fact that Year 13 are studying the old Edexcel B A level & Year 12 the new AQA Alevel, so some of the old tags are inappropriate & so they have gone. All new posts will be tagged AQA or Edexcel. There will be some more housekeeping & lots more posts over the next few weeks to call back often!

Is it possible to preserve os protect Antarctica? Fiona Galloway

2008-10-12T13:12:00.003Z

http://www.scribd.com/doc/6506872/Is-It-Possible-to-Preserve-or-Protect-Antarctica-A

This is my essay hope it works

Fiona

'Geography Holiday 2008'

2008-10-12T09:51:00.004Z

What a great fieldtrip! Despite the soaking on Friday, I hope you agree that we had a good time on our 'Geography Holiday'! I have about 250 photos that I will make available to you all. We will probably use K drive for both photos & data but I will upload the 'highlights' via linkson the 'Geography Room'.

Here are a few to start with!

Geography Room

2008-09-23T08:31:00.001Z

River Transportation & Hjulstrom Curve

From: jacksonthree, 10 months ago

River Transportation & Hjulstrom Curve

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: rivers hjulstrom)

for Edexcel AS 'B'

SlideShare Link

Amazon Rainforest

2008-09-08T08:21:00.001Z

One Minute video

Welcome back!

Writing a fantastic report for 'Researching Global Futures'

2008-06-26T07:42:00.003Z

These are the Report titles for the January 2009 and June 2009 examination series Unit 5B (6475/02)
Development and disparity
1. Development in the 21st century means more than economic growth. Discuss.
2. To what extent is an unfair world trading system the root cause of the widening development gap between very rich and very poor countries?
3.Aid which supports grassroots development is usually the best way to improve the quality of life for deprived groups. Evaluate this statement using examples from contrasting locations.
4. To what extent is the North-South divide (the Brandt line) still relevant when analysing disparities at a global scale?
Feeding the world’s people
5. With reference to either the Green Revolution or the Gene Revolution, discuss the view that the economic benefits outweigh the environmental costs.
6. Evaluate the effectiveness of the work of one NGO in improving food security for the poorest people of the world.
7. Famine is increasingly caused by human factors. Discuss.
8. To what extent can either organic farming or further exploitation of the oceans play an increasing role in feeding the world’s people?
Health and welfare
9. Evaluate the reasons for the global variations in either life expectancy or infant mortality.
10. Discuss the view that the spread of the AIDS pandemic continues to outpace the progress made in combating the disease.
11. Whilst the development and spread of some diseases has strong links to the physical environment, other diseases are more influenced by human factors. Evaluate this statement with reference to two contrasting diseases.
12. With reference to a large urban area analyse the factors which lead to spatial variations either in the provision of open space or the incidence of crime.
The geography of sport and leisure
13.The designation of national parks inevitably leads to conflicts between people and the environment. Discuss.
14. Using a range of examples, explain how stadium expansion and relocation has created both positive and negative externalities.
15. To what extent can major sporting events such as the Olympics Games be environmentally, socio-culturally and economically sustainable?
16. With reference to either two contrasting sport or two contrasting leisure activities, evaluate the factors responsible for their global pattern of participation.

Look here at the EDEXCEL website for further essential information about the nature of effective report writing. There is a reading list & a powerpoint of recommended websites included. The supplement to the examiners report is essential reading!

Exam

2008-05-19T10:32:00.001Z

Mrs J can you post the link to the January 08 paper so we know what came up last.
I went on the edexcel website but i cant find it
Thanks

Vancouver

2008-05-13T11:13:00.002Z

Hi,
Icouldn't remember which year it is that we did Vancouver in-but I have some pictures of the area (plus on of Robson streeet- I ended up walking down it thinking of geography!). Also have some pretty good ones of glaciers so if you want any just let me know and I will email you them when I get back to the UK.

To Everyone doing exams- good luck, you will be fine :)

More on Mumbai

2008-04-29T21:12:00.003Z

Tour via Google Earth

A convienient truth? Curitiba on Youtube

2008-04-25T12:22:00.000Z

Sustainable Cities: Curitiba

2008-04-25T12:18:00.000Z

International Migration

2008-04-25T09:46:00.001Z

Link to an earlier post.

Managing Transport

2008-04-17T08:49:00.002Z

Afghanistan case study

2008-04-14T09:56:00.002Z

Go to Rich Allways site for a fantastic walkthrough of material to create a case-study of Forced Migration.

Managing the challenge of urban environments

2008-04-14T08:19:00.003Z

Choose 2 from: Housing Stock, Transport, Environmental Problems -develop LEDC city case studies.

For Mumbai this powerpoint (courtesy of Mrs A) may be of use.

There is an update of the infrastructure project here. Flooding is an environmental problem that you might consider for Mumbai. This newspaper article would be a good place to start.

The work already done on Cairo may be used.
Please bring your notes to the next lesson. Mrs J.

What's the story?

2008-04-13T09:28:00.003Z

People on the move!

2008-04-11T09:58:00.004Z

Sorry its been quiet around here!

Powerpoint is here!

Homework

2008-04-04T12:35:00.000Z

Do we have any other than general revision?

cheers miss

lukex

Hiya

2008-03-14T20:56:00.002Z

Your map doesn't like me! I was just having a look at it, and it hasn't registered that it got a visit from Madagascar :-(
Travelling is going by sooo quickly, not sure I want to come home in June- but will have to as money will have run out.
Anyway, hope all is well with you
Line

Rural Tourism in an LEDC: Nepal

2008-03-11T10:17:00.003Z

Powerpoint is here. More info. here. (the embedding codes wouldn't play!)

Comparison

2008-03-09T19:15:00.001Z

Compare and contrast the patterns shown for the three Yorkshire regions, and why might these patterns exist?
The patterns shown in both Craven and Harrogate show a great similarity to the United Kingdoms average. This similarity is a great amount of dependant and almost fledging young from 0-19, this will exist due to a high density of primary and high schools’, giving the age ranges the ability to thrive in Harrogate and Craven. Leeds also shows similarity with the UK average and thus also Craven and Harrogate, this is also due to the same factors holding the age range of 0-19 in the Leeds areas.
The next bracket of ages 20-29 in Craven and Harrogate are once again similar to the UK average this could be because this age is entering Higher Education which Both Harrogate and Craven are unable to offer as they do not have Universities. Leeds however is a University City where people come from all over including Harrogate and Craven, which is the greatest evidence for the large boom in these brackets in Leeds, thus because of this giving Leeds a younger population that the others.
Leeds from the ages of 30-90 now fits the UK average, Craven and Harrogate however have an above average trend for this bracket, and this could be because it is a nicer place to retire to with lower crime rates and higher QOL, which leads to a migration from the busy centre of Leeds to the Beautiful areas of Harrogate and Craven

im sure this wont be the best but at least it is done :)
Lukex

Urban Environments in MEDC's

2008-03-07T13:07:00.002Z

Complete a summary of the work on Urban Environments in MEDC's (work completed so far).

Read the Geo Factsheet on London's Contrasting Suburbs.

Consider & summarise housing provision in Vancouver. Use this city of Vancouver website & linked data to do so.

Population Change

2008-03-07T10:58:00.003Z

This are the resources for the 'population structure in Yorkshire' task. Do this by Monday please!Make sure the 'Now we are six' work has been completed.

This is the powerpoint 'An overview of population growth', used in todays lesson.

This is the outline of this section of the specification (Sorry I forgot to include it earlier).

Change to China's population policy?

2008-03-03T09:19:00.003Z

China are considering changing their One Child Policy according to an article in the Guardian on Thursday.

Now we are six

2008-02-29T12:25:00.001Z

READ & follow up this post (from last year)

Vancouver Land Use Map

2008-02-28T11:39:00.003Z

To view a copy of this map go here

Produce a SKETCH MAP to show land use patterns in the City of Vancouver. The original document came from this web site

Central Business District

2008-02-22T12:57:00.001Z

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Environmental Management

2008-02-22T10:37:00.002Z

United Nations Environment Programme
WWF Forest Conservation Projects

With reference to named environmental pressure group(s), evaluate their impact on conservation work within specific areas (13 marks)

Fiona

2008-02-21T09:01:00.002Z

Crazy greenpeace

2008-02-18T15:02:00.000Z

Pandas video

2008-02-18T15:01:00.000Z

just for now until scribd works

2008-02-18T14:41:00.000Z

Non-Government Organisations

What is a conservation easement?

A conservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement that permanently restricts specified activities on a piece of property, in order to protect conservation values such as forest ecosystems, wildlife habitat, biodiversity, water quality, open space and carbon sequestration. The conservation easement is granted by the property owner to a conservation organization or government agency. The restriction stays with the property and is binding on all future owners. Conservation easements are site-specific documents that help landowners ensure that important natural values are protected forever, while keeping the property in private ownership and use.

Why do landowners put conservation easements on their property?
What are the benefits?

The conservation easement is a tool that allows individuals, families or businesses to retain ownership of their property while protecting its natural landscape and establishing long-term management goals. Because the easement is perpetual and runs with the land, it assures future conservation after the current owner’s death or if the property needs to be sold. Therefore, the easement can protect the carefully stewarded natural capital of the property from future liquidation. A conservation easement can also yield often substantial tax savings or revenue.

Mission Statement
The Pacific Forest Trust (PFT) mission is to restore, enhance and preserve the private, productive forestlands of the Pacific Northwest, with a primary focus on California, Oregon and Washington. The continued existence and health of this most productive forest region in North America contributes to both the environmental and the economic well-being of the communities who depend on this forest ecosystem. The shared forest economies, infrastructure, ownership patterns, culture and ecologies make ours a logical, cohesive regional focus.

Working in close partnership with the public, Sea Watch is a national marine conservation research charity dedicated to the protection of whales, dolphins and porpoises (cetaceans) around the UK.
Sea Watch scientists regularly monitor and study whale and dolphin populations, gaining knowledge and understanding of their status, numbers and distribution as well as the condition of their marine habitats. This enables Sea Watch to alert government, industry and environmental organisations to any problems, and prompt practical measures to help protect them from existing and impending threats.

Incidental Catches

Every year, more than ten thousand porpoises die in British waters, entangled in fishing gear, particularly bottom set gill nets. In 1993 and 1994, an observer programme estimated that approximately 2,000 harbour porpoises were taken annually as by-catches in the Irish and UK bottom set gillnet fisheries for hake on the Celtic Shelf to the southwest of Britain and Ireland. In 1993, an estimated 7,000 harbour porpoises were taken as a by-catch in the total Danish North Sea gillnet fleet.

Large numbers of common dolphins also drown in trawl fisheries southwest of Britain. In particular, the bass fisheries in the Western Approaches to the English Channel pose a significant threat to the common dolphin population in the area. Between January and April 1992, at least 131 individuals were washed ashore in Cornwall and Devon. This amounts to 3-6 times the total number of common dolphins annually recorded throughout the UK in the previous two years. Post-mortems of several animals indicated that they had died from suffocation thought to be from net entanglement. In March 1997, more than six hundred dolphins of this species came ashore along the Atlantic coasts of France; most of those examined also showed signs of entanglement in fishing nets. During the 2003-04 fishing season in the Southwest, 169 common dolphins were recorded to have died in the bass fishery alone, with an additional mortality from other fisheries (WDCS/Greenpeace 2004).

Overfishing

Fisheries themselves can have a major impact upon the status and distribution of various UK cetaceans. Local stocks of sprats, sand eels, herring, whiting, mackerel and haddock have all shown marked changes in population in recent years, associated at least in part with fishing pressure. The over-exploitation of fish stocks and their subsequent dramatic declines impose major pressures upon those marine mammals dependant upon them for food.
North Sea herring stocks were once the mainstay of the economy of several European countries. Accelerated exploitation during this century led to a collapse in numbers to about 5% of post-war levels by 1977. In the 1980s, sand-eel stocks in Shetland declined dramatically and the local industrial fishery was closed following public pressure from local Shetlanders. Over a period of 8 years, local seabirds suffered repeated and widespread breeding failure with thousands of chicks starving to death, and porpoises became scarce in the area.

Pollution

As industrial activities continue to develop along European seaboards, pollutants enter the sea and build up in the marine ecosystem. Organochlorine chemicals and heavy metals can persist in the food chain for long periods of time, often stored in an inert state in the fat of marine mammals. Concentrations build up as large predators like whales and dolphins feed upon contaminated prey, and pollutants are passed directly from one generation to the next through the placenta or within the mother’s milk.
Some chemicals like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a by-product of the plastics industry, persist for very long periods in the environment where on uptake they can affect reproduction and resistance to disease. During 1989-1990, several hundred striped dolphins died in the Mediterranean. On autopsy, they were found to have a morbilli virus infection but also contained extremely high levels of PCB’s. More than 30,000 tonnes of PCBs are in use by countries bordering the North Sea, and elevated concentrations of PCBs have been detected in marine wildlife (shellfish, fishes, and seals) in the vicinity of Liverpool Bay, northeast Irish Sea where PCBs and other pollutants such as mercury are continually being released into the marine environment from local industrial activities. In Cardigan Bay, West Wales, pollutant levels of some bottlenose dolphins stranding between 1988 and 1991 have been amongst the highest ever recorded.

Disturbance

Coastal marine mammal species are being exposed to an increasing amount of noise pollution around UK shores. Marine traffic around the British Isles is amongst the most intense of anywhere in the world, and the North Sea alone receives more than 400,000 ship movements a year. By the end of 1988, over 3,000 miles of major pipelines had been installed in the North Sea with as many as 1,137 exploration surveys taking place. Seismic exploration for oil and gas has now extended to cetacean rich waters west of Scotland where intense low frequency sounds pose a threat particularly to baleen whales. Most recently, the use of mid-frequency long-range active sonar by the military has been shown to be responsible for a number of mass-strandings of beaked whales in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea.
In the last two decades, the coastal zone has received sharply increased public attention for recreational purposes with the inevitable consequences of greater exposure to disturbance from speedboat and other pleasure craft, and the very real possibility of physical damage from collisions.

Climate change

Climate change due to anthropogenic causes poses several possible threats to cetaceans. Obvious consequences will be the increase in sea temperature and the subsequent melting of polar ice and drowning of coastal plains, along with changes in levels of primary productivity, which could severely affect the prey distribution of marine mammals. Other less direct implications include an increase in the frequency and velocity of storms; severe storm events could cause substantial physical damage to habitats and species.

The distribution of many marine mammal species may be affected by the shifts in areas of primary productivity and prey distribution caused by climate change. Some species, such as land-breeding pinnipeds, and coastal cetaceans and sirenians, may find it difficult to adjust to the loss of important feeding or breeding habitat due to changing temperatures. On a global scale, predictions state that cold-water species will shift towards the poles and therefore result in the reduction of their global range.
The possible shifts in prey distribution and habitat loss will have potentially grave consequences, influencing mating and breeding success and calf survival rates.

Hunting

Most of the great whales of the world’s oceans were reduced to near extinction by centuries of hunting, with Britain one of the countries leading the way in causing the demise of these animals. As recently as the 1920s, there were active whaling stations in Shetland and the Outer Hebrides, and on the west coast of Ireland. Collectively, they killed nearly 10,000 whales over a period of fifteen years. Now, species like the northern right whale, humpback whale and blue whale are very rare in UK waters, although, after thirty years of protection in the North Atlantic, there are some signs of recovery at least for blue whales and humpbacks. The 1990s saw the resumption of hunting in the guise of scientific whaling, with Norway taking around 800 minke whales in waters north of Shetland. Iceland has now joined in and this has become a commercial activity once more.

Pandas International is a non-profit organization formed to ensure the preservation and propagation of the Giant Panda. The mission of Pandas International is to raise and provide monies for research, breeding programs, veterinary care and medicines, exchange programs with zoological foundations around the world, habitat preservation and enhancement and education programs to increase public awareness of the Panda as a highly endangered species, in order to prevent the extinction and ensure the continuing existence of the Giant Panda.

The Effectiveness of Pandas International
Pandas International strives to achieve its mission statement on a continuous basis. Annually the Board Members review the accomplishments of the past year, assess the results of those accomplishments, and determine their level of effectiveness in accomplishing our mission.

The Board also sets defined, measurable goals and objectives for the next calendar year in conjunction with the approval of the annual budget. The annual evaluation shall also identify and address deficiencies, successes, and impacts in all aspects of the foundation's program, including but not limited to finances, marketing, and the species' and their caretakers' needs.

Since part of our program is implemented at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Sichuan Province, China, one of the foundation's goals is to do on- site inspections yearly. All Board members are volunteers who donate their time, expertise, and travel while serving Pandas International and when visiting panda reserve locations. Board members incur no expense to Pandas International on their annual site inspection visits.

Panda Parties
A mother recently contacted Pandas International to say her daughter was having a birthday party. The young lady was asking her friends who were invited, not to buy a present, but bring whatever money they would have spent on a birthday gift to be donated to Pandas International, to Help Save the Panda. Obviously, they were impressed and inspired by this young personês concern and commitment. What better way to raise compassionate, concerned young people than to involve children early in caring actions. The future of the panda is in the hands of the young. Due to this Pandas International now assist in any way possible to help people focus there party on the environment, endangered species, and of course, the Giant Panda.

The International Canopy Network
ICAN is devoted to facilitating the continuing interaction of people concerned with forest canopies and forest ecosystems around the world.
ICAN is a non-profit organization supported by a global community of scientists, conservation advocates, canopy educators, and environmental professionals. The organization is funded by subscriber dues, donations, and grants.

Deforestation
Forests are an integral part of Earth's life-support system. They play an important role in regulating climate and water cycles, as well as in maintaining and conserving soil. Because of the unique nature of rainforests, the environmental effects of clearing them are much more severe compared to temperate forests.
Deforesting hillsides allows heavy rains to wash away the existing soil. A study in Cote d'Ivoire showed that the annual loss of soil on a forested slope was 30 kilograms per hectare (160 pounds per acre); in contrast, a similar deforested slope lost a staggering 183 tons (121 US tons) of soil annually.
Deforestation is also responsible for flooding and droughts in many countries with tropical rainforests. Rainforests, with their thick foliage and complex root systems, regulate water supplies. Typically, in a well-forested watershed, 95% of the annual rainfall is detained in the sponge-like network of roots. Much of this water is released back into the atmosphere by evaporation and transpiration (the process by which water is drawn up from the roots of a plant and evaporated from its leaves), thus reducing the total water run-off. The remainder is released slowly throughout the year, keeping streams and rivers flowing even during the dry seasons. Globally, more than one billion people depend on water from tropical forests for drinking and crop irrigation. Without the regulatory function of the rainforests, heavy rains lead to floods and landslides, whereas rivers dry up if the rains are poor.

BY ALEX AND LUKE

Urbanisation links

2008-02-07T11:22:00.000Z

BBC Urban Planet
Urban Planet Radio Programmes -Mexico City
Listen to the sounds and people of some of the world's largest cities
Complete the tasks on the last page of the SlideShow before next lesson. Read 187-195 in Changing Environments. Have a good break! Mrs J.

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Conservation gone mad?

2008-02-06T13:31:00.000Z

Or is it?

The Post Office is quiet so I was just having a surf and came across this.

2008-02-05T21:42:00.000Z

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Wilderness Society

2008-02-04T11:25:00.000Z

Born Free Foundation

2008-02-03T23:19:00.000Z

The Born Free Foundation

From small beginnings, the Born Free Foundation has grown into a global force for wildlife. But a personal passion for wild animals and desire for positive change remain at our heart. Described by The Times as ‘Big enough to make a difference, but small enough to care,’ Born Free is not a big anonymous organisation, but a family of like-minded people who share the same goals. Our work to prevent individual animal suffering, protect threatened species and keep wildlife in the wild sets us apart from the rest.

Rescue and Care
Born Free never forgets the individual. Every animal counts. Our emergency teams rescue vulnerable animals from appalling lives of misery in tiny cages and give them lifetime care at spacious sanctuaries. Born Free saves orphaned big cats, great apes and elephants and provides their food and care.

Conservation and education
As human populations expand, wildlife comes under increasing threat. Born Free is determined to try to halt the race to extinction by protecting rare species in their natural habitat. Working with local communities, we find compassionate solutions so people and wildlife can live together. Educational activities inspire young and old alike to respect the wild.

Our campaigning spirit
Our high-profile campaigns take effective action and provide animals with a voice. We capture the public imagination, change attitudes, inform and persuade decision-makers, and get results. Whether its fighting the ivory trade and ‘sport’ hunting, opposing killing wild animals for ‘bushmeat’, or challenging the exploitation of wild animals in zoos and circuses, Born Free takes action on the front line for animals.

Programmes and projects
Our major international projects are devoted to animal welfare, conservation and education, and protect lions, elephants, gorillas, chimpanzees, tigers, polar bears, wolves, dolphins, turtles, sharks and lots more. Through our Global Initiatives project we respond to emergency situations worldwide, participate in international coalitions such as the Species Survival Network, run the People & Wildlife project with Oxford University’s WildCru* department, and much much more.

Polar Bear Surrogacy
Churchill, Northern Manitoba, Canada

In the past, wildlife managers have had little option other than to either euthanize orphan cubs or place them in a zoo or compound. Now, working with Manitoba Conservation, Born Free is trying to develop a protocol that will allow these orphans to be united with a surrogate family, therefore giving them the second chance of a life in the wild.

As of September 2006, the success rate has been 25% and a review of the protocol is currently under way.

Article: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4161/is_20011028/ai_n14541002

The Froster mum; For the first time in the wild, a polar bear
In a touching family scene, a mother polar bear snuggles up with two young cubs -blissfully unaware that one of them isn't hers.
Under normal circumstances she would reject the orphan bear...and maybe even eat it.
But this mother has been fooled into thinking both cubs are hers, thanks to her incredibly short memory and a liberal dose of strong- smelling Vicks VapoRub on their chests, under their noses and a dab behind each ear to disguise their scents.
This "happy family" scene is part of a ground-breaking experiment by wildlife scientist Kim Daley, who has launched the world's first polar bear surrogacy programme. She was attempting to unite the eight-month-old orphan male cub with a mother and her own female cub of the same age to give him his best chance of surviving in the wild.
First Kim, who is sponsored by British-based charity the Born Free Foundation, sedated all three bears.
Then using Vicks - a decongestant for colds usually rubbed on human chests - she disguised all the bears' sense of smell, which confused the mother into believing the new addition was her own.
Before the sedatives wore off, the new family were taken by helicopter from the bear compound in the sub-Arctic sea port of Churchill, Northern Canada, 30 miles up the Hudson Bay.
Kim and two colleagues freed them and observed from the helicopter as they regained consciousness.
"It was wonderful to watch," said Kim. "As the orphan came round, he nibbled the surrogate mum's ears and licked her face. Within minutes, he was nuzzling mum and feeding along with the female cub."
The orphan, known as Bear X17134, had been captured after stumbling into Churchill - which is in the middle of a polar bear migration route - in search of food on September 11, the day of the terrorist atrocities in America.
Every year dozens of polar bears - a physical threat to the 800- strong population of the town - are locked up in a compound.
Orphan cubs are usually put down or caged in a zoo. If they are returned to the frozen wastes of Canada, they are likely to be eaten by cannibalistic older bears or starve to death.
The programme to rescue stranded bears was launched last year by The Born Free Foundation and is backed by Hollywood star Ewan McGregor, who has travelled to Churchill to see the work in action.
Even though the bears look cuddly, their massive paws and razor sharp teeth can mean death to humans crossing their path.
American Kim, who has spent the last five winters in the Churchill monitoring bears, said the male orphan cub had been captured after being spotted on his own rooting around Churchill's only vegetable patch.
"He was in pretty good shape. He'd lost a bit of body fat but he was a bundle of energy. He was full of fun and lapped up the lard we fed him every couple of days. It was hard not to get attached to him."
He had been in the compound for two weeks when the 15-year-old mother bear and her female cub were caught in Churchill.
"The cubs were about the same age and we decided to see if we could get the mother to accept the orphan," said Kim.
"When you study polar bears in the wild the mothers appear maternal, watching out for their cubs. But the reality is they have little regard for kinship and incredibly short memories. It is the cubs that watch out for their mothers, not the other way round."
After releasing the new family into the wild with distinctive paint markings on their shoulders, Kim now regularly hops on a helicopter to check on their progress.
"We've watched mum teaching them to tap the ice and the two cubs playing happily together. The Hudson will freeze over within the month and they'll be off on the ice floes learning to hunt seals.
"Normally cubs remain with their mothers until they are three and they come back every year at this time.
"We're all hoping these three will come back together next year."

Environmental Conservation Organisations - Defenders of Wildlife

2008-02-02T13:18:00.000Z

I couldn't acquire too much information, as the site is quite biased towards itself and somewhat vague. However I've made an attempt at picking out the less biased information, I hope it's helpful.

Introduction to Vancouver

2008-01-30T17:52:00.000Z

The PowerPoint includes the key follow up task. There are links to the Youtube videos in the PowerPoint.

| View | Upload your own

North Uist: Rural characteristics

2008-01-28T15:59:00.001Z

What is urban?

2008-01-25T14:24:00.000Z

My Pledge!

2008-01-23T16:59:00.000Z

Sorry its not as pro as bens x

Wilderness Pledge

2008-01-23T16:06:00.001Z

Year 13: Do you know......?

2008-01-21T08:14:00.000Z

What is the significance of wilderness areas?
Can you outline & give reasons for the importance of wilderness areas?
Can you use an example of wilderness areas with great scenic appeal?
Do you know about the ecological importance of some wilderness areas?
Can you describe & account for the importance of at least one small scale wilderness region?
Do you know why and how wilderness areas are been destroyed?
Can you back this up with data?
Can you give specific facts and figures for the rate of destruction of one particular wilderness region?
Can you explain to what extent do these areas present features that are worth protecting and why?
Can you explain why some wilderness regions are fragile?
Can you explain the term 'fragility of wilderness regions'?
Do you know if some wilderness regions are less fragile than others?
Can you back this up with examples?
Can you relate this to small scale and specific examples?
Do you know whose value systems might promote their protection or destruction?
Can you identify indigenous lifestyles in wilderness areas, assessing their value?
Which specific indigenous people can you refer to in detail?

Fragility of Wilderness

2008-01-21T08:11:00.000Z

Year 13: Your research work (the pledges) is now overdue. Todays lesson in rm 79 as usual.

Year 12: Normal Service returns this week!

2008-01-20T15:36:00.000Z

Whatever 'normal' means?

This is where the blog will get more complicated as I will be teaching the 'rural' component to the Tuesday/ Wednesday group & the 'urban' component to the Thursday/ Friday group. I will label

all posts with 'Year 12' and either 'rural' or 'urban'.

More on indigenous people.

2008-01-14T11:56:00.000Z

Indigenous Forest people in Central Africa.
"The hunter–gatherer people of the Central Africa forests (‘pygmy’ peoples) see
themselves, and are seen by their neighbours, as the autochthons or ‘first people’. Where
forests have remained relatively intact, these people have been able to maintain their
distinctive, egalitarian, inclusive and highly autonomous communities and their
‘immediate-return’ livelihood systems based on subsistence hunting and gathering, and
on trading of forest products with neighbouring ‘Bantu’ peoples. In other parts of
Central Africa, these Indigenous communities have been forced to forsake their
traditional culture and economy as their forestlands have been expropriated by logging,
clearance for agriculture and pasture, ‘development’ and infrastructure projects, and the
creation of wildlife conservation areas. Such processes are set to increase throughout the
region, resulting in increased pressure on these communities and a progressive loss of
autonomy and control over their lives." Their lifestyle is therefore 'fragile' & easily disrupted by development projects.
In Peru the Worldwide Fund for Nature has worked with indigenous people to manage their rainforests whilst logging & marketing the timber to Forest Stewardship standards.
If you have time I suggest you read this essay 'Wilderness: A Western Concept Alien to Arctic Cultures'. 'Wilderness' is not a concept that is part of indigenous cultures.

2008-01-13T21:02:00.000Z

Think like an examiner!

2008-01-12T12:05:00.000Z

The mark scheme for the May2007 Physical Paper is here. The Human paper mark scheme is here. The examiners reports are on the Edexcel website.

Colorado Case Study

2008-01-11T20:10:00.000Z

Check this out!

My Pledge!!

2008-01-11T12:22:00.001Z

I will Identify physical significance and ecological value of some wilderness areas. HOT DESERTS!

focusing on the Sahara Desert.

=]

My pledge!

2008-01-11T12:22:00.000Z

I pledge to Identify the physical significance and ecological value of rainforests.

My Pledge

2008-01-11T12:19:00.002Z

Identify current rates of destruction of wilderness areas

MY PLEDGE!

2008-01-11T12:19:00.000Z

My pledge is to reasearch the physical significance of glaciated landscapes.

My pledge! Indigenous People in Wilderness Areas

2008-01-11T10:26:00.000Z

WILDERNESS AND INDIGENOUS CULTURAL LANDSCAPES IN AUSTRALIA is one interesting link to follow.It includes both values & management.

The value of wilderness areas in general -useful summery can be found here.

There is a potentially facinating case study looking at the Secwepemc First nation people in south east British Colombia, Canada & their conflict with the developers of new ski resorts. It can be found in some detail on this website, however I will summarise it & post the outline on the blog.

Logging, pulp paper mills, transport development & the broad issues of First nation peoples land rights are also illustrated through this case study.

Clayoquot Sound: Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations
In March 1994, the British Columbia government signed an agreement with the First Nations in Clayoquot Sound, the Nuu-chah-nulth people. The agreement fosters new economic opportunities for First Nations in forestry, tourism, and other businesses. It also establishes a joint management board to oversee land use and resource management decisions. Through this board, the First Nations have a direct voice in the management of resources within their traditional territories.
The board is reviewing strategic and operational forestry plans which set out the standards and conditions for timber harvesting in the area. It is empowered to review and recommend modifications to any specific harvesting or road-building application.
In April 1995, the Nuu-chah-nulth and the governments of Canada and British Columbia began public negotiation towards a comprehensive treaty settlement.
In addition, the governments of British Columbia and Canada, and a society representing a partnership of First Nations and other groups with an interest in forests signed an agreement in 1994 to establish a 4,000 square kilometre (1,500 square mile) model forest which encompasses Clayoquot Sound. The Long Beach Model Forest provides British Columbia with an important link to forest managers in the rest of Canada and around the world. It establishes a working model of sustainable forest management to serve as a laboratory for advancing national and international knowledge and practices.

So what research are YOU going to undertake & post? Pledges posted today please!

Fragile Wilderness: Attention Year 13!

2008-01-10T12:20:00.000Z

Generalisation that this is based upon:
Wilderness environments contain landforms & ecosystems of outstanding global importance, and sometimes unique indigenous lifestyles. Such features may be fragile & be venerable to exploitation and, possibly irreparable damage.
The key questions are:
What is the significance of wilderness areas?
To what extent do these areas present features that are worth protecting?
The boards guidance to students in compiling a research file is:
Identify current rates of destruction of wilderness areas e.g. Indonesian forests, to what extent might these represent features worth protecting & why? Whose value systems might promote their protection or destruction?
Identify physical significance and ecological value of some wilderness areas e.g. glaciated landscapes, Antarctic ice caps, hot deserts and ecology.
Identify indigenous lifestyles in wilderness areas, assessing their value.

Its time to get serious about this! You have SOME stuff on all of this, however it now needs to be developed in more depth, developing a sense of research in readiness for your exam.This is where, if you look back a year, the value of students being able to post to the blog & share some of their research, really shows.On Friday can we agree to contribute a specific research area to the blog? I pledge a case study of indigenous people! By next Friday at the VERY latest! Please publish your pledge on the blog by the end of Friday 11th Jan!

Rivers Revision

2008-01-10T12:16:00.000Z

Rivers Revision Powerpoint, with answers & additional activites added! This refers to the introduction & first section of the rivers work (i.e. the pure 'physical' bit!)

random quote

2008-01-05T23:25:00.000Z

Compared to the people, the planet is doing great. Been here four and a half billion years. Did you ever think about the arithmetic? The planet has been here four and a half billion years. We’ve been here, what, a hundred thousand? Maybe two hundred thousand? And we’ve only been engaged in heavy industry for a little over two hundred years. Two hundred years versus four and a half billion. And we have the CONCEIT to think that somehow we’re a threat? That somehow we’re gonna put in jeopardy this beautiful little blue-green ball that’s just a-floatin’ around the sun?

The planet has been through a lot worse than us. Been through all kinds of things worse than us. Been through earthquakes, volcanoes, plate tectonics, continental drift, solar flares, sun spots, magnetic storms, the magnetic reversal of the poles…hundreds of thousands of years of bombardment by comets and asteroids and meteors, worldwide floods, tidal waves, worldwide fires, erosion, cosmic rays, recurring ice ages…And we think some plastic bags, and some aluminum cans are going to make a difference? The planet…the planet…the planet isn’t going anywhere. WE ARE!

A Very Happy Geographical New Year to Year 12!

2008-01-02T10:30:00.001Z

Hope you are all cruising through your revision for the 'Changing Landforms and their Management'. This is a quick 'traffic lighting' list for the rivers section.

The global hydrological cycle – role of atmosphere, oceans,biosphere in a closed system. Relationship to drainage basin (open system) and links to coastal system.
The hydrological cycle – key processes, and factors affecting their variability.
Global and drainage basin systems - knowledge of inputs, stores, flows and outputs. Contrast
closed/open systems.
Processes (eg infiltration, interception, saturated overland flow, evapotranspiration).

FLUVIAL SYSTEMS
Impact of the hydrological cycle on fluvial systems
Soil moisture budgets, storm hydrographs and river regime

Processes (eg weathering and mass movement) & how they interact to create variations in cross and long profiles.

Cross-sectional changes to show how valley forms develop. Avoid concept of simple sequence and look at role of localised actors such as geology eg Colorado. The effect of waterfalls on
long profiles.
Hydraulic geometry of river channels. Changes downstream of river channel variables such as width, depth, velocity, discharge and river channel efficiency. Refer to May Beck Fieldwork
Relationship to a model eg Bradshaw
River channel load. Competence and capacity. Factors influencing sediment budgets. Linkage to river processes of erosion, transport and deposition.
Theory of river channel load – Hjülstrom curve; examples of two contrasting sediment budgets eg Hwang He, Nile to illustrate the factors involved.
Features associated with changing river channels, both meandering and braiding, to include within the channel and on the valley floor.
PROCESS AND CHANGE IN RIVERINE ENVIRONMENTS,
LANDFORMS AND ECOSYSTEMS
physical factors and processes influencing channel characteristics and valley landforms
Ecosystems in a river environment-The basic structure and functioning of hydroseres, to include energy flows and nutrient cycling & the importance of wetlands in a river environment.

Changes in river landforms and river environments & their impact on people’s daily lives
Impacts of
• changing river channels
• changing sedimentation levels
• changing discharge – flooding and low flow conditions:
• Recurrence level and risk.

The influence of human activities on rivers (inc. conflicting activities) & the consequences of such activities
An overview of activities within a river channel and its catchment.
Potential conflicts between activities.
Need two of the following :

Include a variety of impacts:
− channelisation (re sectioning and realignment)
− dams and reservoir construction
− urbanisation
− water quality issues
− over extraction for domestic, agricultural and industrial

Challenge of managing rivers- These include:
Human pressures on drainage basins create the need for management schemes.
Successful management requires an understanding of landforms systems and processes and can be evaluated in terms of costs and benefits.
Bad management can lead to disastrous consequences. Practice has evolved over time, with increasing moves towards holistic management of the catchment and sustainable strategies.

The 'case studies' are the examples of the above! Select one of the areas we have studied and develop it further as an example of the 'physical' processes -eg Wharefdale.

The Ouse Basin & York -Flooding & Drainage Basin management

The July 2007 Floods (Yorkshire or Gloucestershire/ Oxfordshire)

The Mississippi -floods, channel management & change

The Colorado -Channel & flow management, Dams, Water extraction

Hueng Ho -Sedimentation, Flooding, Dams

Example of River Restoration.

Flooding in Bangaldesh

What do you need to know? Human Re-sit paper

2008-01-02T09:48:00.000Z

Happy New Year!

If you are re-sitting the Human Paper then this is an outline of what you should 'know'!

Managing Rural Environments:
You need to be able to answer the following key questions. These will provide the root of the questions.
How and why do rural environments vary in character?
What are the processes of change that affect rural areas?
How are these leading to change & conflict?
What are the management challenges?
Who should decide how rural areas develop?
How do planners & decision makers resolve conflicts?
How successful are the strategies used to manage change & conflict?
What is the future for rural areas?

You should be able to illustrate these with case studies -e.g. Hill farming, Intensification of agriculture in the EEC, Green Revolution in SE Asia, using agriculture as a theme. I would make sure that you know about a rural area under pressure from the effects of urban growth (rural-urban fringe) & a remote urban area. These would bring out the difference between the characteristics of contrasting rural areas. The Yorkshire dales would be a good case study -even as far back as your Grassington fieldwork! Changes in population in rural areas is important. You need a case study of conflicts arising from change. There is a powerpoint on the Harrogate Wind Farm in Geographylost. You have to learn 2 from 4 enquiry questions around Tourism, Poverty, Development of Resources & Agriculture. Rural Futures needs specific examples of sustainable development initiatives. Not sure which ones Mr W taught but make sure that you learn them!

Managing Urban Environments:
Again there are key questions that you need to be able to respond to. They are:

What are the characteristics of urban environments?
How and why do contrasting urban environments develop?
INTRODUCING URBAN ENVIRONMENTS
How do the nature and importance of urban environments vary spatially?
What functions occur in urban areas?
What impact has this had on land use zoning in urban areas? (Need a study of one urban land use model in detail)
What changes are taking place in the city centre and at the rural-urban fringe, and what conflicts have arisen?
CHANGING URBAN ENVIRONMENTS
How and why does quality of life vary within urban environments?
Choose two of the following to illustrate the enquiry questions in 2.8:
–Managing the housing stock
– Managing movement in cities – problems of providing public transport.
– Managing environmental problems in the city, issues of waste, dereliction, air pollution,
noise, water supply, issues of environmental health of the inhabitants.
-Greening the City
THE CHALLENGE OF MANAGING URBAN ENVIRONMENTS
What are the challenges of managing urban environments?
How do planners and decision makers attempt to resolve these challenges?
What is the balance between private and public provision?
How successful are the strategies of planners and decision makers in improving the quality of life for all urban dwellers?
URBAN FUTURES Can urban environments be made sustainable?
(Don't forget managing the Brown Agenda in LEDC cities!)

You will have a more detailed outline from Mrs R but use this as a check list.
Let me know if you need anything more specific. The full spec. is on the EDEXCEL website (link on the right of the blog) if you need it.

Exam

2007-12-31T13:30:00.000Z

hello miss, hope you had a nice christmas

could you possibly send me a word document or something in a post, that tells me what we should know for our exams please well just yours

lukex

Hi

2007-12-29T12:13:00.000Z

Greetings from Madagascar,
Arrived in one piece although my luggage decided it preferred Jo'berg to here, so arrived 2 days after me! Not much to say really as I haven't started teaching yet. Did make it to Kilimanjaro summit on christmas eve to watch the sunrise.
Hope you had a merry christmas and have good new year
Caroline

LEDC Case Study

2007-12-13T13:09:00.001Z

Hello from Tanzania

2007-12-12T12:03:00.000Z

Message for Mrs Jackson and Mr White:
I said I would log on from each place I went to, so here is the first place-Tanzania. Been a pretty good past 10 weeks out here, temperatures have been rising reaching a max of about 42 degrees (it now feels cold when it drops to 20 degrees), enjoyed the project, not exactly what I thought it would be, but still really good experience. Over christmas I'm attempting to climb kilimanjaro so at least I may get some snow on the summit. Hope all is well back in England for the both of you
Caroline

Wilderness: Researching Global Futures

2007-12-10T09:47:00.000Z

The specific generalisation is 'The fragility of wilderness environments'. This is from the generalisation 'wilderness environments'. Interesting...........

Wilderness: Overview

2007-12-07T11:16:00.001Z

Changing Sedimentation Levels

2007-12-06T10:06:00.000Z

| View | Upload your own

Dam! Very useful stuff!

2007-12-05T11:54:00.000Z

Big Dams
Dam Building in India
River Basin Management: The Nile and the Mississippi

A video tour of Glen Canyon Dam.

Tips for AS exams

Managing Low Flow Levels

2007-11-30T12:38:00.000Z

Year 12 ILA, 30th November/4th December.
What causes low flow in rivers? What effect does it have? What can be done to manage low flow conditions in rivers?
Use this as a STARTING point & make specific reference to case studies.

The 1000 low flow on the Murry-Darling river basin mentioned here might be a good e.g.
Low water levels have been reported on the River Thames since Spring 2007.

What makes a good poster!

2007-11-29T11:15:00.000Z

Mississippi Floods

2007-11-29T09:28:00.000Z

Great links!
Significant Floods in the United States During the 20th Century - USGS Measures a Century of Floods This provides a good overview of different types of river floods.
Join a US University fieldtrip down the Mississippi to study the cause and effects of the 1993 floods.

These are some of the '10 mark' flooding questions from paper 1.

Managing wilderness areas

2007-11-25T12:41:00.000Z

New Zealand Fiordland National Park

Flooding in York

2007-11-23T14:16:00.000Z

Environment Agency leaflet on Flood Protection in York

The video shows aspects of the January 2007 flood. What management strategies are evident? Assess the success of attempts to manage the flood event.

Aspect 4

2007-11-22T18:31:00.000Z

Wilderness Conflict

2007-11-22T14:51:00.000Z

Wilderness and management may seem to be contradictory terms, but without some sort of management to monitor and control the use of wilderness, many outstanding areas would lose the very values they were established to preserve. Wilderness management, most often, is not the management of physical and biological resources but of the human activities affecting those resources.

York Floods

2007-11-22T11:43:00.000Z

Boscatle Floods 2004

2007-11-22T11:31:00.001Z

Something to consider

2007-11-22T00:32:00.000Z

The design of bridges and the watercourse themselves make flooding worse, for example a small bridge over the watercourse could trap vegetation and this then blocks the water from escaping and forces it upwards. Boscastle would be a good example. Also look at the design, is the river line by a wall, or concrete or does it suddenly get narrower causing bottlenecks.