Geography half yearly notes, Study notes of Geography

Download Geography half yearly notes and more Study notes Geography in PDF only on Docsity! geography notes ➔ Topic 1 - Sustainable Biomes ➔ Chapter 2 What are Biomes? Biomes are communities of plants and animals that extend over large areas due to similarities of climate within the area of the biome Features of Biomes The features of a biome depends on the temperature range, soil type, and the amount of light and water. Also, another feature could be plants and animals in specific. Major Australian Biomes The five major Biomes in Australia include: Forest Biomes Desert Biomes Grassland Biomes Tundra Biomes Aquatic Biomes ➔ Chapter 3 What is Food Security? The World Food Summit declared food security occurs when all people at all times have economic and physical access to sufficient and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and preferences for an active and healthy life. Factors such as agricultural production, food quality, food prices, income, trade, climate change, water availability, and political stability contribute to the food security of a person and a country. The Four Main Components of Food Security ➔ Availability - There is a reliable and consistent amount of quality food. ➔ Access - People have sufficient resources to produce and/or purchase food. ➔ Utilisation - People have the knowledge and basic sanitary to choose, prepare, and distribute food in a way that results in good nutrition. ➔ Stability - People’s ability to access and utilise food that remains a staple and sustained over time. Staple Foods The staple food is eaten regularly by a community or society and in such quantities to make it a prominent part of their diet. Importance of Agriculture Agriculture sustains people It is one of the most economic activities in the world Even those living in urban-industrial societies are far removed from the agricultural environment, depending on the food surplus generated. Food insecurity in Australia Access, supply, and appropriate use The prevalence of food insecurity in Australia is 5% Vulnerable groups Unemployed, single-parent households, low income, young people Reasons = Resources (money, transport, etc); Access to affordable nutritious food; Motivation and knowledge. Food security in Australia Estimates suggest that between 4% and 13% of the general population are food insecure. It is the state of having reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food. Food production in Australia Commercial agriculture created wealthy nations. The less-developed nations became the suppliers of food and raw materials that fuelled the growing wealth and power of Western capitalism. Australia’s main commodities are wheat and wool, which were sent back to the U.K. making Australia wealthy In the 20thCentury, the focus changed to both production and distribution. ➔ Chapter 5 Pollution and food production food production contributes significantly to air pollution; in turn, air pollution can impact food production. Changes in weather patterns, natural disasters, and heat events are becoming more common and severe as the climate warms, resulting in lower crop yields. Furthermore, air pollution reduces the nutritional content of certain meals by stunting the growth of major staple crops such as rice, corn, soy, and wheat. Food production and air pollution have a two-way relationship: ➔ food production contributes significantly to air pollution ➔ and air pollution can affect food production. Agriculture is the single most significant source of ammonia pollution and other nitrogen compounds. Land loss and food production: The loss of productive land has two main causes. First, there is the degradation of land quality through such things as erosion, desertification and salinity. Second, there is the competition for land from non-food crops, such as biofuels, and from expanding urban areas. Land degradation occurs in all food-producing biomes across the globe. Some degradation occurs naturally; for example, a heavy rainstorm can easily wash away topsoil. The main forms of land degradation are: ➔ erosion by wind and water ➔ salinity ➔ pest invasion ➔ loss of biodiversity ➔ Desertification Biofuel refers to fuel that has been produced from renewable resources, such as plants and vegetable oils, and treated municipal and industrial wastes.Traditionally, the main forms of biofuel have been wood and charcoal.