AQA A-Level Geography 7037
Water and Carbon Cycles
Hot Desert Systems and LandscapesLandscape
Coastal Systems and LandscapesLandscape
Glacial Systems and LandscapesLandscape
HazardsHazards or ecosystems
Ecosystems Under StressHazards or ecosystems
Global Systems and Global Governance
Changing Places
Contemporary Urban EnvironmentsHuman option
Population and the EnvironmentHuman option
Resource SecurityHuman option
Glacial Systems and Landscapes
Climate, Soils and Vegetation in Cold Environments
- 3 things to know
- Component 1
Overview
Recall questions on short growing seasons and precipitation, on thin, waterlogged, nutrient-poor soils and cryoturbation, on the non-vascular plants, lichens, dwarf shrubs and grass-like plants of the tundra, and on how slow decomposition links acidic soils and sparse vegetation.
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
What role do lichens play in cold environment vegetation communities?
Why does sparse vegetation reduce organic input to soils in cold environments?
Questions from this subtopic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
Why are growing seasons in cold environments described as short?
Model answer
Low temperatures restrict the period during which conditions are warm enough for plant growth.
- 2
In what form does precipitation typically fall in cold environments?
Model answer
As snow.
- 3
Why are soils in cold environments typically thin and poorly developed?
Model answer
Low temperatures slow decomposition and soil formation processes, limiting soil development.
- 4
Explain why cold environment soils become waterlogged during summer.
Model answer
When the active layer thaws, water cannot drain through the impermeable permafrost beneath, causing waterlogging.
- 5
Why do cold environment soils have low nutrient content?
Model answer
Slow decomposition rates mean organic matter breaks down slowly, releasing few nutrients into the soil.
- 6
What is cryoturbation and how does it affect cold environment soils?
Model answer
Cryoturbation is the churning and mixing of soil caused by repeated freezing and thawing, which disturbs soil horizons and structure.
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