Characteristics and Distribution of Fragile Environments
- All environments are a balance between the living (biotic)and non-living (abiotic) components:
- The balance in any environment or ecosystem can easily be damaged
- Any change to any component can affect some or all of the others
- A fragile environment is vulnerable to change and may struggle to recover from the changes
- Damage and changes can be caused by both natural events such as volcanic eruptions or tropical cyclones and human activity
- All fragile environments are impacted by the changes in climate caused by global warming
Examples of fragile environments
Arid and semi-arid environments
- The lack of precipitation and moisture reduces the environment's ability to recover if damaged
Tropical rainforest
- Deforestation and wildfires lead to large areas being cleared
- Infertile soils make it difficult for plants to re-establish
Cold environments
- Low temperatures reduce the ability of the environment to recover as plants cannot regrow
Coral reefs
- Pollution and damage by tourists kill the coral and it struggles to re-establish
Distribution of World Biomes
Worked example
Explain the term 'fragile environment' (2)
- Answer:
- Fragile environments are vulnerable/sensitive to change (1) or they are easily damaged (1);
- Will struggle to recover (1)
- Many students will get the first mark by stating that the environment is vulnerable or easily damaged. The second mark will only be awarded if you identify that the environment will not easily recover from any damage
