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Analyse the data shown in Figure 1 - AQA - A-Level Geography - Question 1 - 2021 - Paper 1
Question 1
Analyse the data shown in Figure 1. Figure 1 shows the impact of different rates of deforestation and afforestation upon land surface temperature (LST) at different... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Analyse the data shown in Figure 1 - AQA - A-Level Geography - Question 1 - 2021 - Paper 1
Step 1
Relationship between Forest Cover and Land Surface Temperature
Answer
The data indicates a clear relationship between forest cover changes and land surface temperature (LST). In general, areas experiencing deforestation show significant increases in LST. For instance, at latitudes between -25° and -5°, the highest rates of deforestation (30-50%) correlate with temperature increases reaching up to 1.7°C. This suggests that as forest cover decreases, the land surface temperature tends to rise due to reduced shade and transpiration.
Conversely, regions where afforestation occurs demonstrate a reduction in LST. The data indicates that afforestation efforts can lead to a decrease in surface temperature, particularly seen in areas with a 10-30% increase in forest cover, potentially lowering temperatures by up to 1.5°C.
Step 2
Latitude Influence on Temperature Changes
Answer
The latitude of an area significantly affects the extent of temperature changes associated with forest cover changes. For instance, at higher latitudes, such as 65°N, temperature variations due to deforestation are less pronounced compared to those between 25°N and 15°S. This can be attributed to the baseline temperature differences; high-latitude regions are generally cooler, and deforestation may not yield as drastic temperature increases as observed in tropical regions, where temperatures are inherently higher.
Step 3
Trends Across Different Regions
Answer
Across different latitudes, the data depicts consistent patterns of temperature rise with increased deforestation and drop with afforestation. The most significant changes are observed around the Equator, indicating that the immediate climate feedback mechanisms are stronger there due to higher baseline temperatures. In these regions, maintaining forested areas is more critical for climate stability.