Threats to Antarctica and how it is managed Cambridge IGCSE Geography revision
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In plain words
No one owns Antarctica, and no one has ever lived there permanently. That has protected it. But it is now under pressure from a warming climate, from fishing fleets and from tens of thousands of tourists a year.
8 things to know
- Climate change is the greatest threat. Warmer air and sea are melting ice shelves and reducing sea ice. Krill need sea ice, so less ice means fewer krill.
- Fishing: krill and fish are caught in huge amounts, taking food from penguins, seals and whales.
- Tourism: visitors can disturb breeding colonies, trample fragile mosses, bring in seeds and insects from elsewhere, and their ships can spill fuel.
- Resource exploitation: there are minerals, coal and possibly oil under the ice. Mining is banned at present.
- Impacts of damage: loss of species, the collapse of food webs, and, as land ice melts, rising sea levels around the world.
- The Antarctic Treaty, which came into force in 1961, sets Antarctica aside for peace and science. Military activity is banned and territorial claims are frozen.
- The Protocol on Environmental Protection bans mining and requires an environmental impact assessment before any new activity.
- Tour operators follow agreed rules: limits on how many people may land at one time, and cleaning of boots and clothing. Fishing is controlled by catch limits, and marine protected areas have been set up.
Worked example
Evaluate the management of tourism in Antarctica.
- Strength: numbers ashore at any site are limited and visitors must keep their distance from wildlife, which reduces disturbance.
- Strength: boots and equipment are cleaned to stop seeds and diseases arriving.
- Weakness: the rules are agreed by the tour companies themselves, and the number of tourists keeps rising.
- Judgement: it works well for now, but may not be enough if numbers keep growing.
Tips and tricks
- International agreement is the key to managing Antarctica, because no single country controls it.
- Link each threat to its impact: less sea ice, fewer krill, less food for penguins.
It lands in your notebook with its questions as flashcards.
Threats to Antarctica and how it is managed: 5 questions and answers
These are the quiz’s questions. Do the quiz first, then come back here for the ones that got you.
What is the greatest threat to Antarctica?
Warming melts ice and reduces sea ice.
What does the Antarctic Treaty set the continent aside for?
Military activity is banned.
What is currently banned in Antarctica by international agreement?
The Protocol on Environmental Protection bans it.
How can tourists harm the Antarctic ecosystem?
Seeds and insects can arrive on boots and clothing.
Why does a fall in sea ice threaten penguins?
The effect passes up the food chain.
Quiz
5 questions
Tap an answer and you’ll see straight away whether it’s right, and why.
Worksheet
2 questions, 7 marks. Write your answers on paper, then check them.
Threats to Antarctica and how it is managed
Cambridge IGCSE Geography 0460 · 7 marks · papermunch.org
Name ______________________________ Date ______________
Describe three threats to the Antarctic ecosystem.[3]
Show answerHide answer
Climate change is melting ice and reducing sea ice. Overfishing of krill removes the food of many animals. Tourists can disturb wildlife and bring in non-native species.
Explain how the Antarctic Treaty and its Protocol on Environmental Protection help to protect Antarctica.[4]
Show answerHide answer
The Treaty sets the continent aside for peaceful purposes and scientific research, and bans military activity. The Protocol bans mining and requires an environmental impact assessment before any new activity is allowed.
Answers: Threats to Antarctica and how it is managed
- 1. Climate change is melting ice and reducing sea ice. Overfishing of krill removes the food of many animals. Tourists can disturb wildlife and bring in non-native species.
- 2. The Treaty sets the continent aside for peaceful purposes and scientific research, and bans military activity. The Protocol bans mining and requires an environmental impact assessment before any new activity is allowed.