Past GCSE Answers

• Explain how conifers have adapted to survive cold climates and thin soils (6 marks)

Remember to describe the adaptation then explain how that helps the tree survive

Conical shape: This makes the tree flexible so it can bend in strong winds

Downward sloping branches: So snow can easily slide off them

Needle like leaves: Less water is lost due to transpiration especially useful in the winter when the tree cannot get water through its roots from the frozen ground

Evergreen: So it can make the most of the short growing season

• Using one or more examples describe how schemes have tried to reduce desertification (6 marks)

Remember if you don't use examples you can only get a top level 2 maximum 4 marks!

An Oxfam project in Burkina Faso has helped villagers on building small dams made of stones along the contours of the land. They trap water and prevent soil being washed away allowing the land to be regenerated.

In Ethiopia the World Food Programme has been working since 1973 to prevent desertification. Slopes are stone terraced and planted with eucalyptus to hold them in place.

• Describe the distribution of temperate deciduous forests on the vegetation map (4 marks)

Remember use information from the map - lines of latitude and longitude and  points of the compass 

Temperate deciduous forests are found in 2 narrow strips between 25-50 degrees north of the equator at the edge of continents. Europe, central N America and eastern Asia are all populated by these trees. There is also a small section in the southern hemisphere in the se of S America, Australia and Africa

• Describe the vegetation of savannah grasslands (3 marks)

Rolling grasslands scattered with shrubs and trees such as the acacia.

The trees have thick bark and the grass is tough and drought resistant.