Threats to Coastal Ecosystems (Edexcel IGCSE Geography)

Threats to coastal ecosystems - industrialisation

Spec point — 4GE1-S3.043

Industrialisation

The value of coastal ecosystems

• All ecosystems offer people a range of opportunities– goods and services

  • Goods – a material resource that can be extracted and used
  • Services – general benefits and advantages

• Coastal ecosystems can provide the following:

Goods

• Fish

• Shellfish

• Salt

• Fishmeal

• Animal feed

• Seaweed for:

  • Food
  • Industrial Use

• Medicines

• Land for:

  • Building
  • Farming

• Construction Materials:

  • Sand
  • Timber (Mangrove)

Services

• Protection from:

  • Storms
  • Coastal flooding
  • Rising sea levels

• Harbours

• Natural Shelter

• Recreation

• Leisure opportunities

• Biodiversity

• Wildlife habitats

• Natural waste treatment

Worked Example **Explain the value of a named coastal ecosystem **

(4 Marks)

• Answer:**

  • Coral reefs have a large range of biodiversity. For instance, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia has over 700 species of coral, 1500 species of fish and 4000 species of mollusc** (1)**
  • Coral reefs also protect a low lying coast from the impact of tropical storms** (1)**
  • Coral reefs have a rich fish stock that can supply basic food requirements to many developing countries** (1)
  • However, its main value lies in its recreational opportunities, such as tourism, snorkelling, and scuba diving (1)
  • As a tourist destination as over 150 million people each year take holidays in areas with coral reefs (1)

Industrial threats

• Threats to coral reefs

  • Coral reefs are easily stressed by human action, if the stress persists, then the death of the reef soon follows

  • Pollution, overfishing and quarrying of coral for building stone

  • Industrialisation is responsible for the enhanced greenhouse effect

    • This leads to rising sea temperatures and sea-level rise putting coral reefs under threat

  • Rising sea temperatures increase levels of coral bleaching

• Threats to mangroves

  • Pollution, overfishing and deforestation for aquaculture
  • Clearance for land development particularly in developing countries

• Threats to sand dunes

  • Least threatened at a global level due to value being mainly tourism and leisure
  • Local level the biggest threat is sand mining

• Threats to salt marsh

  • Industrial pollution
  • Ideal sites for nuclear power stations
  • Clearance for development - commercial and private
  • Development can lead to increased noise and light pollution which may affect wildlife behaviour and nesting

Agricultural Practices

Spec point — 4GE1-S3.043

• Threats to coral reefs

  • Overfishing reduces the number of grazing fish that keep coral clear of algae
  • Fishing using explosives damages coral reefs
  • Commercial farming
  • Fertiliser runoff
  • Pesticide overspray

• Threats to mangroves

  • Aquaculture - intense fish and shrimp farms
  • Pesticide use
  • Antibiotics used in aquaculture practices
  • Clearance for farm development particularly in developing countries

• Threats to sand dunes

  • Destabilisation due to grazing animals on dunes

• Threats to salt marsh

  • Drained and cleared for farming
  • Eutrophication through heavy use of fertilisers
  • Pollution from pesticides and herbicides
  • Slurry run-off from cattle

Tourism

Spec point — 4GE1-S3.043

• Threats to coral reefs

  • Tourism is the biggest threat globally and locally to coral reefs
  • 58% of all coral reefs are at threat from human activity
  • Any contact with the human body is likely to kill coral immediately around the point of contact
  • Propellers and anchors directly damage corals from boat tours
  • Pollution through diesel spills

• Threats to mangroves

  • Clearance of mangroves to build hotels and other tourist attractions
  • Diversion of fresh water to hotels etc
  • Disturbance of habitats
  • Collection of souvenirs by tourist
  • Tours in waterways and pollution through spills of boat fuel

• Threats to sand dunes

  • Largest threat to sand dunes due to trampling of delicate, unfixed dunes
  • Driving using 4x4 or quadbikes over sand dunes
  • Sporting events - sand surfing etc
  • Collecting shells and driftwood
  • Pollution from rubbish left by tourists
  • Car parks
  • Sand mining for building hotels
  • Development of seaside towns

• Threats to salt marshes

  • Tourism is limited to the local level and nature reserves
  • Roads have divided salt marshes cutting off parts of it
  • Trampling by visitors
  • Dog walkers letting dogs roam and disturb the wildlife
  • Noise from local tourist areas may disturb wildlife

Deforestation

Spec point — 4GE1-S3.043

• Threats to coral reefs

  • Clearance of coastal forests and mangroves disturbs natural flows of water and nutrients leading to stress and coral bleaching
  • Removal of coral reef for stone building or tourist sales
  • Any destruction of coral reef leaves the coastline open to coastal flooding and storm surges

• Threats to mangroves

  • Removal of the trees leads to the collapse of the ecosystem
  • This leaves the coast open to storms, flooding and coastal retreat
  • Mangrove wood is used for timber and fuel
  • Cleared to reduce malaria - unsupported evidence that this works

• Threats to sand dunes

  • Removal of trees destroys the mature dunes and allows for dune migration
  • This leaves the coast open to storms and flooding

• Threats to salt marshes

  • The real threat is through industrialisation and agriculture