Biomes

     Himalayan Alpine Biome

Countries With This Biome:

-Southern Asia (Pakistan, Bhutan, China, Tibet, India, and Nepal)

Climate:

Throughout the seasons, it is constantly snowing in this biome however there is a distinct difference between the winter and summer months. Winters are extremely icy and frigid whereas summer months are slightly warmer. Temperature can range from lows around -10 Celsius to near 23 Celsius in the summer. 

Animals:

There are not many animals that can withstand the transitioning cold temperatures of the Himalayan Alpine climate but a few animals have adapted to this extreme environment

Himalayan Tahr

The himalayan tahr is related to the goat family equipped with a dense winter coat that sheds in the summer, and is able to climb mountains well with it's gripping hooves.

Himalayan Yak

Wild yaks found in the himalayan alpines are undomestic oxen's kept warm by thick, wooly fur as well as the fermenting mechanism of their digestive system generating an internal food-furnace that produces temperatures around 40 degrees Celsius.

Snow Leopard

Feeding off of wild Himalayan animals including wild sheep and alpine rodents, the snow leopard has adapted to its winter environment with furry insulating paws, a large nasal cavities for intaking greater amounts of oxygen in higher altitudes.

Plants:

The Himalayan Alpine biome is, in part, a hostile environment with less mature tree growth and more grasses, shrubs, and herbaceous plants. Rhododendrons grow abundantly in lower altitudes as where there is less snow, flowers cover the ground.

The Rhododendron flower is has adapted to be protected from grazing alpine animals thanks to it's production of the poison, grayanotoxin. The leaves are also tough to prevent themselves from being grazed upon by herbivores. The plant has adapted to achieve a large amount of surface area to be enriched with as much sunlight as possible.

Soil:

Himalayan foothill soil: sandy and acidic

Forest soil:  topsoil is very rich in hummus

Podzols: Infertile, acidic, and ashy

High altitude meadow soil: soil is thin, gritty, and rich in hummus

      (podzol) 

Limiting Factors: 

-Infertile soil

-High altitudes

-Frigid temperatures

-Rough, rocky terrain

-Steep mountain slopes

-Constant snowing

Human Impact: 

-Installed for hydroelectricity purposes, a bombardment of man-made dams and dam-related activities are destroying himalayan forests and the ecosystems inside of them

-Deforestation leads to landslides

-Himalayan mining( salt) affects the lithosphere and biosphere

Mining

Part A

Shaft Mining:

 In shaft mining, an approximately vertical tunnel is excavated to allow miners to extract materials from deep in the earth. The head-frame descends into a shaft which leads to the underground mining facility. This technique is used when desired materials are located deep below the earth's surface.
Advantages: 
-Least damaging to the surface of the earth
-Does not destroy the amount of nature that open pit mining does
-Most environmentally friendly
-Only the shaft is visible
-More effective for diamond mining and metals
Disadvantages
-The most tedious method
-Less efficient
-More dangerous to navigate
-Restrictive space
-Groundwater issues

Strip Mining:

Surface mining is used when desired material is located near the surface of the earth. Overburden (top layer of the ground) is removed and moved with explosives into an empty pit and a large pit is excavated into the lithosphere for the extraction of minerals.Methods include area stripping or contour stripping. Open pit mining is similar and is done by removing materials from the earth from an open pit.
Advantages:
-Less dangerous to navigate
-Most efficient for sedimentary mining
-Useful when material is too unstable for tunnelling
-Useful when desired material is close to the    surface and overburden is thin
Disadvantages
-Destructive towards vegetation, water sources, and topography
-Large amounts of rock waste is left, useless if not reclaimed
-Often when reclaimed, human sewage sludge is used( not a good material to be exposed to)
-Ecosystems are often destroyed

Part B

Spouse: If I were the spouse of a miner, I would prefer that he work in an open-pit mine. That way it there would be less chance of him being injured in an accident and he may be payed more as well as have a better chance of obtaining a job due to the turnout of product produced

Owner of a mining company: If I were the owner of a mining company, I would not be able to live with myself knowing that my work permanently destroys ecosystems and therefore would chose shaft mining because it is less damaging to the earth's topography. There may be more liabilities as injuries would be more likely to occur in shaft mining however the equipment for shaft mining costs less and it would take a significantly lower toll on the environment. Just because I may earn more money in a more efficient mine does not mean that I would be able to produce 5,000 tonnes of waste each day.

Environmentalist: If I were an environmentalist, I would definitely choose the option of shaft mining because it would not disrupt the earth's topography or ecosystems nearly as much as surface mining. Water would be less affected and the health of surrounding people would be more safe as less harmful leeching elements such as cyanide and mercury would be utilized.

Owner of a nearby ski resort: If I were the owner of a nearby ski resort, I would opt for preserving the surrounding scenery. Because strip mining/open pits obliterate forests and are an eyesore to look at, I would choose shaft mining as the impact visible would be mostly underground.

Politician: If I were a politician, I would want as many people in the area that I represent to be employed and therefore (if I was careless and not a supporter of the environment) would vouch for the operation of an efficient surface mine. This would have the potential to bring the area a better economy.

Part C

The mining industry accounts for a great amount of Pakistan's economy.
Materials mined include...
-Coal
-Mineral Salt
-Copper
-Gold
-Iron ore
-Gypsum
-Limestone
-Chromites
-Silver
-Antimony
-Zinc
-Precious gems/stones
-Marble
-Copper
-Granite
-Coal
-Silica
-Fire Clay
-Graphite
-Silica

Pakistan's mountains are rich in resources and imports some of the world's finest Grade A marble. In Reko Diq, producing over 170,000 metric tons of gold per year.Huge old salt mines known as the  Kherwa Salt mines are also very significant to the Pakistani economy as approximately 325,000 tons of salt is extracted yearly. The ideal time of year for mining is in the warmer spring and summer months however the mining industry thrives throughout the year. Shaft and surface mining are both practiced.





























-

Impact of Climate Change

Pakistan has been influenced by climate change in a multitude of ways.
Hydrosphere
- global warming has caused the Himalayan glaciers to melt, affecting the flow of important rivers

 -Drastically irregular rainfall patterns
-Extreme weather (ex. floods)
- Rising sea level

                                   

Biosphere
-Agriculture is affected by climate change, forcing Pakistan to adapt it's farming strategies to fit the decrease in water and increase of heat. This is relevant as the economy of Pakistan is largely reliant on crop industries(specifically wheat production)

-Floods due to the climate-affected biosphere are killing people, crops, and animals
-Forest atmosphere changes- animals must adapt

Lithosphere
-Soil is arid due to flooding
-land is dry in the warm seasons

Atmosphere
-The atmosphere above Pakistan and the rest of the earth has a higher level of CO2, causing increased warmth

Climate Controls

Latitude: about 30 degrees N -due to lower latitude and closer proximity to the equator, Pakistan receives more direct sunlight than countries of higher latitude. Higher latitude also results in higher levels of precipitation. Because Pakistan is a continental area, it has a larger seasonal temperature change and more precipitation because it is directly next to the water source of the ocean. Pakistan also has a variety of elevations that affect temperature. Some areas are above 1000 meters in elevation and there are also mountain ranges of 5000 meters. In these regions, temperature is cooler as altitude increases. Furthermore, as the warm ocean currents on the coast of Pakistan generate a warmer air temperature. Pakistan hovers around a subtropical high with the coastal regions exhibiting a wet summer and a dry winter and the more maritime regions being more dry.


( climate graph of Islamabad( capital of Pakistan)

The dominant climate of Pakistan is continental and it generally experiences wet summers and dry winters. Summer temperatures can range very high whereas winters are known to be extremely cold. The most precipitation occurs in august, ranging roughly around 300mm throughout the country.