Geography Case Studies

Ecological conservation area- Sheffield Blue Loop - 8 miles

Tinsley canal was set up in 1819 for transportatrion of goods (steel) , but in 1849 the railway links became more popular and the canal + area fell into disrepair.

 Nature Walk follows the industrial past of the River Don +Tinsley canal

*Aim- 'To support and engage the local comunities along the waterside envrionment'.

-UK biodiversity action plan(BAPS)- earth summit- rio de janerio- 1972 

-encourages tourism + investment - improving appearance iof area.

-Created habitats for wildlife, encouraged endangered species like 'herons' (weirs) back into the area, by the increasing number of kingfishers- food chain. 

Recreational resoruces: cycling, walking, + running routes

Japanese Kntoweed- Victorian gift

-doubled it's coverage in London in 25 years

-top ten most invasive species

-Grows a meter in 3 weeks

-rhizones 2metres deep- spreads very quickly

-not a 6 sq mile in UK without it. 

-resistant to treatement- natural predator Japan

-Grows through tarmac- mortgages denied if species is present near property. 

£150 million cost to control each year- UK

Plagio-climax- Heather Moorlands

-originally uplands of Britain dominated by deciduous woodland- climax

-removed, replaced by woody Heather species.

-human activity- managed by burning at a critical 'maturity phase' to allows pioneers/ new shoots to develop.

- every 15 years it needs burning

-otherwise, it would go into the 'degenerate phase' and more competitive species would replace it like Oak trees. 

-low NNP because- removal of trees caused a loss of nutreints, because high precipitation led to a extreme leaching + waterlogged acidic soil.

-PODSOL soil- heavily leached

-huinting Grouse- tourism. + aesthetics