Threats to the taiga from commercial development
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain ways in which the taiga is threatened by commercial development.
Key learning points
- The taiga is increasingly threatened by commercial development.
- Threats include logging, pulp and paper production, fossil fuel extraction, mining and HEP development.
- An example of threat to the taiga from development is the commercial exploitation of tar sands in Alberta, Canada.
Keywords
Biodiversity - a measure of how many different species live in an ecosystem
Threat - a natural or human-made factor that poses a risk to the environment
Climate change - long-term changes in temperature, weather patterns and atmospheric conditions resulting from human activities like burning fossil fuels
Common misconception
The main threats to the taiga come from the direct damage done to forests by the logging industry.
While the logging industry does directly damage taiga forests, indirect threats from warming taiga climates are also a major threat to the taiga and taiga biodiversity.
Teacher tip
Recap with students what factors make the taiga biome unique and vulnerable to development, for example slow rates of decomposition, poor soil nutrients. slow tree growth.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is another name for the Taiga biome?
Q2.Which of the following trees are most commonly found in the Taiga biome?
Q3.Which of the following animals is commonly found in the Taiga?
Q4.What is the climate of the Taiga biome?
Q5.Which of the following is a significant environmental concern for the Taiga?
Q6.The Taiga is most commonly found in which region of the world?
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.What is a direct threat to the taiga biome?
Q2.Which of the following is an indirect threat to the taiga?
Q3.How does oil and gas extraction threaten the taiga?
Q4.Why is the taiga vulnerable to forest fires?
To help you plan your 10 geography lesson on: Threats to the taiga from commercial development, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 geography lesson on: Threats to the taiga from commercial development, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 geography lessons from the Tropical rainforest and taiga biomes unit, dive into the full secondary geography curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.