Lesson 1.1.3.4

1.1.3.4 How does human activity cause change within dryland landscape systems? Quiz: OCR Geography, Unit 1

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 1.1.3.4, How does human activity cause change within dryland landscape systems?: 20 multiple choice questions for the OCR Geography (H481), Unit 1: Landscape Systems, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. Which human activity causes severe physical damage to cryptobiotic crusts in dryland environments?

    • Dune buggy driving
    • Sediment trapping
    • Drip irrigation
    • Pediment mining

  2. How does building dams on dryland rivers affect downstream sediment flow?

    • Traps sediment upstream
    • Increases loess production
    • Increases downstream deposition
    • Accelerates wadi growth

  3. Damage to cryptobiotic crusts by recreational vehicles directly leads to which geomorphic process?

    • Increased solifluction
    • Increased wadi development
    • Higher wind erosion
    • Faster pediment growth

  4. What impact does reduced downstream sediment transport have on dryland alluvial fans?

    • Increases fan area
    • Causes crust formation
    • Reduces fan growth
    • Accelerates loess accumulation

  5. How does diverting water for irrigation typically affect ephemeral wadi landscape development?

    • Promotes pediment erosion
    • Slows wadi growth
    • Increases fan deposition
    • Accelerates wadi incision

  6. Increased soil erosion from destabilised sand dunes can result in which regional landscape consequence?

    • Loess accumulation
    • Enhanced pediment growth
    • Nivation hollow formation
    • Increased solifluction

  7. What effect does dam construction have on the development of dryland pediments?

    • Slows pediment development
    • Increases wadi depth
    • Promotes cryptobiotic growth
    • Accelerates pediment growth

  8. Which key dryland soil component is most vulnerable to destruction by tourist off-road vehicles?

    • Solifluction deposit
    • Cryptobiotic crust
    • Alluvial fan
    • Nivation layer

  9. A dryland area experiences reduced river flow due to upstream damming. What happens to downstream sediment deposition?

    • It decreases
    • It remains constant
    • It doubles
    • It accelerates

  10. Which formula concept is used by geomorphologists to calculate inputs, outputs, and net storage of sediment?

    • Mass balance
    • Hydraulic radius
    • Sinuosity ratio
    • Sediment budget

  11. Destruction of protective vegetation on sand dunes by tourists primarily alters which system flow?

    • Permafrost storage
    • Nivation rate
    • Energy and sediment
    • Glacial meltwater

  12. What is the primary cause of water supply shortages in managed dryland landscape systems?

    • Solifluction
    • Prolonged drought
    • Nivation hollows
    • Loess accumulation

  13. How does modifying river channels for water distribution affect the energy of dryland landscape systems?

    • Doubles wind energy
    • Reduces downstream energy
    • Increases kinetic energy
    • Triggers solifluction

  14. If sediment input to a dryland river equals sediment output, what is the change in storage?

    • Positive
    • Zero
    • Infinite
    • Negative

  15. Which economic activity in drylands frequently causes vegetation disturbance and increased dune erosion?

    • Forestry management
    • Tourism
    • Deep-sea mining
    • Subsistence fishing

  16. What term describes the calculation of net gain or loss of material within a physical system?

    • Thermal gradient
    • Sediment budget
    • Hydraulic geometry
    • Mass balance

  17. Why does vehicle damage to marginal dryland areas increase wind-blown sediment transport?

    • Breaks protective crusts
    • Reduces wind speeds
    • Increases surface water
    • Encourages plant growth

  18. What landscape change occurs when reduced river discharge prevents natural sediment spreading across dryland plains?

    • Expanding wadis
    • Shrinking alluvial fans
    • Increased solifluction
    • Deeper nivation hollows

  19. What type of survey skill involves collecting geospatial location data of dryland geomorphic features?

    • Nivation measurement
    • Geospatial mapping
    • Sediment budget
    • Mass balance

  20. What consequence does increased wind erosion on disturbed dunes have on neighbouring marginal areas?

    • Pediment enlargement
    • Solifluction deposits
    • Wadi growth
    • Loess deposition

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