O-LevelPakistan StudiesThe environment of Pakistan2059/20 · Oct/Nov 2019 · Q125 Marks

The Insert contains Fig. 1.2 for Question 1.

(a)(i)Study Fig. 1.1, an outline map of Pakistan. On the map name the following landforms in the boxes provided: Balochistan Plateau; Himalayan Ranges; Karakoram Range; Salt Range. [Figure 1.1][4]
(a)(ii)Study Fig. 1.2 (Insert). Identify the mountain feature labelled A in the photograph. A [Figure 1.2][1]
(b)(i)Define the term 'topography'.[1]
(b)(ii)Describe the natural topography of the northern regions.[3]
(c)(i)State two reasons why deforestation has occurred in the Northern Mountains. 1 2[2]
(c)(ii)Explain two impacts of deforestation in the Northern Mountains on the natural environment. You should develop your answer.[4]
(c)(iii)Describe the importance of the Northern Mountains to Pakistan.[4]
(d)Reducing the impacts of deforestation is more achievable in the northern regions than in other areas of Pakistan. To what extent can the problems caused by deforestation in the northern regions of Pakistan be solved? Give reasons to support your judgement and refer to examples you have studied. You should consider different points of view in your answer.[6]

This question uses a diagram from the original paper, which isn't shown here. Open the full paper from the past papers archive to see it.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (Oct/Nov 2019). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

[4] Balochistan Plateau; Himalayan Ranges; Karakoram Range; Salt Range.
[1] peak; horn; summit; arêtes.
[1] (The study or description of) features of the landscape, (which includes both natural and artificial features) / natural characteristics of land / structural features of landscape.
[3] V shaped valleys / deep valleys / narrow valleys / gorges; U shaped valleys; Cirque / corrie / arête; High altitude (6000m+) / snow-capped or high peaks / hilly / mountainous; Steep slopes / uneven / rugged; Scree; Bare rocks / rocky / barren; Snowfields / glaciers; Parallel ranges; High passes (Khunjerab / Shandur / Lawarai); Rivers / streams / rapids / waterfalls.
[2] Road / rail building; Demand for firewood / fuel; To graze / feed livestock; Build houses / settlements / hotels; Industry / furniture / timber / paper; Develop hydel power / power stations / building reservoirs.
[4] Soil erosion; due to minerals being leached (washed) through the soil / soil blown away / soil washed away downhill (dev); Increased number of landslides; because no roots to hold the soil together / in place / rain saturates soil and washes it downslope (dev); Habitats lost; means species are endangered / at risk of extinction / land barren (dev); Ecosystems destroyed; food-chains are broken / disrupted / animals forced to move to other areas / animals or species die (dev); Soil washed into rivers; raises the water level of rivers / causes more flooding / causes siltation (dev); No trees to stop flow of water or run off; leads to flooding / increased run off (dev); Patches of salt left behind; leads to infertile land (dev); Evaporation reduced; changes to rainfall pattern (dev); Etc.
[4] Snow-capped peaks melt during summer to drain water into rivers; Provides water from high rainfall; Provides water for hydel power / energy; River water used for irrigation / agriculture; Historical passes connect Pakistan to China and Afghanistan; A natural border (to China and the Central Asian Republics); Provides a land /trade route through Karakoram Highway; Source of valuable minerals, timber and fruits; Provides raw material to several industries or examples: furniture / paper / chipboard / industry / chemical industry; Mountain peaks provide protection to Pakistan against the cold winds from Central Asia; Scenic beauty promotes tourism / named landmarks, e.g. K2; Provision of National Parks or named examples, e.g. Chitral National Park / wildlife preservation; Source of income from tourism / tourists / contribute to economy.
[6] Ways of reducing impact of deforestation: Soil can be more readily protected from erosion in the Northern areas than other areas due to the wetter climate / afforestation on steeper slopes / hedgerows planted / strip cultivation / contour ploughing / terracing on steep slopes; Supplying irrigation facilities to the deforested areas; Planting commercial species of trees which grow rapidly; Reserving land for fuel wood plantation only, saving valuable species of trees; Education amongst the people about the importance of trees; Creation of non-governmental agencies to promote afforestation and campaign against deforestation; Supply natural gas to Northern Regions to ease the pressure on trees for fuelwood; Improved techniques of raising nurseries and planting trees so deforested areas can be regenerated in a shorter time; Ensuring that forestry and forest management is more sustainable, e.g. use of selective logging / restricting use of bulldozers / strict enforcement of forest laws / enforcement of village / farm forestry programmes / urban forestry programmes; Planting fruit trees on the slopes of hills to provide food for the local people; Etc. Acceptable alternative approaches include: arguing that the impacts can be reduced in other areas more easily due to greater accessibility and availability of named resources, etc.