Group members:

SCIENCE PROJECT

REGIONAL PARK UPPER COURSE OF RIVER MANZANARES. LA PEDRIZA

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PART 1 : THE RELIEF

Knowing that the most important type of rock existing in La Pedriza is granite,

How was this rock formed?

What were the processes which developed the formation of This rock?

How old is this rock and in what period was it formed? What was happening with the different continents

at that time?

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PART 2: THE CLIMATE

Look at the graph below. It shows a climate graph of La Pedriza.

You need to analyze the climate data of La Pedriza taking into account the following issues:

What is the mean annual temperature? .............................ºC

Can you estimate the total precipitation? ........................... mm

What is the temperature range? .....................................ºC

With this information, could you tell what climate is it and describe the main characteris-

tics?

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How does altitude affect this climate?

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PART 3 : THE LANDSCAPE: RELIEF MODELLING

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Explain how the following rocks could have been formed:

El Acebo El Pájaro

El Perro El Yelmo

Look for pictures of the following rocks and try to understand their formation:

Tres Cestos, El Tolmo, El Indio, Risco de la Ventana

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PART 4 : THE LANDSCAPE: THE UPPER COURSE OF THE RIVER

What is a RIVER BASIN?

Look at the image below: To what drainage basin does the River Manzanares belong to?

Drainage basins have certain important features which are shown in the next two images.

Now, you need to define the main features of drainage basins, that is:

What is the source? And the confluence? Tributary? Mouth? Estuary? Delta? Watershed?

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Label from 1 to 4 these features in the map and identify them in the pictures below.

1-

2-

3-

4-

5-

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Rivers change as they make their way to the sea.:

Look at the images below. They show the cross profile of the river valley as the river moves towards the sea.

The path of a river as it flows downhill is called its course. The cross profile of the river valley goes through three

stages: Upper course, middle course and lower course.

The shape of the valley and channel changes along the river depending on whether erosion or deposition is having

the most impact (is the dominant process).

Upper

Middle

Lower

The river´s long profile shows you how the

gradient (steepness) changes over the diffe-

rent stages.

The cross profile shows you what a cross-

section of the river looks like.

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To which course of the river do you think this picture belongs to? How do you know? Explain your

answer by observing the picture closely. ...............................................................................................................................................................................................

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COURSE GRADIENT VALLEY AND CHANNEL

SHAPE

CROSS PROFILE

Upper Medium Lower Steep Very gentle

Narrow, shallow channel Middle Almost flat channel

Gently sloping valley sides V-shaped valley Wider, deeper channel

Very wide channel

Complete the chart below with the main characteristics of the river. Choose the words from the cage below and

draw a diagram of the cross profile of the river:

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As rivers flow, they erode material creating certain landforms in the upper course of a river. These main erosional

landforms are:

interlocking spurs

v-shaped valleys

waterfalls

natural pools

rapids

Identify these features in the following images of River Manzanares. You may find some of

them together in the same picture.

Look for the definition of these landforms and explain the process through which these are being

created by erosion. The website of the BBC bitesites Geography Water and rivers (river landforms)

may be very useful! Don´t forget to include labelled diagrams in your answer.

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Can you guess which river is represented in this picture?

What city do you think is depicted at the back?

Can you identify any monuments?

Research on this picture from a geo-

graphical point of view:

Compare this image with current

pictures of the river crossing the

city.

What has changed?

Are the banks of the river used

also today for leisure activities?

Explain your answer with pic-

tures.

Research on this picture from an artistic

point of view:

Who painted it?

When?

What landscape is it depicting?

Who are the people shown in the

picture? What are they doing?

Why?

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PART 5: VEGETATION

Here you have some examples of plants growing in La Pedriza. Are they typical Mediterranean vegetation? If

your answer is positive, explain why you think so.

Calluna vulgaris (heather, brezo) Juniperus communis (juniper, enebro)

Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary, romero) Quercus ilex (holm oak, encina)

Cistus ladanifer (rockrose, jara) Thymus vulgaris (thyme, tomillo)

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PART 6: FAUNA

Taking into account the type of vegetation and the soil (mostly rocks), what animals live in this area? Explain why.

Here you have some examples.

Vipera latastei (scowling viper, víbora) Lacerta schreiberi (darkgreen lizard, lagarto verdinegro)

Aegypus monachus (black vulture, buitre negro) Mustela nivalis (weasel, comadreja)

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PART 7: ECONOMIC USES

The area of La Pedriza is not only a place of beautiful sceneary, but generraly landscapes are also used for diffe-

rent economic purposes, according to the type of rock characteristic of the place, the climate, the vegetation etc

Complete the last part of your project with a description of a Case Study on Economic Activities in the area of

La Pedriza.

Here you have an example for a UK area. Try to do a similar analysis with our landscape.

At the end of the page you will find the instructions you need to follow in order to complete successfully your

case study.

ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES IN THE AREA OF LA PEDRIZA: CASE STUDY

What is the area used for? You need to find information on what activities are carried

out in this area.: arable land, livestock, what crops or what animals, ...

Explain the different touristic activities carried out in this area, highlighting the ad-

vantages and disadvantages (costs and benefits) that these activities may bring to the

area.

Is there any quarry activity in the area? Look at the type of houses of the surround-

ings: what is the material they are built of?

Are there any reservoirs in the nearby area?.

Don´t forget to include as many images as necessary to complete your descriptions.