Exam 4 Climate change

Summarize the evidence that the climate of the planet is changing?

there is clear evidence that the planet's climate is changing. it's getting hotter, ice is melting, sea levels are rising, and extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and intense. this is mainly caused by human activities, like burning fossil fuels.

Distinguish between the terms global warming and climate change

"Global warming" refers to the rise in global temperatures. "Climate change" refers to the increasing changes in the measures of climate over a long period of time

How can individuals reduce carbon dioxide emissions?

By decreasing the use of plastic and eating locally

What are the greenhouse gases?

Gases that are trapping heat in the lower atmosphere of the earth. Greenhouse gases trap the heat of the sun in their molecules. Main Greenhouse Gases:Water vapor H2Oo Carbon Dioxide CO2o Methane CH4o Nitrous Oxide NO2o CFC'so O3 (ozone)

What is the relationship between climate change and global warming?

Global warming causes/impacts (global) climate change

Describe how new technologies may be used to lessen the impact of climate change Geoengineering Carbon dioxide removal Solar radiation management

new technologies can help fight climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. examples include renewable energy, carbon capture, sustainable agriculture, and smart transportation. however, these solutions need investment, policy support, and public acceptance to be widely used.

Desertification - what is it and how is climate change contributing; how do humans contribute to it?

Humans contribute by speeding it up through clearing lands, overgrazing, and bad agriculture techniques

Describe the impact of climate change on the community level of biology

Increase in invasive species an ocean acidification, disrupts food webs. Climate change could affect our society through impacts on a number of different social, cultural, and natural resources.

Define invasive species and how it can have negative impacts on a community

Invasive species is a nonnative species that spreads widely in a community and has negative impacts. (Increase in invasive species an ocean acidification, disrupts food webs.)

What is the role of carbon in climate change?

It is an important heat-trapping (greenhouse) gas, which is released through human activities such as deforestation and burning fossil fuels, as well as natural processes such as respiration and volcanic eruptions.

Where does methane come from? How powerful it is relative to carbon dioxide?

Methane comes from undersea volcanic activity. Methane is almost 30 times more powerful than carbon dioxide

Why is carbon so special compared to other elements? Why is it so common in living organism?

Most living organisms are made up of carbon. they can bond together to form very long, durable chains that can have branches or rings of various sizes and often contain thousands of carbon atoms.

What is photosynthesis?

Photosynthesis is the process in which plants make their own food. Occurs in leaves of plants. Light is needed for photosynthesis to occur. The plant's leaves use the light to make a sugar called glucose.

Where does photosynthesis take place in the plant specifically? (mesophyll cells, chloroplasts,thylakoid, stroma, grana)

Photosynthesis occurs in the leaf specifically the chloroplasts

How does climate change impact communities of organism?

Plant communities change over time, no analog communities

Summarize the role of photosynthesis in the carbon cycle

Plants absorb carbon dioxide and sunlight to create fuel for building plant structures

Understand Earth's seasonality - Earth rotated on axis, etc

Seasonality on Earth is due to Earth's tilted axis. The tilt of Earth's axis influences (Temperature) and (Day-Length) which creates (Seasonality)

Know the main sources of alternative energy

Solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal and bioenergy.

What are the two main factors that determine a climate

Temperature and Precipitation

Why are we talking about the biosphere? What is it?

The biosphere is a global ecosystem composed of living organisms (biota) and the abiotic (nonliving) factors from which they derive energy and nutrients.

How many people are on the planet?

8 Billion

How much do we currently depend on fossil fuels?

A lot, We are using them up faster than they can be replaced.

Explain the concept of alternative energy sources

Alternative energy sources are renewable and don't harm the environment.energy source that is an alternative to fossil fuel. They include solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal and bioenergy. they're becoming more popular because they're sustainable and don't run out.

Describe the role of fossil fuels in the carbon cycle

Carbon moves from fossil fuels to the atmosphere when fuels are burned.

Describe how climate change influences individuals and species

Climate change can alter where species live, how they interact, and the timing of biological events, which could fundamentally transform current ecosystems and food webs.

What is the evidence that the climate is changing?

Evidence: Melting ice sheets in Artic and Antarctica, melting glaciers, time of biological events is changing, rising sea levels, thermal expansion. Precipitation is also changing. In the Midwest, extreme rainfall and flooding have increased over the last century

What are fossil fuels? Examples?

Fossil fuels come from decomposition of organic material from 100-500 million years ago. Fossil fuels are not renewable. We are using them up faster than they can be replaced. Examples: coal, oil, natural gas

Place the following levels of biological organization in order, with the smallest, least inclusive level first. (Biological Hierarchy)

From least inclusive to most inclusive, the levels of biological organization are: species, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere.

Describe the principles of the global carbon cycle

the global carbon cycle is the natural process of carbon moving between the atmosphere, land, and oceans. plants absorb carbon dioxide from the air, animals eat the plants, and when plants and animals die, carbon is released back into the atmosphere or soil. humans are disrupting this cycle by releasing too much carbon dioxide, which contributes to global warming and climate change.

What is meant by alternative energy?

used to describe an energy source that does not require the use of fossil fuels such as oil or natural gas. The most commonly considered alternative energy sources are solar and wind power, but alternative energy also includes geothermal, biofuel, natural gas, and hydroelectric sources, among many other options.