Eco Test 1

Gravity

helps earth holds onto its atmosphere

Biotic

living organisms

Respiration

the cells of all living things respire to use energy to do metabolic work and release heat- Anaerobic Cellular Respiration and Aerobic cellular Respiration

What do plants release during photosynthesis and transpiration

water

Primary Production

(rate of individual) amount of chemical energy made by autotrophs (primary producers) through photosynthesis + chemosynthesis Enegy assimlated by autrophs is stored in the plant's tissue as carbon compounds carbon is the currency used for the measurement of primary production biomass is the wieght of C in a population source of energy + most O2 Primary productivity: rate of the captue of carbon over a period of time

Non-point Sources

dispersed + often difficult to identify ex. pesticides that are runoff and blown into land + air + water

Biomass

dry weight of all organic matter ecosystem can support based on its solar energy captured and stored by its producers but chemical energy is degraded w. each transfer + given off into the environment as heat the weight of living material in a species or a trophic level in a given area (expressed in units of carbon per area)

When does water purification happen

during evaporation

Anaerobic Cellular Respiration (fermentation)

end products are carbon compounds used by prokaryotes in extreme environments takes in O2 and releases O2

Harmful costs of goods and services

ex. timber companies cut down entire forests and ruin environments

Altering of the Water Cycle: Withdrawal of large quarters of fresh water

faster than it can be restored

Detritivore

feeds on dead organisms-help nutrient cycling ex, vultures + beetles earthworms: eats soil

Provisioning services

food, water, timber, and fiber

Population

group of individuals living in a specific area interacting

Decomposers

has no mouth): absorbs nutrients from the environment-absorbs from wood +inorganic things ex. bacteria + fungi

Respiration gives off

heat because energy is inefficiency transformed from one form to another

When can phosphate be lost

hen they're carried into the ocean because they get trapped as marine sediments

Environmental science

how humans interact w/ the living + nonliving parts of their environment

Population Growth

humans exponential growing natural → consumption rate increases (faster than the earth can provide) + wasting resources → ecological footprint increases

Agricultural Revolution:

humans learned to grow + breed plants and animals

Poverty

impoverished live a short term lifestyle which is hurtful for the environment + natural resources + the pollution it creates

Lack of Phosphate

in Soil it can it limits plants + growth + population

Altering of the Water Cycle: cleaning vegetation from land for agriculture + roads + etc.

increases run off, reduces infiltration that restore ground water + accelerates erosion + risk of flooding

Industrial Medical Revolution

large machinery + factories built which got its energy from fossil fuels + grew crops of food + medical growth so people live longer

Trophic Interactions

links to hold everything together specifically linking organisms together what they eat and what eats them

Altering Carbon Cycle: Carbon footprint growing

lters carbon cycle's energy flow and nutrient cycle

where is the largest storage of carbon at

mariane sediments

Natural Resources

materials + energy found in nature needed for human existence ex. renewable resources: air, water, plants, wind, soil + nonrenewable resources: copper, oil, soal

Biodiversity

multiple options for life): variety of organisms + natural systems + nature

Environmental degradation

natural capital degradation humans have degraded 60% of the natural resources

Component of Sustainability

natural services + natural resource

1. Natural Capital

natural services + natural resource; supported by energy from sun

Abiotic

not living (ex. soil, solar energy, water, nutrients, heat, etc.)

Factors that Sustain the Earth's Life

one way for high quality energy, Cycling nutrients, Gravity

What does carbon control

ontrols atmosphere; if too much carbon is removed it chills the atmosphere which changes clinker

who removes CO2

producers-they use it for photosynthesis to make glucose helps cycle carbon in the atmosphere

Chemosynthetic

prokaryotes living in extreme places: uses chemical (thermal) energy to fix CO2 and make glucose

Cultural services

recreational, aesthetic, and spiritual benefits

Chemical cycling

reduce waste):nutrient cycling: cycle of chemicals from environment to organism then back to the environment

Ecology tipping point

resistance tested + irreversible change in nature environment of degradation

Point Source

single + identity ex. smokestack comes from coal burning

3. Solutions: scientific solutions

stop cutting + burning forests + stop pollution + dumping in lakes

ecology

studies how organisms + living things interact w. one another + environments

Perpetual Resources

supplies continously + lasts for a long time ex. sun

Renewable Resources

takes a while to replenish through natural process ex. air, fish, forests, soil

where does carbon go in the ocean

to the bottom sediments

Biodiversity

variety of organisms + natural systems (grasslands, oceans) + natural servies (water + air purification, pest control) they provide

transpiration

water evaporates from plants

evaporation

water from surface

Altering of the Water Cycle

withdrawal of fresh water, clearing vegetation, flooding

Gross Primary Production

: Total amount of carbon made my autrophs in an ecosytem over time depends on photosynthetic rate, climate, nutrients, light, photosynthetic leaves per ground area for a habitat (it varies in land biomes ex. tundra vs. forest) rate of producers converting solar energy into chemical energy + biomass Plants use half of the carbon they make to support biosynthesis and maintenance ex. at night plants lose carbon

Major Culture Change

Agricultural Revolution, Industrial Medical Revolution, Information Revolution, Sustainability Revolution

tmosphere

Air: 78% Nitrogen + 21% oxygen + 1% water + green house gasses trophsphere → stratsphere has ozone gas to filter out ultraviolet radiation

Components of Earth's Life-Support Systems

Atmosphere, Hydrosphere, Geosphere, Biosphere

1st Level: Primary Producers

Autotrophs: produces more dead organic matter + generates most of its energy from sunlight + (environment) inorganic chemical compounds

Solar Energy

(Sun): reliance on solar energy-supports photosynthesis + creates solar energy

Cycling nutrients

(atoms, ions, molecules): each has limited supply of nutrients and it needs to recycle them ( not atoms are created or destroyed)

Sustainability Revolution

(not done, but needed): learn not reduce ecological footprint + live sustainability

who releases carbon

decomposers

Decomposition

decomposers, detritivores

Carbon cycle

cycle of carbon in different forms of chemical energy through environment to organisms to environment

synergism

2 factors who interact and create a nasty effect, but individually don't really cause anything.

How we add excess nitrogen in the atmosphere:

. we add lot of nitric oxide by burning any fuel which can cause acidic rain 2. we add nitrous oxide into the atmosphere through anaerobic process: bacteria in fertilizer warms the atmosphere and depletes ozone layer 3. we release stored nitrogen from plants as gaseous compounds from deforestation 4. in aquatic systems we add lots of nitrate into the water through runoff from sewage and fertilizers which makes a lot of algae 5. we release nitrogen from topsoil by harvesting crops + clearing + burning grasslands + forests for crops]

How does nitrogen enter the atmosphere

1. atmospheric deposition from rain or dust 2. nitrogen fixation in which prokaryotes convert N2 to a form that can be used to synthesize amino acids.

Humans affecting phosphate cycle:

1. removing large amounts of phosphate from earth to make fertilizer 2. clearing forests reducing phosphate levels

Key processes of the Phosphorus Cycle

1. weathering of rocks: running water erodes rocks and inorganic compound w. phosphate ions that get carried into the water 2. decomposition 3. Humus (in water) and soil particles bind phosphate, so recycling tends to be localized

Information Revolution

Globalization: development of new technology + we get rapid access to information + resources all around the globe

2nd Level: Primary Consumers

Herbivores : * includes detritivores that eat dead organic matter

Altering of the Water Cycle: flooding

Increase of flooding by draining + wetlands for farming + urban development

Biosphere

Living things: all living things are found here

nitrate (NO3-)

Nitrification converts ammonium to nitrate by nitrifying bacteria by enhancing decomposition. Under anaerobic conditions, denitrifying bacteria use nitrate instead of O2, releasing N2 gas through denitrification.

Aerobic cellular Respiration

O2 used to burn glucose-releases cO2 + Water + Heat done by all eukaryotes + some prokaryotes (plants + animals + decomposers) Glucose + O2 → ATP + CO2 + H2O ATP is the energy currency of the cell (powers work) Photosynthesis process involves storing organic material in plant

Process to Sustain Life:

One Way Flow of Energy, Biodiversity, Chemical Cycling

One Way Flow of Energy:

One way energy Flow: sun →plants → consumer's → environment as heat → radiation into space Energy flows, but does not cycle, through an ecosystem (energy from the sun ultimately dissipates into space as heat and thus it flows through the ecosystem without being recaptured by living things). directed by physical laws. For example, the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics dictates that energy transformation is inefficient between trophic levels and this limits energy flow from one trophic level to another.

3. Chemical Cycling: nutrient cycling

cycle of chemicals from environment → to organisms → to environment Chemical elements and some compounds (e.g., water) are continually recycled however.

Two types of Autotrophs (Primary Producers

Photosynthetic and Chemosynthetic

pollution comes from 2 sources:

Point source and non-point source

Basic Causes of Environmental Problems

Population Growth, Poverty, Harmful costs of goods and services

3rd Level: Secondary Consumers

Primary Carnivores: eat animals from the level below them

Natrual Services

Processes in nature that supports life ex. water/air purification, renewal of topsoil

Ecosystem services:

Provisioning services, Cultural services, Regulating services, Supporting services

Altering Carbon Cycle

Releasing large amounts of CO2 , Cleaning Carbon. Carbon footprint growing

Altering Carbon Cycle: Releasing large amounts of CO2

Releasing large amounts of CO2 in the atmosphere

Geosphere

Rocks, soil, Sediments: has earth's core → mantle →crust contains nonrenewable resources (fossil fuels) + renewable resources (soil)

4th Level: Tertiary consumers

Secondary carnivores: eat animals from the level below

Principles of Sustainability

Solar Energy, Biodiversity, Chemical cycling

Supporting services

Such as soil formation, photosynthesis, and nutrient cycling.

Photosynthetic

Use CO2 + H2O + sunlight = Glucose + O2 ex. plants + trees + some bacteria

Hydrosphere

Water: has all water found as water vapor in atmosphere

Altering Carbon Cycle:Cleaning Carbon

absorbing vegetation faster than can be restored

Regulating services

affect climate, floods, disease, wastes, and water quality

2 organic compounds made from nitrogen

ammonium (NH4+) or nitrate (NO3-).

community

an association of different population species living in the same are

Nutrients

an inorganic compound necessary for plant growth

Pollution

anything within the environment that harms it some is natural like volcanoes

Where does water get stuck

as ground water or in glaciers

Humans can deplete Natural Capital

by using resources too fast than the earth can restore them + overloading natural systems w. pollution

Phosphorus Cycle

circulation of phosphate through water + the earth's crust + living organisms

Water/hydrologic cycle

collects + purifies + distributed earth's water powered by the sun: evaporates, precipitation, transpiration + run off

Nitrogen Cycle

conversion of nitrogen into nutrient slants use one of two inorganic forms of N