Biology biogeochemical cycles
On average what percentage of energy passes on to each tropic level
10%
What is the chemo synthesis equation
12 H2S+6 CO2 = C6H12O6 + 6 H2O + 12s
Nitrogen makes up _________ of the air we breathe
78%
The organisms in the 3rd trophic level of an energy pyramid is known as....
A secondary consumer
How does human use of fertilizers impact the nitrogen cycle
Additional nitrogen in the groundwater systems enters into bodies of water where the added nitrogen leads to eutrophication
Another useable form of nitrogen NH4+ can be converted to ______________ by ______________ for organisms to use
Ammonium, mineralization
Plants use both ___________ and _____________ to incorporate nitrogen into DNA, protein, and other molecules
Ammonium, nitrate
How much carbon is stored in the atmosphere as CO2
As much as 20 percent may remain in the atmosphere for thousands of years
How do animals get their needed amounts of nitrogen?
Consumption of living or dead organic matter containing molecules made up partly of nitrogen
What are cycles
Energy flow through an ecosystem and matter
In what types of tissues do toxins such as Mercury or pesticides build up in?
Fat tissues
Why is evaporated water clean
Impurities in the water are left behind
What 2 factors make DBT hazardous
It is non-biodegradable and it builds up in the tissues of animals
How is nitrogen important in our lives
It is the fourth most abundant element in the human body
How can human use of fossil fuels be detrimental to the environment
Marine plant life is hurt by excess carbon, Arctic environments melt due to the greenhouse effect, and the ozone is destroyed
Fracking is used to extract ________ _________ from underground reservoirs
Natural gas
Why are excessive amounts of phosphate considered a pollutant
Phosphate favors weeds over plant life so too much phosphate causes more weed growth then plant growth and the plants might suffocate
How do humans contribute to excessive phosphate levels
Phosphate is added to the atmosphere when people use fertilizers and when people cut down tropical rainforests
Explain why phosphates are a critical part of life
Phosphate molecules are a critical part of ATP, the energy source that fuels human life
How does phosphorous travel from rock to omnivore
Rain washes phosphorous out of the rock the phosphorous is then consumed by a plant, the plant is eaten by a herbivore, and lastly the omnivore eats the herbivore
The largest reservoir of phosphorous is in _______________ rock
Sedimentary
When the ____________ and ______________________ are right, the small droplets of water in clouds form larger droplets and precipitation occurs
Temperature, atmospheric pressure
What would happen to the population of moose if the population of a predator species were to become extinct
The amount of moose in an ecosystem would greatly increase
Is the amount of water on earth constant or always changing?
The amount of water on earth remains constant
Why are nitrogen-fixing bacteria so important to the nitrogen cycle
The bacteria are able to convert free nitrogen in the atmosphere into a form useable by plants and animals
How is the phosphorous cycle different from other bio geochemical cycles
The phosphorous cycle does not include a gas phase as all others do
Where does the energy stored in your breakfast come from?
The sun
How can carbon move from "land" to bodies of water
The water sucks carbon out of the atmosphere
True or false? Each time a well is fracked up to 300 tons of chemicals can be released
True
What is detritus
Waste or debris of any kind
How does nitrogen return to the atmosphere from an organism
When the organism dies nitrogen is released into the ground where the organism decomposes and it then goes through the nitrogen cycle until going back to the atmosphere
