Biology
What is Carbon?
a organic molecule that is exchanged and cycled between abiotic reservoirs, such as the atmosphere, ocean layers, and land, through biotic organisms performing the following processes, such as photosynthesis, decomposition, and respiration.
Since the 1980s the Earth has warmed
1.8 degrees
What percent of the worlds coral reefs have been lost?
50%
What is geoengineering?
A Carbon Dioxide removal technology
What is Methane?
A greenhouse gas that occurs both naturally and as a byproduct of interactions between solar energy and pollutants in the lower atmosphere
What is Carbon Dioxide?
A greenhouse gas that occurs both naturally and is a byproduct to the burning of fossils fuels, is largely associated with global warming
What is a biome?
A group of ecosystems that share similar climates and typical organisms
The products of light reactions of photosynthesis are
ATP, NADPH
In the last century
Carbon Dioxide and global temperatures have both greatly increased
Why does waters PH change when met with Carbon Dioxide?
Carbon Dioxide readily dissolves in water
What is the Carbon cycle?
Carbon dioxide is taken from the air by plants in photosynthesis, and it goes into their cells. Animals eat the plants, and use the carbon in their cells. Other animals eat these, and the process continues. Carbon dioxide is sent back into the air as a waste product of respiration
How does photosynthesis work?
Chlorophyll absorbs sunlight and uses energy to convert CO2 and water into glucose and O2 (by product). Water reaches the cell through the xylem
How is climate change altering weather patterns?
Climate change can cause longer droughts and intense flooding in different areas, which can change the weather patterns
What are some examples of climate change impacting biomes?
Climate change can effect biomes with temperature, sea levels, ocean temp, precipitation, shrinking glaciers, and thawing permafrost
What does the term climate mean?
Climate refers to the general area of the Earth that involves an ecosystem of living organisms and how they interact
What is the relationship between climate change and global warming?
Global warming can cause temperatures of the Earth's atmosphere, oceans, and land surface to rise which can have an involuntarily effect on certain effected climates
What is global warming?
Global warming is the term used to describe a gradual increase in the average temperature of the Earth's atmosphere and its oceans, a change that is believed to be permanently changing the Earth's climate.
What extreme weather evidence that the climate is changing?
Heat waves, extreme droughts, coastal flooding
Based on projections made by scientists studying climate change, if human activities continue to impact climate at the same rates as today, what will most likely be the future of the level of biological organization in ecosystems across the planet?
Human activities will have serious impacts on climate and on the levels of biological organization in ecosystems across the planet.
The Autumnal equinox occurs
In the Fall in the Northern Hemisphere, and the Spring of the southern hemisphere
The Vernal Equinox occurs
In the Spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and the fall of the southern hemisphere
The summer solstice occurs
In the Summer in the Northern Hemisphere, and the Winter of the southern hemisphere
What Greenhouses gases are majorly responsible for climate change and/or global warming?
Methane, Carbon Dioxide
How is Nuclear power produced?
Nuclear power is produced by splitting the Nucelus of an atom
What is the waste product of photosynthesis?
Oxygen
What is regenerated in the last stage of the carbon cycle?
RuBP
How is photosynthesis involved in the Carbon Cycle?
Photosynthesis is how the Carbon Cycle starts by taking carbon dioxide in and using it to keep the plant alive
How are fossils fuels formed?
Plants and plankton decompose deep in the Earth to form oil and coal
What is glaciers and snow cover evidence that the climate is changing?
Shrinking of glaciers, accelerated ice melts
What is Ocean evidence that the climate is changing?
The acidification of oceans
What are my food choices?
The best food options are those that do not require a lot of energy to produce such as vegetables and naturally occurring food
How do fossil fuels contribute to climate change?
The burning of fossils fuels releases an overabundance of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere
How does the greenhouse effect relate to global warming?
The excess of Carbon Dioxide being released into the air has caused the greenhouse effect to become amplified, trapping more and more heat on Earths surface
What are some other greenhouse gases?
The main types of gasses are Methane, Carbon Dioxide, water vapor, nitrous oxides, Ozone, and Chlorofluorocarbons
What is a Carbon footprint?
The total amount of carbon dioxide used by someone, usually adding together waste disposal, transportation, recycling, and energy usage
How do heat waves and droughts impact humans?
They can cause dehydration and lack of water, which can lead to disease and even death
What are wind and geothermal sources of energy?
Wind energy is produced through windmills, and geothermal produces energy by using heat from the Earth to produce steam to produce electricity
What is climate change?
a change in global or regional climate patterns
What changes can be expected in biological communities?
loss of species and introduction to invasive species that completely change the function of the communities
What are the properties of life?
order, regulation, growth and development, energy processing, response to the environment, reproduction, evolution
What are solar energy options?
photovoltaics and concentrating solar-thermal power
The light reactions of photosynthesis take place in
the Thylakoid membrane
What is the greenhouse effect?
the trapping of the sun's warmth in a planet's lower atmosphere
The seasons on Earth are a result of the Earths
tilt
The inputs of light reactions of photosynthesis are
water, ADP, NADP+
ocean acidification occurs
when water interacts with carbon dioxide to form carbonic acid, which releases Hydrogen ions that cause the ocean water to turn to acid
What is an invasive species?
A species that lands in a new place and upsets the natural balance
What is the difference between anthropogenic climate change and naturally occurring changes in a climate?
Anthropogenic climate change occurs at such a rapid pace it is leaving organisms less time to adapt to their changing environment
Why is Carbon important to life?
Carbon is a key reactant in photosynthesis and cellular respiration, two processes that are the key to life on Earth
What changes in a biome may lead to desertification?
Changes in precipitation, Removal of natural vegetation, overgrazing livestock
How does Climate change impact disease?
Climate change can introduce vector-borne diseases from animals such as mosquitos and ticks by allowing them to spread beyond their normal climate
The Winter solstice occurs
In the Winter in the Northern Hemisphere, and the Summer of the southern hemisphere
What are my energy choices?
Solar energy, Wind energy, Geothermal energy, Nuclear energy
What impacts are left by habitat loss and extinction?
If an animal's habitat leaves they will have to find a new climate and adapt or die trying. Extinction also has several bad effects such as the loss of a part of a food web which can lead to devastation to an entire ecosystem
What links Carbon Dioxide and global temperatures?
The burning of fossil fuels leads to an excess amount of carbon going into the air which is then trapped in the lower atmosphere and causes the temperatures to warm
What is the biosphere?
all the living organisms on Earth along with the physical environment in which they live