1.6 - A Healthy Balance

Question 1

What Factors Affect Ocean Productivity

Answer 1

Water Temperature
Light Availability
Coastal Areas

Question 2

Ocean Productivity (Light availability)

Answer 2

Light for photosynthesis is only available in the top 200m, but nutrients varies across the whole ocean.

Question 3

Ocean Productivity (Polar Water)

Answer 3

Cold water holds more nutrients/carbon, the most productivity is therefore in polar regions and 50-75m.

Question 4

Ocean Productivity (Tropics Water)

Answer 4

Tropics water is mixed, leaving surface water nutrients poor as carbon is released into the atmosphere.

Question 5

Ocean Productivity (Coasts)

Answer 5

Coasts have the greatest productivity as they’re shallow and nutrients rich due to coastal erosion.

Question 6

Terrestrial Productivity (Latitude)

Answer 6

Latitude controls temperature and patterns of precipitation and therefore influence productivity.

Question 7

Terrerstrial Productivity (Soils)

Answer 7

Soil accounts for 20-30% of global carbon but local conditions determine the sequestration/emissions of CO2, it’s affected by decomposition and weathering rates as well as biota content of soil.

Question 8

Why Are Biota Important To Decomposition

Answer 8

Soil biota respire and release carbon.

Question 9

Terrestrial Productivity (Tropical Rainforest)

Answer 9

Tropical rainforests have larger biomass but decompose more and due to instant nutrient uptake, the litter and soil stores are limited.

Question 10

Terrestrial Productivity (Temperature Grasslands)

Answer 10

High organic matter which increases capacity to store carbon.

Question 11

Terrestrial Productivity (Taiga Biome)

Answer 11

Slow decomposition rates and frozen upper soil meaning most carbon is in the litter.

Question 12

Terrestrial Productivity (Clay-Rich Soils)

Answer 12

Clay protects the carbon from decomposition by biota so the more clay the better.

Question 13

Terrestrial Productivity (Soil Erosion)

Answer 13

Soil erosion threatens carbon as it removes the active surface layer.

Question 14

Ecosystems In Tropical Biome

Answer 14

Greater biomass, greater litter and greater soil. Greater precipitation causing more litter, more rock weathering and more vegetation resulting in even more plant uptake,

Question 15

Ecosystems In Taiga Biome

Answer 15

Larger soil store due to permafrost however plants aren’t growing and therefore there’s a small amount of plant uptake. Litter is still large due to branches snapping and joining the litter.

Question 16

Ecosystem In Stepper Biome

Answer 16

Frozen sometimes and hot enough for decomposition to happen. However, there’s a low plant uptake due to a lack of vegetation and large amounts of precipitation.

Question 17

How Do Flash Floods Effect Ecosystems

Answer 17

Soil nutrients gets washed away, meaning increased soil eutrophication. There will be a lack of nutrients in the soil for the plants to take up and the litter will get washed away given the soil will be saturated quicker.

Question 18

How Do Clay-Rich Soils Effect Ecosystems

Answer 18

Soil store decreases as there’s less percolation/groundwater storage meaning soil has less nutrients/moisture. The litter store will also decrease as the ground will get saturated quicker leading to more surface run-off. Biomass will also decrease as plants will have less water/nutrients to uptake.

Question 19

Atmosphere Composition

Answer 19

Carbon accounts for less than 1% of Earths atmospheric composition but it plays a key role in trapping the long wave radiation in the Earth’s surface, without this it would be 20 degrees colder.