5 water cycles Flashcards
the defination of Nutrient cycling
The movement of elements and compounds from the environment to organisms and then back to the environment
Components of the Water Cycle
➢ The Atmosphere
➢ Land
➢ The Ocean
describe water cycle
*described as the master cycle that drives all other nutrient cycles
*driven by solar energy which facilitates the transfer of water between the land, ocean and atmosphere
what is water balance
*The availability of water to support ecosystem productivity is dependent on the balance between water inputs and outputs, an indication of the water status of an ecosystem as to whether there is a net surplus(outflow) or moisture deficit
*The major water input to ecosystems is precipitation
*The major water output to ecosystems are evapotranspiration and runoff
what is Evaporation
change in the physical state of water from a
liquid state to a gaseous state (water vapour), influenced
primarily by solar radiation
*Evaporation occurs from
oceans, lakes and rivers,
vegetation, soil, rocks, etc.
what is Transpiration
*water moves from the soil into plants through their roots,
and is then transferred to the atmosphere as water
vapor through numerous individual leaf-openings, which Moves nutrients throughout plants and Keeps plants cool them during the day
*influced by light, temperature, wind
what is Evapotranspiration
evaporation and transpiration
what is Precipitation
*water falls from the atmosphere and gets to the earth’s
surface in its various forms
*When an area experiences small and infrequent precipitation, a high percentage returns to the atmosphere by evaporation
what is Interception
*occurs when precipitation is captured, mainly by vegetation
*Interception of water during freezing and sub- freezing conditions can be substantial such as when it snows on conifer
forests and hardwood forests that have not yet lost their leaves
* canopy interception: frequent fog, cloud droplets after being deposited on leaf surfaces, drip from the canopy to the soi
what is Infiltration
*occurs when water from precipitation enters the soil, influenced by
soil surface conditions (Porosity of the soil;Permeability of the soil profile)
How much water is pooling at the soil surface
The initial soil moisture content
what is Percolation
*water moves though the soil, and its layers, by gravity and capillary forces to form groundwater, Gravity is the principal
moving force of groundwate.
*the water encounters geologic formations,these geologic formations serve as subterranean water reservoirs or conduits for the water movement
what is storage
*In terrestrial ecosystems, when water inputs
exceed outputs the excess water stored in soil and groundwater
*Water enters the soil and is retained until it
reaches capacity and additional water moves downward to groundwater, it displaces older water with new water.
*Groundwater is not accessible to plants because it is beneath the rooting zone
what is Runoff
Runoff primarily depends on precipitation and evapotranspiration, responds much more strongly to precipitation than evapotranspiration because runoff occurs after the water demands for evapotranspiration and groundwater recharge have been met
what is output and input
output are evapotranspiration and runoff input is all others
what is output and input
output are evapotranspiration and runoff input is all others
