B13 Flashcards
Explain the carbon cycle (+ draw a diagram)
Atmosphere:
Carbon :moves into and out of the atmosphere, mainly as CO2
Photosynthesis:
Plants takes CO2 from air by photosynthesis
Converted into organic materials (protein, carbohydrates, etc)
Feeding:
Herbivores eat plants and obtain carbon compounds in the process
Carnivores gain by eating other animals
Respiration:
Animals and plants release carbon into the air in the form of CO2 through respiration
Decomposition:
Organisms die and are usually decomposed
Decomposers breakdown organic molecules through respiration to gain energy (released CO2)
Fossilize:
If the organisms doesn’t decompose the organism fossilizes
Specific conditions -> carbon becomes trapped in its body -> can become fossil fuel
Combustion:
Combustion of fossil fuel releases CO2 into the atmosphere
Why an unbalanced concentration of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere bad?
CO2 is a greenhouse gas which absorbs heat
Greenhouse effect -> natural and good -> human activity has made it increase drastically
Effects of greenhouse effects:
>Melting icebergs
>destruction of ecosystems near poles (part of 1)
>rise in sea levels (part of 1)
>flooding in coastal areas
>heat strokes
>deaths (part of above)
TLDR: excess CO2 accelerates global warming which has a multitude of dangerous effects
How does combustion contribute to the increase in CO2 in the atmosphere?
Fossil fuels burned -> carbon stored is released -> carbon released + oxygen in the air -> CO2
Causes an increase in C02 in the atmosphere
How does cutting down of trees contribute to the increase in CO2 in the atmosphere?
Photosynthesis takes CO2 OUT of the air and replaces it with O2 (photosynthesis and respiration ‘cancel each other out‘)
Cutting trees -> REDUCES amount of photosynthesis -> less CO2 is being taken out of the air
CO2 goes up
O2 goes down
What are some of the undesirable effects of deforestation?
Habitat destruction
Extinction
Loss of soil
Flooding
Increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
Explain the effect/consequences of deforestation:
Extinction/loss of biodiversity through loss of habitat
Forest (esp. jungles) -> hella biodiversity -> deforestation causes a loss in habitat -> loss of large numbers of plants and animals species
Many species are only found in that specific area -> become extinct
Deforestation also disrupts food chains
Explain the effect/consequences of deforestation:
Soil erosion
Tree roots stabilize the soil which prevent erosion by rain
Trees take nutrients from the soil from their roots
No trees:
Nutrients and minerals will remain and be washed away into bodies of water -> leaching
Loss of nutrients is permanent -> difficult to regrow forest or agriculture
Results in eventual desert
Explain the effect/consequences of deforestation:
Flooding
No trees -> topsoil easily washed away -> increases risk of flash flood and landslides
Soil erosion -> causes blockages -> increases risk of flooding
Less plants to take water -> increased risk of flooding
Explain the effect/consequences of deforestation:
Increased CO2 in the atmosphere
Trees -> photosynthesis (take CO2 and release O2)
Removal of trees -> less CO2 is being removed and less oxygen released
Trees cut down are often burnt -> releases CO2 (combustion) -> increases CO2
CONTRIBUTE TO GLOBAL WARMING
How is population related to pollution?
More population = more volume of waste/pollution
What are the sources and effects of pollution of water:
Chemical waste
Living conditions become TOXIC to aquatic life
>increased deaths
>increased migration
>negatively impacts biodiversity
What are the sources and effects of pollution of water:
Discarded trash
MAJOR HAZARD to aquatic life (think vsco girls (save the turtles sksks))
Trash can be:
Ingested
Trapped in airways -> choke
Get trapped in trash
Strangled
Mostly trash from companies dumping into bodies of water
People littering -> trash can be carried by wind to bodies of water
What are the sources and effects of pollution of water:
Untreated sewage
Provides food for decomposing bacteria -> population rapidly increases -> more dissolved oxygen in the water used for respiration
Becomes more difficult for other organisms to survive
Treatment:
Oxygen added by stirring waste or injecting jets of compressed air
Allows microorganisms in waste to breakdown before it enters a body of water
What are the sources and effects of pollution of water:
Fertilizers
Too much fertilizers -> environmental hazard for bodies of water
Fertilizer washed away to bodies of water -> eutrophication
What are the different stages of eutrophication?
Leaching:
Excessive nutrients (usually nitrate/other ions) from fertilizer runoff into water
>more ions available for aquatic plant growth
Increased growth of plants -> RAPID
Increased growth of algae as well as
Algae bloom prevents sunlight from reaching aquatic plants (for photosynthesis) -> water oxygen levels fall
Decomposition rate increases -> respiration of decomposers increase = more plants/producers die
>more plants die -> more decomposer food
>excess algae also uses oxygen
Death of organisms requiring dissolved oxygen in the water
