Biosphere Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the biosphere?

A

The biosphere is the global sum of all ecosystems. It can also be termed the zone of life on Earth, a closed system (apart from solar and cosmic radiation and heat from the interior of the Earth), and largely self-regulating.

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2
Q

What is the origin of the biosphere?

A

• biosphere has a geological origin, it is an indication of the effect of both Charles Darwin and Matthew F. Maury on the Earth sciences.

• the biosphere’s ecological context comes from the 1920’s, preceding the 1935 introduction of the term “ecosystem” by Sir Arthur Tansley.

• Vernadsky defined ecology as the science of the biosphere.

• it is an interdisciplinary concept for integrating astronomy, geophysics, meteorology, biogeography, evolution, geology, geochemistry, hydrology, and generally speaking, all life and earth sciences.

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3
Q

What are the functions of the biosphere?

A

• energy transformation: green plants convert light energy into chemical energy that animals use. Thus chemical energy is disturbed between all living organisms.

• maintaining the gas content: O2 is released in the process of photosynthesis and CO2 in the process of respiration. The constant quantity of O2 and CO2 in the atmosphere is a result of the vital activity of organisms.

• obtaining chemical elements: organisms obtain some chemical elements, necessary for their construction, from their physical environment.

• breaking down of organic matter: decomposers transform organic compounds into inorganic ones and in this way plants can use them again.

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4
Q

What is ecology?

A

The relationship between organism and its environment is the study of ecology.

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5
Q

What is an ecosystem made up of?

A

Biotic and abiotic factors combine to create a system.

• biotic: related to life are living factors. (Animal, plants, fungi)

• abiotic: related to non-living things
- environmental (pond, lake, ocean, desert, mountain)
- weather (temperature, cloud, rain, snow)

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6
Q

What is the role of atmosphere and hydrosphere in biosphere?

A

• water is the universal solvent and the basis of all life on our planet.

• the hydrosphere is important to the biosphere

• the sun provides the light and heat necessary to maintain life on earth and is the ultimate source of energy.

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7
Q

What are some factors that impact the biosphere?

A

Deforestation, acid rain, water pollution, soil pollution, farming, volcanic eruptions, and many more.

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8
Q

What is the food chain?

A

• shows how each living thing gets it’s food

• a food chain always starts with a plant and ends with an animal

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9
Q

What are plants?

A

They are producers or autotrophs because they are able to use light energy to make their own food (photosynthesis).

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10
Q

Can animals make their own food?

A

Animals can’t make their own food so they must eat plants and/or other animals. They are called consumers or heterotrophs.

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11
Q

What are the three groups of consumers?

A

• herbivores: are animals that only eat plants or plant products (seeds). They are also called primary consumers

Carnivores are animals that eat other animals.
• secondary consumers are carnivores that eat herbivores
• tertiary consumers are carnivores that eat other carnivores.

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12
Q

What are omnivores?

A

Eat both plants and animals

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13
Q

What are decomposers?

A

Feed on decaying matter (bacteria, worms, fungi). Release mineral salts back into the food chain.

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14
Q

Why are there more herbivores than carnivores?

A

In a habitat, herbivores are expected to outnumber carnivores. This is because carnivores depend upon herbivores for their food and get energy by consuming herbivores. Some energy is wasted during the transfer from herbivores to carnivores. Consequently, less energy exists at the level of a secondary consumer.

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15
Q

What is the efficiency of energy in a food chain?

A

Energy and mass is transferred from one level of the food chain to the next with an efficiency of about 10%.

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16
Q

How many links are in a food chain?

A

• Most food chains have no more than four or five links
• There cannot be too many links in a single food chain because the animals at the end of the chain would not get enough food (and hence energy) to stay alive.

17
Q

What do the arrows in a food chain represent?

A

• Note that the arrows are drawn from food source to food consumers.
• Substitute the arrows with the words “eaten by”
• The arrows also show the way energy is moving.

18
Q

How are food chains different from food webs?

A

• Food webs are a bunch of interconnected food chains.

• Most animals are part of more than one food chain and eat more than one kind of food in order to meet their food and energy requirements. These interconnected food chains form a food web.