Carbon Cycle And Human Influences Flashcards
What are the biological consequences of pollution of air by sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide
Mining/factories/cars cause them to be realeased.
Gases react with moisture in air and form acid rain clouds.
Kill fish, trees and erode marble buildings
Water vapour
from Lakes and rivers
Carbon dioxide
Burning fossil fuels , cutting down trees
effect- contribute to global warming by coming a layer in the atmoshpere
Methane
Broken down bacteria from cows and swamp marshes
effect- global warming
CFs
Chlorofluorocarbons:
Aerosols, fridges
Nitrous oxide
Power stations and car fumes
effect- acid rain
What are the consequences of global warming?
Sea levels rise, spreading of diseases, habitat destruction
Human activities which contribute to green house gases
Cutting down trees- more co2 in air
Driving- adding pollution
Heating homes, charging devices, turning on lights
The green house effect
A normal process however as humans we have thickened the layer by polluting the air making it a harder process for the long wave radiation to escape which traps more air therefore hearing the earth to a temperature which is not sustainable.
Stages of he green house effect
Short wave radiation from the sun enters the atomosohere. Some of it gets converted to long wave radiation and the rest bounces off and can escape the atmosphere. The long wave radiation gets stuck and continuously bounces back and forth from the earth to the atmosphere, this heats the earth.
Impacts of acid rain
Acidification of lakes/ ponds:
Deforestation, change in habitats
Acidification of soil:
Deforestation, increased soil erosion, death of trees, change in habitats.
Reaction with limestone and other rocks:
Erosion of buildings (marble)
Eutrophication
Is when the farmers add too much fertiliser to their crop or if they add fertiliser to their crop before heavy rainfall. Can result from leached liberals from fertiliser
Process of Eutrophication
Fertiliser is washed into rivers, streams and lakes.
This causes water plants/ weeds and algae to grow and form dense green mat on the surface of the water which blocks out sunlight and causes the plants that live on the bottom of the river to die.
Microorganisms/ bacteria (decomposes) use up dissolved oxygen in plants to breakdown organic matter.
The amount of dissolved oxygen descreases which increases the Biological oxygen demand
Shortage of oxygen kills fish and other aquatic animals
Water body with no oxygen in it
Anoxic
Deforestation
The permanent clearing of trees, transforming a forest into cleared land.
Causes of deforestation
Forest fires Cutting down trees for houses Climate change (climate dries out tropical rainforests and increases fire damage) Acid rain Livestock ranching
Effects of deforestation
Loss of habitat
Less trees take in co2 which means there is more in the air than needed which therefore pollute the air
Excess water: less trees are taking up water which means excess water moves to other areas and flood them.
Leaching (loss of nutrients from the soil)
Soil erosion: the soil is reliant on the roots from trees but when they are cut down the soil becomes worn away.
What is the only thing that removes co2 from the atmosphere
Photosynthesis
Plants use photosynthesis to make:
Fats, proteins and carbohydrates
Plant and animals
Respire to put co2 back into the atmosphere
Why is deforestation a problem for the earth?
-when forests are cleared, the trees are either burned or left to rot, this carbon is released quickly as carbon dioxide.
- more Co2
- less trees = no photosynthesis= less oxygen
- soil erosion
- greenhouse effect
Why is it useful to have some greenhouse gases in the atmosphere?
because they heat the earth in order for us to live
what human activity produces chlorofluro carbons
aerosoles, fridges
3 ways you could help to reduce the green house effect
turning, off lights, encourage public transport and walking/biking to stop the increasing of use of cars, put your tv on standby, turning off heaters , using renewable energy.
how are greenhouse gases increasing the worlds temperature
green house gases are sent into the atmosphere and thicken the layer, making it a harder process for long wave radiation to escape which traps more air therefore heating the air more.
name two activities that produce green house gases
cutting down trees- more Co2 in the air driving- adding pollution heating homes charging devices turning on lights
what pollutants cause acid rain
sulphur dioxide
nitrogen oxide
sulphur dioxide
cars
effect- acid rain
carbon monoxie
when petrol and diesel are burned in veichle engines
effect- a dangerous pollutant because it is colourless, odourless, and tastless can kill you.
Reduces 02 avaliabilty
an indicator species for pollution is…
lichen
What type of organisms break down waste materials?
decomposers, which are micro-organisms
what process do decomposers carry out which produces Co2?
respiration
What would happen to the concentration of O2 if these microrganisms were carrying out respiration?
02 concentration would decrease because it is being used up by respiration.
What do humans need carbon for in their bodies?
carbon is in everything, you need it for energy and strength.
Where do we get our carbon from?
food, proteins, fats and sugars
life without carbon would be impossible
