Chapter 15-16

Question 1

Describe the 4 Earth systems

Answer 1

Biota-collection of living things that live in the biosphere.
Atmosphere-the air blanketing the earth’s solid and liquid surfaces
Hydrosphere-all of Earth’s water , ice and water vapor
Geosphere-the features of the earth’s surface such as the continents, rocks and the sea floor., and everything below Earth’s surface.

Question 2

What is biota?

Answer 2

Collection of living things that live in the Biosphere.

Question 3

Explain how climate and weather differ.

Answer 3

Climate is the average (prevailing) weather of a region. Weather may change from day to day.

Question 4

What two factors are included in climate?

Answer 4

Average temperature, precipitation and relative humidity.

Question 5

What is microclimate?

Answer 5

The climate of a specific place within a larger area.

Question 6

What are the 3 climate zones on Earth? Describe each.

Answer 6

Polar-at the far north and south poles very cold and often below freezing.

Temperate-Broad area between the polar and tropical climate has summer and winter seasons of about equal length.

Tropical-Surrounds the equator and runs from the tropic of Cancer to the tropic of Capricorn, and has warm moist conditions.

Question 7

Which biome receives the most precipitation? Which receives the least?

Answer 7

The tropical receives the most and Tundra receives the least.

Question 8

Which biome is the hottest? Which is the coldest?

Answer 8

Tropical is the hottest and Tundra is he coldest.

Question 9

What are deciduous trees?

Answer 9

Trees that have adapted to winter by loosing their leaves and going dormant.

Question 10

In which biome of the world do we live?

Answer 10

Temperate

Question 11

List and describe the 4 zones of the ocean.

Answer 11

Intertidal zone-strip of land between the high and low tide zones. The beach. Organisms must tolerate a variety of conditions.

Neritic zone-from the intertidal zone to the edge of the continental shelf.

Bathyal zone- from the edge of the neritic zone to the base of the continental shelf. Water is murky as has burrowing animals
.
Abyssal zone- below 2000 meters and in complete darkness. No photosynthetic organisms. Many organisms make their own light.

Question 12

What are plankton? What is the difference between zooplankton and phytoplankton?

Answer 12

Tiny free floating organisms that live in the water.

Zooplankton-animal plankton

Phytoplankton-photosynthetic plankton that include microscopic protists such as algae.

Question 13

Where are coral reefs found?

Answer 13

Within the tropical climate zone in the shallow coastal waters of the Neritic zone.

Question 14

Where are kelp forests found?

Answer 14

Cold nutrient rich waters in the Neritic zone. Seaweed that grows from the ocean floor up

Question 15

What is an estuary?

Answer 15

A partially enclosed body of water that is formed where a river flows into an ocean. Mix of fresh and Salt WaterChesapeake Bay, San Francisco Bay, Florida Everglades, Louisiana Bayous.

Question 16

Why are estuaries sometimes called the nursery of the sea?

Answer 16

Highly productive ecosystem, highly photosynthetic organisms thrive providing the basis for the aquatic food web. Their protective refuge provides a good place to lay eggs.

Question 17

What is a watershed?

Answer 17

A region of land that drains into a river, river system or another body of water.

Question 18

Name and describe the three zones of lakes and ponds

Answer 18

littoral zone-located between the high and low water marks along the shoreline. Well-lit, warm, shallow a diverse set of organisms such as dragonflies, water lilies, and snails.

limnetic zone-open water located further out from shore. Abundance of Plankton communities to support populations of fish.

benthic zone-lake or pond bottom, less sunlight reaches so decomposers such as bacteria live in the mud and sand.

Question 19

Explain the difference between renewable and nonrenewable resources. Give examples of each.

Answer 19

Nonrenewable-used faster than they form. Coal and Oil

Renewable-resources can not be used up or replenish themselves over time.

Question 20

What is an ecological footprint?

Answer 20

The amount of land necessary to produce and maintain enough food and water, shelter energy and waste.

Question 21

Which continent has the largest ecological footprint?

Answer 21

North America

Question 22

What is pollution?

Answer 22

Any undesirable factor , or pollutant that is added to the air, water or soil.

Question 23

What is smog? What are the components of smog?

Answer 23

A type of air pollution caused by the interaction of sunlight with pollutants produced by fossil fuel emissions (cars etc.)
Composed of particulate matter, dust metal
ground-level ozone 03.

Question 24

What is acid rain? What is the pH of normal rain? The pH of acid rain?

Answer 24

A type of precipitation that is produced when pollutants in the water cycle cause rain ph to drop below normal levels.

Question 25

What is the greenhouse effect?

Answer 25

When carbon dioxide, water and methane molecules absorb energy radiated by Earth’s surface and slow the release of this energy from Earth’s atmosphere.

Question 26

What is global warming?

Answer 26

The trend of increasing global temperatures.