Chapter 2: Flashcards
What is a biogeochemical cycle?
A route taken by water and other nutrients through the biotic and abiotic components of the biosphere
What are important properties of water
- universal solvent
- high melting and boiling point
- has adhesive and cohesive properties
- high heat capacity
- polar molecule ( O-atom has partial negative charge | H-atom has partial positive charge)
- Hydrogen bonds that attract each water molecule
Fill in the blanks:
There is a ___ amount of matter in our ecosystem, therefore chemicals must be ____ constantly
- Limited
- recycled
What’s the difference between the density of water and ice
- Ice is less dense because when water freezes the hydrogen bonds expand which means less compact so less dense.
- they form a crystal like structure
- water however is more dense because hydrogen bonds are close with each other
What does cohesion mean
- the attraction of water molecules to each other
What does adhesion mean
- the attraction of water molecules to other substances
What are the main biogeochemical cycles
- carbon
-oxygen
-nitrogen
-phosphorus
What is rapid cycling
- nutrients involves substance that can cyclebetween nutrient reservoirs QUICKLY
- they are temporarily stored in nutrient reservoirs ex) soil, air, water
What is slow cycling
- When substances accumulate and are unavailable to organisms
- can take millions of years first these substances so be available again
-ex) fossil fuels, carbon and oil
Fill in the blanks
Organisms are included in the rapid cycling of carbon and oxygen through ______ and ____
- photosynthesis
- cellular respiration
What is the relationship between large trees and carbon
- carbon can be stored in the tree for a long period of time in their tissues
- the carbon is then not recycled/released until the tree dies and is broke down by decomposers
What is the largest carbon sink in the earths biosphere
- the ocean
- it contains billion tonnes of dissolved carbon dioxide
- other ex) forests, limestone rocks, fossil fuels
What are natural processes that return carbon to rapid cycling quickly
- forest fires burn the carbon
- weathering/breaking of stones
How can human influence carbon dioxide
- burning fossil fuels releases carbon back to atmosphere increasing the levels of carbon dioxide
What does a nitrogen fixing bacteria do
- converts N2 into ammonium NH4
What is mutual relationship
- bacteria convert N2 to form plants can use, and plants give bacteria food
What is ammonificstion
- when breakdown of organic matter by decomposers - produced ammonium
What is nitrifying bacteria
- in the soil converts NH4 into nitrite NO2 to nitrate NO3 plants use as nitrogen source
What is denitrification
- denitrifying bacteria complete the cycle by converting nitrite or nitrate back to Nitrogen gas
What is crop rotation
- helps maintain high nitrogen content on soil
- grow legumes (alfalfa, clover) one season (they have nitrogen fixing bacteria in their roots) and crops (corn and carrots) the next
What cycle is not involved in the atmosphere?
- the phosphorus cycle
- found in soil and water and is released through weathering (breaking)
- Animals can obtain phosphorus through milk grains and meat
- producers can only use it in the form of the phosphate PO4 3-
What is Algal Blooms : Eutrophication
- results of excess nutrients (phosphate) un water
- nutrients enter water through runoff
- higher concentration if phosphorus increases algae
- When the decomposers break down the excess organic matter, they take up O2 killing aquatic life
Is the biosphere an open system
yes
- input energy from the sun and output heat to space
What does productivity mean
- rate at which producers capture and store energy
What can affect productivity
- rainfall/water availability
- light availability
- space
- temperature
what is stromatolites
- sedumentary ricks formed from amount bacteria
- They have black iron oxide bonds, firmed when iron combined with oxygen in the oceans
- scientist think that iron became bound to oxygen then as more produced it escaped through the ocean and entered the atmosphere
All organisms require ___ its an important part if proteins and vitamins
- sulfur
- when organisms die decomposers return sulfur to soul and atmosphere
What is acid deposition
- SO2 in environment reacts with H2O and O2 to produce H2SO3 (sulfurous acid) and H2SO3 sulfuric acid
- this results to acid rain which returns sulfur to ocean and soul
what is cyanobacteria
- a photosynthetic micro-organism
- now known as chloroplast
- adapted to oxygen rich biosphere
