Chapter 2.2 Flashcards
How to autotrophs rely on heterotrophs?
They rely on heterotrophs to convert nutrients into usable forms
What common mixture provides accessible to nutrients for plants?
Fertilizer
What does the recycling of matter through the ecosystem allow?
All organisms to obtain essential nutrients
What are substances temporarily stored in the biogeochemical cycle?
Some nutrients are temporarily stored in nutrient reservoirs. Such as organisms, soil air or water
What do all biogeochemical cycles involve in terms of substances?
They involve substances that are being stored in reservoirs for various amounts of time
What is Rapid Cycling?
When substances cycle between nutrient reservoirs very quickly. ex. producer to consumer to decomposer
What is an example of nutrient reservoirs that have been there for many years?
Coal and oil deposits which are carbon reservoirs
What is Slow Cycling?
When substances accumulate and are unavailable to organisms
Where does much of the CO2 in the atmosphere come from?
Forest fires and the breakdown of organic matter by decomposers
How are plants and animals involved in the rapid cycling of oxygen and carbon?
Photosynthesis produces oxygen gas and cellular respiration produces carbon dioxide
How are organisms involved in the slow cycling of carbon?
Photosynthetic organisms remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and incorporates carbon into organic matter. Ex. Trees act like carbon sinks and store large amounts of carbon until they decompose and die
What are Carbon Sinks?
Reservoirs that absorb more carbon than they emit
How is carbon uses in the ocean?
Organisms such as phytoplankton use carbon from the atmosphere and incorporate it into their structure
What is the largest carbon sink?
The ocean
How is some carbon trapped on the ocean floor?
In methane hydrates
How do humans affect carbon cycling?
Combustion of carbon products such as petroleum can return carbon to the atmosphere
Why do all organisms need sulfur?
Because it is an important part of proteins and vitamins
What happens to the sulfur when organisms that use it decompose?
They return much of the sulfur to the soil or atmosphere
what does the smell of hydrogen sulfide mean?
It indicates that decomposers are working because they are breaking down the substances in deceased organisms
Why is bacteria important in the sulfur cycle?
Because the bacteria is able to transfer sulphur from one form to another
What do sulfate reducers do?
Convert sulfate to sulfide
What do sulfur oxidizers do?
Convert sulfide to elemental sulfur and sulfate
How is some sulfur taken out of rapid cycling?
when bacteria converts sulfur to forms that are layered down in sediments, eventually becoming rocks
what releases sulfur that is trapped in rocks and other substances?
Weathering and volcanic activity that releases sulfur into the atmosphere
How does sulphur dioxide react with oxygen in the atmosphere?
It creates sulfurous and sulfuric acid when it reacts with water vapor in the air
What results in acid deposition?
When sulphur is released in the air and reacts with water vapor
What is Acid Deposition?
When Sulphurous acid and sulfuric acid becomes deposited in the environment through precipitation
Why can acid deposition be bad in large amounts?
Large amounts can damage plants, acidify lakes and leach nutrients from soil
What contributes to sulfur emissions?
Fossil fuels that have been burnt. They release sulfur in the form of sulfur dioxide
What makes up most of the earths atmosphere?
Nitrogen gas 78.1%
How much oxygen is the atmosphere made up of?
20.9%
What is nitrogen an essential part of?
The proteins found in organisms and the genetic material found in cells
What is nitrogen fixation?
When bacteria can convert nitrogen gas into ammonium NH4+
Where are the bacteria that fix nitrogen present?
The lumpy nodules of legumes
what is a way that Ammonium can be produced?
Ammonification. When decomposers break down organic matter
What can the products of ammonification be used for?
Some soil bacteria converts it into nitrite and nitrate and plants can use it as a nitrogen source
What do denitrifying bacteria do?
They convert nitrite and nitrate back into nitrogen gas
What is crop rotation?
Growing certain plants every other season so certain plants like legumes can bring nutrients like nitrogen
What is phosphorus important for?
It is important for parts of DNA and ATP. bus it is also a large component of bone and teeth
Where is phosphorus found?
It is found in soil and water and weathering gradually releases it from rocks
How do animals obtain phosphorus?
By consuming foods such as milk, grain, and meat
How do plants use phosphates?
If it is in the form of phosphate. PO4 3-
What is the growth of algae in ecosystems limited by?
The amount of available nutrients
What is an algae bloom?
The overgrowth of algae
What happens in an algal bloom?
Algae over grows in water which produces lots of organic matter. As decomposers break it down they use large amount of oxygen resulting in the death of fish and other organisms
What are algal blooms created by?
The use of phosphorus
