Chapter 4a

Question 1

Abiotic

Answer 1

The environment’s geological features, the non living part of an ecosystem

Question 2

Assimilated

Answer 2

The conversion of a nutrient into a useable form that can be incorporated into the tissues of an organism

Question 3

Biotic

Answer 3

The living parts of an ecosystem - Includes the organisms and their effects on each other

Question 4

Decomposers

Answer 4

Bacteria and fungi that break down dead organic matter and release the nutrients back into the environment

Question 5

Nutrient

Answer 5

A chemical that provides what is needed for organisms to live and grow

Question 6

Nutrient cycles

Answer 6

The movement and exchange of elements that are essential for life, from inorganic molecules, through fixation and then into living organisms before being decomposed back into inorganic molecules

Question 7

Reservoir

Answer 7

Part of the abiotic phase of the nutrient cycle where nutrients can remain for long periods of time

Question 8

Run-off

Answer 8

The flow of ways from land caused by precipitation

Question 9

Upwelling

Answer 9

The movement of cold, nutrient rich water from deep in the ocean to the surface

Question 10

Residence time

Answer 10

The average time that a particle spends in a particular system

Question 11

What is the layer of the ocean called where the most nutrients are located?

Answer 11

Reservoir

Question 12

What is the photic zone?

Answer 12

An area where there is enough light for Photosynthesis

Question 13

What are the primary producers on a food web

Answer 13

Phytoplankton + Algae

Question 14

All nutrient cycles have ____ and ____ phase

Answer 14

Biotic and abiotic phase

Question 15

A nutrient moves from the abiotic to biotic phase when it is ____ and ____ by other producers

Answer 15

Assimilated and absorbed

Question 16

How are nutrients moved along from one organism to the next in a food chain?

Answer 16

Feeding

Question 17

How can nutrients be lost from each organism

Answer 17

Egestion and excretion

Question 18

After death what breaks down the dead marine animals?

Answer 18

Decomposers

Question 19

When a decomposers breaks down the dead fish, what happens to the nutrients?

Answer 19

It returns to their inorganic form , and go back into abiotic cycle

Question 20

Generalized cycle

Answer 20

Nutrients found as organic ions and compounds in the atmosphere, dissolved in water… forming rocks and sediments

Question 21

ATMOSPHERE -> RESERVOIR what process takes place and describe it.

Answer 21

Dissolving and run-off

Reservoir collects the dissolved nutrients in the surface layer of the sea.

This can happen by precipitation if by CO2 being dissolved into the water.

Question 22

Reservoir—> FOOD CHAIN.

What is the name of this process?

Answer 22

UPTAKE

Question 23

FOOD CHAIN—> SEABED

What is the name of this process?

Answer 23

Death and sinking

Question 24

SEABED —> RESERVOIR

what is the name of this process?

Answer 24

Upwelling

Question 25

What two atmospheric gases can dissolve in water

Answer 25

Nitrogen and carbon

Question 26

Name the three factors that dissolving of gases in water

Answer 26

1. Temperature
2. Atmospheric concentration of gas
3. Amount of mixing water at the surface

Question 27

What is a SINK?

Answer 27

An area where there is more gas dissolving into the water.

Question 28

Residence time for nutrient ions is short or long?? Why??

Answer 28

It is LONG. because, SOME FALL TO THE BOTTOM IN FAECES OR IN DEAD ORGANISMS.

Question 29

The time the same nutrients spend in just the surface layer of the ocean are much shorter. WHY?

Answer 29

Because, NUTRIENTS ARE CONSTANTLY BEING USED AND RECYCLED BY ORGANSIMS

Question 30

Name ways the reservoir can replenish itself?

Answer 30

1. Runoff- rain may dissolve nutrients, and carries them to the rivers and the to the sea. - FERTILIZERS.
2. Upwelling- water moves from deep ocean to the surface bringing any nutrients with it. (Usually cause by deep currents deflecting up towards the coastline.)
3. Dissolving atmospheric gases (nitrogen and carbon)- dissolved at surface layer of water.

Ex. Carbon dioxide - dissolve in seawater forming hydrocarbonate (HCO3-), creating more CO2 available for Photosynthesis (CARBON FIXATION)

4. Excretion- from zooplankton (especially nitrate and phosphates). Some of this may require decomposition by bacteria.

Question 31

What can deplete the reservoir nutrients?

Answer 31

1. Uptake by primary producers-nutrient are lost from surface when they are incorporated into producers and used to make organic compounds. These compounds then move up the food chain during feeding.
2. Death and sinking- when organisms die, they sunk to ocean floor, and so, they can trap the nutrients in them, thus decreasing the reservoir in surface layer. They can be returned Via. Upwelling.
3. Growth of corals - they depleted the calcium and carbon as they use calcium carbonate to make their skeletons. The calcium comes from the zooplankton thy consume.
4. Harvesting- when fish or other organisms are removed by humans from the sea, the nutrients are lost from the ecosystem.

Ex. If we eat the fish contain the nitrate compounds, we loose this nutrient by excretion such as urine, which then ends up in sewage. In many areas sewage is released into rivers and oceans only being partially treated.

Question 32

Name the nutrient cycles

Answer 32

1 carbon cycle

2. Phosphorous cycle
3. Calcium cycle
4. Nitrogen cycle
5. Magnesium cycle.