ecology p.2

Question 1

climate

Answer 1

the pattern of weather over a long period of time

Question 2

weather

Answer 2

the current condition of the atmosphere

Question 3

greenhouse effect

Answer 3

how these gases trap the sun’s energy to keep the planet warm

Question 4

5 greenhouse gases

Answer 4

1. water vapour
2. carbon dioxide
3. methane
4. nitrous oxide
5. ozone

Question 5

3 impacts of climate change

Answer 5

1. increases in frequency and intensity of natural disasters
2. declining crop yields
3. declining biodiversity

Question 6

increases in frequency and intensity of natural disasters

Answer 6

rising temp = warmer seas = more water vapour in the atmosphere = more hurricanes, typhoons and torrential rain and more droughts

Question 7

declining crop yields

Answer 7

if the temp and amount of available water is outside of a plant’s tolerance range, the plant will not be to survive

Question 8

declining biodiversity

Answer 8

on land, animals and plants have had to move to higher elevations thus competing with organisms that already exist there. In the ocean, there has been an increased risk of loss of marine and coastal ecosystems

Question 9

tolerance range

Answer 9

a set of abiotic conditions in which a specific species can best survive

Question 10

optimal range

Answer 10

the best range of abiotic factors that allow the population to thrive

Question 11

green carbon

Answer 11

the naturally occuring carbon that exists in our atmosphere and as part as our carbon cycle

Question 12

fossil carbon

Answer 12

the added carbon that comes from humans burning fossil fuels and adds to the increasing levels of carbon in the atmosphere

Question 13

how do u know CO2 levels r increasing

Answer 13

we can drill large cylinders of ice called “ice cores”. Air bubbles are trapped inside these ice cores which can show us what the atmosphere was like 800,000 years ago. CO2 levels have drastically increased in the past 80 years.

Question 14

how do we know that the rise in carbon is caused by humans

Answer 14

carbon reservoirs have different percentage of each of the 3 isotopes called isotopics fingerprints

Question 15

the suess effect

Answer 15

CO2 levels are rising and the breakdown of isotopes are also changing. C-14 and C-13 percentages are decreasing as the air is “polluted” with C-12 isotopes of carbon from burning fossil fuels

Question 16

fossil fuel composition

Answer 16

mostly C-12 since C-14 and C-13 have been depleted by radioactivity

Question 17

how do we know that global temperature is increasing

Answer 17

viewing patterns over decades, we measure changes in relation to increased temperatures. There are 162 satellites in space monitoring the climate variables

sea ice melting - sea levels rise - carbon dioxide increases - global temp increases