Exam 1 Flashcards
What three things are necessary in a system?
- Elements 2. Interconnection 3. Purpose
How much of an effect does changing the elements of a system have on a system?
A small effect
How much of an effect does changing the interconnections within a system have on a system?
A big effect
How much of an effect does changing the purpose of a system have on a system?
A big effect
What is an influence of a system?
Something that affects a stock or flow
What are emergent properties?
Properties present only when the whole system is present and intact
What are the characteristics of a negative feedback loop?
- Stabilizing
- Self-regulating
- “Goal-seeking”
- Homeostatic
Give two examples of a negative feedback loop
- Temperature regulation within the human body (Overheat → sweat)
- Temperature regulation within programmed air conditioner units (temperature rise → AC turns on)
What are the characteristics of a positive feedback loop?
- Further change in the same direction
- Vicious cycles
- Destabilizing
Give two examples of a positive feedback loop
- Population size (More people → more growth)
- Soda consumption and chip consumption (More soda bought and consumed → more chips bought and consumed)
What is homeostasis?
The ability to maintain conditions when disturbed
What is resilience?
The ability to return to a set point after a disturbance. Recovery within a system.
What is dynamic equilibrium?
Equilibrium within a range of conditions, not just one. A state of balance between continuing processes.
What is holism?
“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” not everything can be explained by lower levels.
Where is chlorophyll concentration the highest on Earth?
In the ocean towards the North and South poles
What is the primary energy supply of plants?
Glucose
Photosynthesis ____________ energy while cellular respiration ____________ energy.
captures, releases
Name a primary producer
Plants and algae
Name a primary consumer
Herbivores
Name a secondary consumer
Carnivores
Name a tertiary consumer
A top carnivore (like humans)
Decomposers/scavengers work on ________ trophic levels.
all
Name the five ways living organisms use energy
- Maintenance
- Growth
- Storage
- Reproduction
- protection
What is EROI?
Energy return on investment
What should EROI be greater than to ensure an organism has enough surplus energy?
1
What are the two categories of living organisms?
- Endotherms (humans)
- Ectotherms (snakes)
Endotherms invest more in ______________.
Ectotherms invest more in ______________.
maintenance, growth/biomass
What is the first law of thermodynamics?
Energy can be converted from one for to another but cannot be created or destroyed. Total energy input = total energy output.
What is the second law of thermodynamics?
With each successive energy transfer, there is less energy available to perform work.
What is ecological efficiency?
How much energy transfers between different trophic levels/energy loss.
Heat is a ________ quality energy.
low
The shape and length of a food chain is determined by _______________ and _______________.
ecological efficiency, net primary productivity
What is biomagnification?
The idea that pesticides/toxins can increase in concentration at higher trophic levels. (Like the presence of mercury in tuna.)
What is a biogeochemical cycle?
The process by which chemical elements and compounds move through the Earth’s different spheres (biosphere, atmosphere, lithosphere.)
Humans alter biogeochemical cycles and add ____________ into ecosystems through the use of fertilizers, etc…
nitrogen
Name two consequences of nitrogen
- Ocean acidification
- Toxic algae blooms
_______________ is the leading cause of biodiversity loss.
Overfertilization
Nitrogen runoff creates _______________ in the ocean where very little oxygen is present.
dead zones
What is our atmospheric composition?
78% carbon, 21% oxygen, 0.1% argon, and 0.1% trace greenhouse gasses.
What is the CO2 concentration in our atmosphere today?
about 420 PPM
Nitrogen dioxide has ____ times the heat trapping power of CO2.
300
Methane has ____ times the heat trapping power of CO2.
30
Give three examples of primary energy sources
Sun, coal, wind
Give three examples of secondary energy sources
Electricity, petroleum, batteries
Give three examples of conventional fossil fuels
coal, oil, natural gas
Give two examples of unconventional fossil fuels
oil shale, tar sands
What is a heat sink?
The act of losing heat anytime energy is used
From what is coal derived?
Terrestrial plants millions of years ago
What are the by-products of coal?
Sulfuric acid and nitric acid
What are two negative effects coal has on the environment?
- Land disturbance when mined
- air pollution/acid rain
What are tar sands?
Bitumen impregnated sands that yield mixtures of liquid hydrocarbon
How many watts of energy do humans need, on average, to live a day? Around how many do we need to maintain a lifestyle?
2000, 12000
What do greenhouse gasses do?
Trap heat in the atmosphere
Light is absorbed by:
1. ________________
2. ________________
3. ________________
- Earth’s surface
- atmosphere/clouds
- the ocean
____________ data can be used to predict the future using data from the past.
Proxy
What are the three factors that drive global climate?
- Atmospheric composition
- Solar radiation
- Albedo (reflection and absorption)
The ocean holds ____ times more carbon than the atmosphere.
60
The ocean absorbs ____ percent of CO2 emissions.
30
What are the two factors that contribute to sea level rise?
- Ice melt
- Thermal expansion
What are the two types of models that predict sea level rise?
Process models and semi-empirical models
What is a process model?
A model that uses knowledge of the system and its components.
What is a semi-empirical model?
A model that uses data from the past.
What are the three main sources of uncertainty in science?
- Scenario uncertainty
- Model uncertainty
- Intrinsic uncertainty
What is scenario uncertainty?
We can’t predict future human action because humans have agency and emission reductions depend on our actions.
What is model uncertainty?
Uncertainty of climate models
What is intrinsic uncertainty?
Uncertainty of the climate system AKA internal variability.
