Exam III Flashcards
ecosystem ecology
link between biological and physiological
ecosystem
organisms in a community and their physical environment, with each influencing the other through time
carbon cycle
-intricately linked network of biological and physical processes that shuttle carbon among rocks, soil, oceans, air, and organisms
-the carbon cycle traces the transfer of energy through ecosystems
inputs of the C cycle
- Geologic: volcanoes, mid-ocean ridges
- Biological: respiration
- Human activities: deforestation, burning of fossil fuels
outputs of the C cycle
- Geological removal: chemical weathering, CO2 in rainwater reacts with exposed rocks
- Biological removal: photosynthesis
photosynthesis rxn
6CO2+ 6 H2O+ sunlight —> C6H12O6 +6O2
aerobic respiration rxn
6 O2+ C6H12O6–> 6 CO2+ 6 H2O
isotope
varying levels of atomic mass due to different numbers of neutrons
A _____________________ consists of the organisms in a community and their physical environment, which each influencing the other through time.
ecosystem
T/F: The Keeling curve indicates that summertime removal of CO2 from the atmosphere balances winter atmospheric CO2 increase.
false
the chemical equation for respiration
C6H12O6+6O2—->6CO2 +6H2O
Over the last 400,000 years, Antarctic temperature has oscillated between peaks of a few degrees warmer than today and temperatures as much as ______________ degrees Celsius colder than present.
6 to 8
In the Long-Term Carbon Cycle, in essence carbon moves from the _______________ to the________________ where it can be stored for millions of years before returning to the surface environment through physical processes of volcanism and seafloor formation.
Atmosphere, sediments
reservoirs
-places on earth where C is stored
-organisms, atmosphere, soil, oceans, sedimentary rock
fluxes
rates at which carbon flows from one reservoir to another; biological and physical process
biogeochemical processes
pathways in which biologically important elements move between Earth and Life (The Carbon Cycle)
what percentage of human generated CO2 does NOT end up in the atmosphere?
50%
The rest ends up in oceans, vegetation or soil
long-term carbon cycle
time frame of thousands-millions of years, driven by volcanic activity + climate change
chemical weathering
-chemical reactions involving air, water, and exposed rocks, produces CaCO3
-plate tectonic activity drives C stored in CaCO3 into the Earth’s mantel to be expelled into CO2 through volcanic activity
carbon originally fixed by photosynthesis is returned to the atmosphere by the respiration of ______
fungi and bacteria
decomposers
approximately _____kg of grass and herb biomass will support approximately _____ kg of mice
1000, 100
The formula for ammonia is:
NH3
The molecule known as the “currency of life” is ________ and is produced in the _________
ATP, mitochondria
nitrogen is found largely in the _____ while phosphorus is mostly present in _______.
Atmosphere, rocks