L2 Flashcards
EARTH’S LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM
Atmosphere
Hydrosphere
Geosphere
Biosphere
Thin spherical envelope of gasses surrounding the earth’s surface
atmosphere
contains the air we breathe
• Nitrogen (78%), Oxygen (21%), CO2, water vapor, methane
troposphere
contains the ozone layer & filter sun’s UV radiation (global sunscreen)
stratosphere
Made up all of the water on or near earth’s surface (71% of the globe)
hydrosphere
Earth’s intensely hot core, mantle, and crust
geosphere
upper portion contains soil chemicals that organisms need (nutrients) and non-renewable fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas)
crust
Consists of the parts of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere where life is found
biosphere
ecological organization
Individual
Population
Community
Ecosystem
Biosphere
science that focuses on how organisms interact with one another and with their nonliving environment of matter and energy
ecology
Set of organisms within a defined area or volume that interact with one another and with their environment of nonliving matter and energy
ecosystem
distance of a location north or south of the equator
latitude
elavation; height of something from a point of reference (usually sea level)
altitude
Include those biomes along coastlines and in shallow seas
estuaries
where rivers enter a body of salt water
• Highly productive; habitat for fish
• Temperate regions
salt marshes
Found along coastlines in tropical regions
Trees adapted to salt water
• roots stabilize coastline by holding sediments in place, creating habitat for fish and birds
mangrove swamp
Set of organisms within a defined area or volume that interact with one another and with their environment of nonliving matter and energy
ecosystem
The living organisms of an ecosystem are central to:
- Energy flow
- Population dynamics
- Maintaining balance
Classification of organisms according to what position, or trophic level occupy the chain
food chain
feeding level depending on its source of nutrients
trophic level
autotrophs (self-feeders) make the nutrients they need
producers
solar energy to chemical energy (not always)
photosynthesis
organisms that eat the producers
primary consumers
plant-eating species
herbivores
plant and animal eating species
omnivores
organisms consuming primary consumers
secondary consumers
eats the secondary consumers
tertiary consumers
at the top of the food chain
apex predator
consumers that release nutrients from the waste or remains of plants and animals and return those nutrients to the soil, water, or air
decomposers
detritus feeders; feed on wastes or dead bodies
detritivores
contains multiple food chain, or paths, that energy can take as it passes from one organism to another
food web
Key to how ecosystems are built and how they work, allowing energy to move from one trophic level to another
energy flow
types of ecosystem
terrestrial, aquatic, man-made
emerging zoonotic diseases (ex. Ebola)
deforestation
food insecurity (famine associated with drought)
grassland
species that are adapted to fire are sometimes unpalatable
grazing
high pollution
• lifestyle diseases - non-communicable diseases
• Cardiovascular diseases
• Cancer
• Diabetes
• Chronic respiratory
urban areas
• waterborne
diseases (cholera, typhoid)
• Freshwater (Rivers and Lakes)
• fishing
• Food security
Marine (oceans, coastal areas)
Mosquito-borne diseases (malaria, dengue)
wetlands and marshes
pesticide exposure
• antibiotic resistance in livestocks
agricultural ares
medical waste management
• Antibiotic-resistant bacteria
hospitals and healthcare systems
