Lecture 1-3: Environment Flashcards
Ecology
- scientific study of interactions between organisms and their environment
- not equal to environmental issues
- subfiled of biology
Biotic environment
All living things in an ecosystem
Ex. plants, animals, and microbes
Physical/ abiotic environment
All nonliving components of ecosystem
Ex. rain, bedrock sun
Levels of Organization
- Individual: physiological ecology
- Population: individuals of same species interacting
- Community: collection of interacting species
- Ecosystem: set of interacting organisms and their physical environment
- Landscape: set of interacting ecosystems
- Biosphere: all ecosystems on the planet
Big cycle of nutrient cycling between:
producers, consumers, and physical environment
Habitat
place where a species lives requirements for survival
Ex. zoo
Niche
Role of a species in natural ecosystem
Ex. in the wild
Diffusion
process by which molecules intermingle as a result of kinetic energy or random motion
things move from high concentration to low concentration (concentration gradient)
Cold air
- has tighter packed molecules for not much motion
- holds less water
Warm air
molecules start moving faster and get less dense, causes hot air to rise
What is the process of hot air rises / cold air holds less water / rising air cools?
Warm parcel of air begins to rise as molecules move faster –> As air rises , it cools and expands from decrease in atmospheric pressure –> cool parcel of air falls and condenses in rains and clouds
Balance in environment in that:
in flows = out flows
stock does not change
BALANCE!
Formula for residence time =
residence time = stock/ outflow
Earth’s energy ultimately comes from
the sun
(reminder: everything is still balanced)
Latitudinal differences in temperature are generated by:
angle of incoming solar radiation to Earth’s surface due to spherical shape
regions closer to equator at lower latitudes to receive more sunlight and high temperature
higher latitudes North and South receive less sunlight at reduced angle resulting in less sunlight and cooler temperatures
Seasons (winter/ summer) are due to…
Earth’s tilt on its axis as it orbits the sun
Causes Northern and Southern hemisphere to receive varying amounts of direct sunlight at different times of the year
Seasons are NOT generated by:
Earth’s distance from the sun
Seasons (dry/wet) are due to…
Earth’s tilt on its axis t o affect temperature and precipitation patterns
Seasonal moment of Intertropical
Convergence Zone (ITCZ): area where trade winds meet and rise shifts between Northern and Southern Hemispheres, bringing heavy rainfall tor region experiencing summer
What is the pattern of air in the atmosphere?
- Warm air rises (especially from equator)
- Air cools as it rises due to lower pressure and air expanding
- Cold air holds less war and condenses which creates loss of rain at the equator creating Hadley cells
- Dry air comes down at 30 N and 30 S
Hadley cells are generated by
Uneven heating of Earth’s surface
Intense solar radiation occurring near equator causes warm air to rise near equator –> warm air cools and condenses in subtropics and return to equator creating convection Hadley cell
Ferrell cells are generated by
Interaction between Hadley cells (near equator) and polar cells (near poles)
Polar cells are generated by:
At higher latitudes, air rises and travels toward the poles
Once over the poles, air sinks and forms areas of high atmospheric pressure
Coriolis effect is generated by:
Earth’s rotation on its axis causing deflection in movement as they travel across Earth’s surface
Makes objects curve to right in Northern Hemisphere
Makes objects curve to the left in Southern Hemisphere
Trade winds is generated by:
Coriolis effect: earth’s rotation causes air to deflect as it moves around the planet and results in air blowing east to west
Earth’s rotation
Difference in air pressure between equator and the poles: air pressure around equator is low and air pressure at 30 degrees N and S is high → pressure difference drives the air back towards equator
Ocean currents is generated by
Driven by thermohaline circulation are generated by differences in water density which is controlled by variations in temperature and salinity
Polar regions have cold, salty water sink to ocean floor creating ocean conveyor belt of deep ocean currents
Shallow currents are mainly driven by wind
Deep currents are driven by thermohaline circulation
Surface winds influenced by continents in the summer:
Ocean water cooler than land due to:
high pressure zones in ocean
wind rushes to land
Water has higher ____ than land
heat capacity
Surface winds influenced by continents in the winter:
High pressure forms on continents
Wind rushes away
Deep ocean currents create
great ocean conveyer belt (thermohaline circulation)
Intertropical convergence zone (IZTC)
- band of clouds that have low pressure which circles Earth near equator
- trade winds of northern and southern hemispheres come together
- not always right above equator
Seasonality is less intense closer to ….
ocean (less variation in temp)
Process of precipitation in mountains
- evaporation causes storm
- moist air of storm runs into mountains and rise up and over mountain slopes
- as air rises, it expands and cools
- as air continues moving east and down other side of mountains, becomes dry and arid
- causes west / windward side to have rain
- causes east / leeward side to be dry
