Lecture 2 -- The Physical Environment Flashcards
What are the three major categories of components in the physical environment?
Energy, matter, space
Individual organisms are affected in various ways by abiotic factors. Given any abiotic factor (e.g. moisture), explain the difference among the concepts of tolerance range, optimum range, and limiting factors.
Tolerance range: the total range of conditions that an organism can survive in
Optimum range: the range of conditions most favorable for an organism
Ex: An organism might survive at a tolerance range of 0 to 70 degrees, but thrive at the optimum range of 40 to 50 degrees.
Limiting factors: a factor that, if modified even slightly, produces a significant effect on an organism/ecosystem
Ex: sunlight is a limiting factor for trees, if the forest canopy thickens so it cannot reach a sapling, it will be unable to grow.
What are the three inputs to photosynthesis, and the two major outputs?
Inputs: sunlight, carbon dioxide, water
Outputs: glucose, oxygen
What latitude receives the most consistent solar energy on a daily basis?
0 degrees (Equator)
What latitude, or region of the earth, receives the maximum daily solar radiation input?
90 degrees N and S (the poles)
What type of radiation is sunlight? What type is heat? What’s the difference between shortwave and longwave radiation?
Sunlight: visible light and ultraviolet (shortwave radiation)
Earth’s heat: infrared (longwave radiation)
Shortwave is from the sun that reflects off the planet’s surface and atmosphere, passing both in and out. The Earth’s surface absorbs some of the shortwave and reemits it as longwave infrared, which is sensible heat, and becomes more easily trapped in our atmosphere by GHGs.
How do you calculate net radiation?
What effect does snow and ice have on net radiation? What part of the planet has negative net radiation and why?
What part of the planet has positive net radiation?
If global climate was moderately stable, what do you think the planet’s overall net radiation would be?
Net radiation = incoming energy - outgoing energy.
Snow and ice decrease net radiation by reflecting more radiation away from earth’s surface, giving poles negative net radiation.
Equator has positive net radiaton b/c it receives most constant solar radiation and water vapor in air holds Earth’s heat in atmosphere.
There is a net radiation imbalance between the poles and the equator, with greater net radiation at the equator. How does this extra energy get used? What is the “engine” that drives ocean and atmospheric circulation?
“Imbalance” is the engine (aka, pressure gradients). Extra energy used for processes of evaporation, convection, rainfall, winds, ocean currents.
The extra radiation at the equator causes the moist air to warm up and rise. Where does it go from there? Trade winds (also known as easterlies) generally blow from what latitude to what latitude? Where on the planet do the “westerlies” occur?
Trade winds in tropics, between 30 degrees and equator. Westerlies dominate in temperate zones, 30 degrees to 60 degree
What is the latitude of Bellingham, and what does this mean in terms of the dominant wind patterns here?
Trade winds in tropics, between 30 degrees and equator. Westerlies dominate in temperate zones, 30 degrees to 60 degrees.
Bellingham is at about 49 degrees, in westerlies zone.
How many major surface gyres are there on the globe? What is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, where is it and why does it exist?
There are five major surface gyres on the Earth
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is made up of litter (garbage) that ends up in the oceans. It is located between North America and Japan and is bounded by the North Pacific Gyre which traps the debris within its circular motion.
The debris is made up of tiny bits of plastic because most of our trash is not biodegrada
The conveyor belt in the ocean is driven by what 2 abiotic factors that interact in the north Atlantic to cause surface water to descend to the bottom?
Driven by temperature
If you freeze saltwater only the freshwater freezes leaving denser water with higher salinity
Which tends to have more nutrients, the surface water of the ocean or the bottom water? Which tends to have more dissolved CO2?
More nutrients and dissolved CO2 in ocean bottom water (hence necessity of upwelling).
Why does surface water get depleted of nutrients and CO2?
PS in warm surface waters depletes it of nutrients and CO2
Why does deep water have more CO2? Hint…what happens when there is lots of respiration and decomposition, but no photosynthesis
Deep water has more CO2 because sunlight cannot reach it and therefore photosynthesis isn’t happening. Respiration and decomposition are happening and these both produce CO2
