Lecture 21

Question 1

Nutrients are _________ within ecosystems

Answer 1

Recycled

Question 2

What is the study of the cycling of nutrients?

Answer 2

Biogeochemistry

Question 3

Biogeochemistry

Answer 3

Involved biological, geological (physical), and chemical components

Question 4

Nutrients are found within various ________ in ecosystems

Answer 4

Pools

Question 5

The _______ back and forth between pools accomplish the recycling

Answer 5

Fluxes

Question 6

Two largest pools of water

Answer 6

Oceans

Water vapor in the atmosphere

Question 7

Water fluxes between:

Answer 7

Oceans and atmosphere by way of evaporation and precipitation

Question 8

Water vapor above the _______ is transported above land by way of wind

Answer 8

Ocean

Question 9

Precipitation over land is balanced by

Answer 9

Evaporation and transpiration

Question 10

What transport(s) water from land back to the ocean?

Answer 10

Rivers, streams, and aquifers (ground water)

Question 11

Two largest pools of nitrogen

Answer 11

Atmospheric nitrogen gases (N2)

Within organisms (nucleic acids, amino acids, ATP)

Question 12

Nitrogen fluxes between:

Answer 12

Atrmosphere and organisms by way of nitrogen fixation

–Fixed by certain bacteria

Question 13

Nireogen-fixing bacteria in the soil

Answer 13

Convert N2 to ammonium (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3-), while denitrifying bacteria return N2 to the atmosphere

Question 14

Nitrogen has an internal cycle as well

Answer 14

Nitrogen within organisms is returned to the soil by decomposition

Question 15

Two largest pools of phosphorous

Answer 15

Rocks and soil

Within organisms (as phosphate groups in nucleic acids, ATP, cell membranes, and bones and teeth)

Question 16

Internal cycling of Phosphorous

Answer 16

Phosphorous is picked up by plants and returned to the soil by decoposition

Question 17

Large-scale cycling of Phosphorous

Answer 17

Phosphorous is added to the soil from rocks by weathering/erosion, is leached from the soil to the lake/ocean floor, and is uplifted to form terrestrial rocks

Question 18

Two largest pools of Carbon

Answer 18

Atmospheric carbon dioxide

Within organisms as organic carbon

Question 19

Carbon fluxes between

Answer 19

The atmosphere and organisms by way of photosynthesis and cellular respiration

Question 20

Some carbon is trapped in organic form in sedimentary rock

Answer 20

Fossils

Question 21

The burning of fossil fuels (examples?), as well as wood, returns _____________________________________-

Answer 21

Coal, oil, and gas; this carbon to the atmosphere in the form of CO2

Question 22

Most of the solar radiation that reaches Earth is _______ by Earth’s surface

Answer 22

Reflected/re-radiated

Question 23

_____________ in the atmosphere capture much of the radiated energy, preventing it from escaping back into space

Answer 23

Greenhouse gases

Question 24

Main greenhouse gas

Answer 24

CO2

Question 25

Other greenhouse gases

Answer 25

N2, sulfur, methane, ozone, water vapor

Question 26

Greenhouse gases capturing reradiated energy keeps the Earth

Answer 26

Warm enough to support life

Question 27

Excessive burning of __________________ by humans is increasing _______________

Answer 27

Fossil fuels and wood

Atmospheric CO2

Question 28

At the same time, ___________ by humans is reducing the number of plants that can ____________________

Answer 28

Deforestation

Remove the atmospheric CO2 by photosynthesis

Question 29

With more ____ in the atmosphere, more _________________ is trapped, and Earth is warmed beyond normal

Answer 29

CO2

Reradiated heat

Question 30

Implications of Global Warming:

Answer 30

Melting polar ice will result in rising sea levels
–Flooding coastal areas

Changes in global climate patterns will alter the distribution of biomes
–Temperate grasslands = agriculture