Module 1 Flashcards
What are the four biospheres of earth?
Biosphere
Geosphere (lithosphere)
Hydrosphere (water)
Atmosphere
Describe the biospheres components.
Contains all of the earth spears (geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere). It is a term used to represent any area on earth that is inhabited by and supports life.
Describe geosphere (lithosphere) components.
Contains the part of earth that’s solid, mainly the rocky part.
Describe the components of the hydrosphere.
Contains all water that exists on earth.
Describe the components of the atmosphere.
Contains the part of earth that is 10 km away from the earths surface (gaseous).
What form does energy enter an ecosystem in?
In the form of solar energy (light energy from the sun)
There are three allegations of the suns energy, what is the first one?
51% Of the suns energy reaches the earths surface.
There are three allegations of the suns energy, what is the second one?
19% of the suns energy is absorbed by the atmosphere and clouds
There are three allegations of the suns energy what is the third one?
30% of the suns energy is reflected
What are the two types of producers that exist?
Phototrophs, and chemotrophs
Describe a phototroph.
Use the energy from the sun to create its own food.
Describe a chemotroph.
Obtain their energy from in organic compounds.
There are two laws of thermodynamics, what is the first law?
Energy cannot be created nor destroyed, but can only be converted from one form to another.
There are two laws of thermodynamics, what is the second law?
Energy conversion is not 100% efficient. With each conversion there is less energy available to do the work. (Some energy is lost, usually as heat).
What is the relationship between photosynthesis and respiration?
The relationship between the two is that they both produce products that the other process needs in order to occur.
Name all five trophic levels.
1 levels consist of producers
2 level consists of primary consumers
3 level consists of secondary consumers
4 level consists of Tertiary consumers
5 level consists of quaternary consumers
What is the importance of decomposers in an ecosystem?
Decomposers are important because they return organic and in organic matter back into the ecosystem.
Explain why the transfer of energy from one trophic level to the next is not 100% efficient.
Because through each trophic level energy is lost as heat leaving only 10% of energy to be transferred between the levels.
What are ecological pyramids?
Ecological pyramids are diagrams that provide an energy representation of the relationship among the trophic levels in a given pyramid.
What are the three types of ecological pyramids?
Pyramid of biomass, pyramid of numbers, and pyramid of energy.
What does the water cycle consist of?
Evaporation, condensation, precipitation.
Describe the pyramid of biomass.
A pyramid of biomass shows the total biomass of the organisms involved at each trophic level Of an ecosystem.
Describe the pyramid of numbers.
A pyramid a number shows the total number of individual organisms at each level in the food chain of an ecosystem.
Describe the pyramid of energy.
The pyramid of energy represents how much energy, initially from the sun, is retained or stored in the form of new biomass at each trophic level in ecosystem.
Explain why water is used as a universal solvent.
Water is referred to as the universal solvent because it is capable of dissolving more substances and any other liquid.
What are the components Of abiotic an ecosystem?
Abiotic components of an ecosystem involve the nonliving things (sunlight, in organic nutrients, water etc.?
What are the biotic components of an ecosystem?
Biotic components in an ecosystem involve living living community (producers, consumers, and decomposers).
What are the four processes involved in the carbon oxygen cycle?
Photosynthesis, cellular respiration, combustion, and decomposition.
What is the process that releases energy from food?
Respiration
What process captures the suns energy?
Photosynthesis
What’s the name of organelle we’re photosynthesis takes place?
Chloroplast
What is the name of the process under deep-sea vents?
Chemosynthesis
What percentage of sunlight is captured by producers on land and in the ocean?
1% to 2% captured
What is a producer?
An organism that captures suns energy and produces its own food also known as an autotroph.
What is the name of the process that takes place where the sun don’t shine?
Chemosynthesis is used where the sun don’t shine to capture energy.
What does chemosynthesis produce?
Sulphur gas
Define heterotrophs.
An organism that needs to consume another organism Because it cannot make their own food.
Herbivores lie on what trophic level?
Herbivores lie on the second trophic level(primary consumers)
Where do carnivores lie on the trophic levels?
Carnivores lie on the third trophic level (secondary consumer)
What are the two types of systems?
And open system and a close system
Describe an open system.
Allows both energy and matter to enter and leave.
Describe a closed system.
Allows only energy to enter and leave.
What is the difference between matter and energy?
Matter cycles whereas energy is a one-way street.
What is a food chain?
A food chain is a model showing a linear passed way through which energy moves in ecosystems.
What is a food web?
A food web shows the connections between different food chains.
Which is more complex a food chain or a food web?
A food web
Explain why there is a limit to the length of food chains.
Because energy is lost at each trophic level, hence after six level little energy would be available.
Which ecological pyramid can be both upright and inverted?
The pyramid of numbers
What percentage of carbon and what percentage of oxygen make up the atmosphere?
20.9% carbon and 1% oxygen
What is a carbon sink?
A carbon sink is a store house of carbon in the biosphere.
What is the largest carbon sink in the biosphere?
earths oceans
What percentage of nitrogen makes up the atmosphere?
78.1%
Which cycle is an essential part of proteins and DNA?
The nitrogen cycle
What does nitrogen fixing bacteria do?
Converts N2 gas into ammonium.
In the nitrogen cycle what is converted back to the atmosphere by denitrifying bacteria?
Nitrates and nitrites
Describe nitrogen fixation.
Atmospheric nitrogen converted to useable form, nitrates. This is done by lightning and nitrogen fixing bacteria.
Describe nitrification.
Ammonium converted into nitrates by nitrifying bacteria.
Describe dentrification.
Nitrifying bacteria convert Nitrates to nitrites, Which in turn are used as nitrogen gas in atmosphere.
Describe ammonification.
Decomposers breakdown organic natural gym from dead plants and animals into ammonia. Bacteria than change ammonia into useable nitrates.
What cycle forms part of DNA and ATP?
The phosphorus cycle
What is algal bloom?
The overgrowth of algae, which produces large amount of organic matter.
Describe productivity In the balance of matter and energy exchange.
Productivity is the rate at which produces capture in store energy overtime.
What cycle forms part of proteins and vitamins?
The sulphur cycle
How is the sulphur cycle return to the atmosphere?
Return to the atmosphere by decomposers and burning of fossil fuels.
Describe rapid cycling
Nutrients are passed from producer to consumer to atmospheric quickly
Describe a slow cycling.
Nutrients are stored in reservoirs and unavailable for long periods of time
What is an example of rapid cycling?
Carbon
What is an example of slow cycling?
Fossil fuels
What trophic level has the highest biological magnification?
Tertiary consumers
Why are carbon, nitrogen, and water considered macro nutrients?
They are needed by organisms in large quantities.
Nitrogen gas is return to the atmosphere through what process?
Denitrification
What nutrient does not contain phosphorus?
Carbohydrates
What causes phosphorus to be brought to the surface over millions of years?
Erosion which is the weathering of rocks.
Why is the phosphorus cycle different from the other cycles?
Because the phosphorus cycle does not cycle through the atmosphere like the other cycles.
The various micro organisms, plants and animals living in a pond form a__________.
Community
A group of organisms of the same species occupying a given area at a given time may be considered as_________.
A population
What is the cycle that exchanges matter through the biosphere?
Biogeochemical cycle
What is the nitrogen cycle?
Nitrogen being converted between chemicals
Nitrogen fixation is the process in the nitrogen cycle that…
Bacteria in the roots of plants turn N2 gas into usable form
What is nitrogen fixation?
Bacteria change NH4 into N2
Where is the largest low phosphorus and the cycle?
Dissolving from sediment into the ocean
How does the phosphorus cycle start?
Weathering of rocks
A food chain will continue until…
A decomposer breaks down the dead material
What is energy
Energies ability to do work or make a change
What type of system allows no energy or matter to cross its boundary?
Isolated system
What is Eutrophication?
Increase in the amount of dissolve nutrients and water
