Systems and Cycles Flashcards
Define a system
An interconnected set of elements that is coherently organized in a way that achieves something
What are the key components of a system
Elements
Interconnections
Purpose
What are the different kinds of systems (3)
Biological
Mechanical
Social
Stock
Stored quantity of material, energy, or information within a system
Flow
The rate at which stock is added to or removed from the system
Negative feedback loop
Acts to stabilize a system, bringing it back to a desired state.
Positive feedback loop
Amplify changes in a system, potentially leading to exponential growth or decline.
Emergent behaviour
Unexpected outcomes that arise from the interactions of the system’s elements.
Complicated systems
Operates in predictable ways
Complex systems
Produces unpredictable and emergent behaviors
Assemblages
An interconnected set of elements that ultimately escapes human reasoning and creates emergent behavior that evades prediction regardless of modeling complexity and information availability
Biogeochemical cycles
Natural processes that recycle elements within the Earth’s systems.
Nitrogen cycle
- Nitrogen Fixation
- Nitrification
- Assimilation
- Ammonification
- Denitrification
