TEST #2

Question 1

WHY IS THERE LIFE ON EARTH?

Answer 1

The Goldilocks zone
There is life on earth because of the position of the earth in the solar system
The earth is not too hot or too cold, if it were any closer/further too sun, the earth wouldn’t be able to sustain life.

Question 2

Other reasons for life on planet earth

Answer 2

• earths orbit on its axis and rotation around sun, distributes heat
• earths magnetic field: prevents from deadly radiation/particles.
• earths gravitational field: holds atmosphere in place (prevents gases from escaping)
• Jupiter shields earth from meteors

Question 3

Four conditions to make life possible

Answer 3

1) Stable Temperature range
- CO2 and water vapour molecules + plants
2) An abundance of Water
- first came from ____ activity, biologists believe…, 2/3 of earth is oceans
3) sufficient quantity of gasses
- 78% Nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 0.03% CO2
4) A Thick Enough Atmosphere
- A layer of gases 80-100 kms thick
- stable temp/protects from meteors

Question 4

The four spheres on earth

Answer 4

Lithosphere: earths crust
Hydrosphere: water
Atmosphere: gases in air
Biosphere: all living things

Question 5

Ecosystems

Answer 5

Well defined habitats hosting systems of interacting organisms

Interactions between plants, animals, microorganisms and their environment

Question 6

The carbon cycle

Answer 6

Movement of carbon from atmosphere, animals and the soil then back to atmosphere
-dead animals decay and return carbon to cycle

Question 7

Nitrogen cycle

Answer 7

Most powerful element
-microscopic bacteria live on the roots of legumes and converts nitrogen into ammonia and nitrate which the plant absorbs and converts to protein (food production)

Question 8

Oxygen cycle

Answer 8

90% of oxygen is replaced by algae

• plants produce 90% of oxygen
• photosynthesis

Question 9

Water Cycle

Answer 9

Water must be recycled through earths atmosphere and back to earths surface

• most water from evaporation some from transpiration
• GROUNDWATER DISSOLVES NUTRIENTS IN SOIL
• water vapour condenses forms clouds then falls as precipitation.

Question 10

The geological cycle

Answer 10

The rock cycle

Rocks and their minerals and altered and changed many times over earths long history, these changes occur underground

Question 11

What is open and closed system?

What is earth?

Answer 11

Open: parts can be added/lost
Closed: parts exist in precise amounts, CANT be added/lost

Earth is closed because water,gasses and chemical nutrients exist in limited amount

Question 12

Carbon sinks

Answer 12

• natural system that sucks up and stores carbon dioxide

- main ones: plants, ocean and soil

Question 13

Albedo affect

Answer 13

Percentage of light reflected

Question 14

Gaia Hypothesis

Answer 14

Created by James lovelock (1969)
Named after greek earth goddess
-all living matter functions as a single super-organism that makes changes to produce environment that suits its needs

Question 15

Four factors that work together

Answer 15

Soil
Ocean
Biosphere
Atmosphere

Question 16

3 ways earth regulates itself

Answer 16

Surface temp.
Atmospheric composition
Ocean salinity

Question 17

What is a Natural hazard

Comprised of 2 parts:

Answer 17

Geographical events which occur under, on and above the earths surface (has potential to happen)

2 parts:

1. Natural Events
2. Human Activity

Question 18

Whats a natural disaster?

Answer 18

A natural process in the environment which affects people

Question 19

Vulnerability

Answer 19

Susceptibility to environment/physical injury

How it affects humans..
Natural hazard results in ..
Risk of natural disaster is… due to…

Question 20

POSITIVE EFFECTS OF NATURAL HAZARDS

Answer 20

Posotive effects are not revealed until months/years later ex.
Rejuvenation of forests after fire

Some not so obvious:
After flood, ground water supply increases!

Question 21

Ecosystems

7pnts

Answer 21

-Interactions between plants animals microorganisms and environment
-all work together as unit
-include biotic and abiotic things
Can be big or small
-biotic community includes consumers/producers
-plants make food for animals but animals also give food for plants when they decompose and die
-and ecosystem cannot hold more organisms than it can accomodate

Question 22

Chain of being

Answer 22

When something affects one organism in a system all other aspects of the ecosystem are affected bc its all connected

Question 23

Food chain

What does it consist of?

Answer 23

Straight line showing transfer of energy from one organism to the next
Consists of: sun, producer, consumer and decomposers

Question 24

Trophic pattern

Answer 24

Flow of energy from one organism to next

Question 25

Trophic level

Answer 25

New energy level

Question 26

Food pyramid:

Answer 26

Based on idea that because of energy loss, fewer animals in an ecosystem can be supported at each trophic level. ▪️Represents energy flow

Question 27

Food web

Answer 27

Consists of multiple food chains and are more complex, shows how organisms truly interact. A comples network of interactions

Question 28

Two components in ecosystem

Answer 28

Biotic | Abiotic

Question 29

Difference bw food web vs. Food chain.

Answer 29

.

Question 30

``` What is gaia? Why was this name chosen? What it gaia hypothesis? What is gaia philosophy? What is non-anthropocentric? Chief Seattle's philosophy vs Gaia? ```

Answer 30

- Greek earth goddess - Environment is living like a tree - All living matter functions as a single super organism which can change planet to suit its needs - Gaia philosophy is that environment is as important as human being - non-anthropocentric means doesn't rely on people Chief believes earth must be valued highly Gaia believes earth is our brother/sisters and myst be treated like so

Question 31

Rain forest facts 1) what is rainforest 2) biodiversity in rainforest 3) the amazon 4) key to tomorrows cures 5) losing the knowledge 6) the driving forces of destruction

Answer 31

1) - located near equator - receive 160-400 inches rain/ year - 1% of light reaches lowest levels of forest 2) - weve studies less than 1% or millions of species in rainforest - losing more than 137 species everyday - 80-90% of rainforests will be destroyed by 2020 ``` 3) Produces 20% of oxygen - amazon river- 2/3 of water on earth -2000 species fish (more than Atlantic ocean) - 1/5 of all birds ``` 4) - 70% of anti-cancerous plants are found in rainforest - medicine in forest allows 8/10 children with leukaemia to live 5) As rain forests die, indigenous die, their knowledge of medicine dies 1900 -> 6-9 mill indigenous 1900 -> 1 mill indigenous Today -> 250,000 6) Commercial logging is largest cause of destruction of forest -main reason we import wood from rainforest is to build coffins