The Carbon & Nitrogen Cycle Flashcards
4 types of Bacteria involved in the N Cycle
Nitrifying
Nitrogen Fixing
Putrefying
Denitrifying
What does Nitrosomonas do?
Turn Ammonium ions (NH4+) into Nitrites (NO2-)
What does Nitrobacter do?
Turn Nitrites (NO2-) into Nitrates (NO3-)
What causes Climate Change?
Deforestation
Burning fossils fuels and plant material
Production of C02
Methane from farm animals
What is a Carbon Footprint?
The equivalent amount of CO2 generated by an individual a product/service in in a year.
What returns CO2 to the atmosphere?
Respiration
Combustion
Decomposition
What is Fossilisation?
formation of fossils fuels from dead organisms which have not decayed & the formation of limestone from the skeletons and shells of marine organisms
What are the steps of Greenhouse Effect?
- Solar radiation passes through the clear atmosphere.
- Some solar radiation is reflected by the atmosphere & earth’s surface.
- some of the infrared is absorbed and re-emitted by the greenhouse gas molecules. the direct effect is the warming of the earth’s surface.
- some infrared radiation passes through the atmosphere and is lost in space.
- surface gains more heat and infrared radiation is emitted again.
What are the effects of climate change on species?
habitat changes cause a change in the distribution of species
several new species will begin breeding
those species adapted to cold temps need to move north or up in altitude.
in an island like britain they have nowhere to go.
What are the effects of CO2 on farming?
rising temp will lead to water shortages –> plant breeders are working on drought tolerant plants
growers of some crops to an area with favourable climate or change to another crop
flooding can cause loss of land
extreme weather conditions can lead to damage from heavy rainfall, fires or flood
