Topic 14: The Principles Of Earths Ecological Support Systems

Question 1

Natural systems and human processes

Answer 1

Natural systems are sustainable
Natural processes have been ignored in the development of human processes
By by understanding natural principles it may increase the sustainability of human activities

Question 2

Give 2 examples of how the climate is regulated by natural negative feedback mechanisms?

Answer 2

Increased temp,increases could cover,increased albedo, causes decreased temperatures
Increased CO2,increases photosynthesis, increases carbon sequestration

Question 3

How is the hydrological cycle regulated by natural feedback mechanisms?

Answer 3

Increased evaporation will lead to more precipitation

Question 4

Do human activities utilise natural negative feedback mechanisms?

Answer 4

They are ignored if they restrict human activities
Humans find a new way to carry out the activity

Question 5

Use agriculture as an example of how human activities that ignore natural negative feedback mechanisms are unsustainable

Answer 5

Agriculture causes soil degradation,reduces water,reduces natural predators.
Negative feedback would reduce crop yield as a result
Human response is fertilisers,irrigation and pesticides
These actions redice the natural systems that support food production so it becomes even more unsustainable

Question 6

Why has climate control been dominated by negative feedback mechanisms rather than positive?

Answer 6

There are few natural positive feedback mechanisms
The negative feedback mechanisms that dominate the climate provide relatively stable conditions

Question 7

What is the human impact on positive feedback mechanisms?

Answer 7

They have increased them

Question 8

Give an example of a positvie feedback mechanisms that humans have increased

Answer 8

Global climate change has increased temperatures, which increases the rate of features in positive feedback mechanisms

Question 9

Hat features of positive feedback mechanisms do humans increase?

Answer 9

Melting of permafrost
Ocean acidification
Decline of albedo
Methane hydrate releases

Question 10

Why do natural systems rarely reach their tipping points

Answer 10

Because they are regulated by negative feedback mechanisms so they are restabilised

Question 11

When can tipping points naturally be reached?

Answer 11

Whenever there have been large scale unusual events, that overwhelm the ability of natural mechanisms to re establish the equilibrium, so the equilibrium is recreated

Question 12

Give an example of when tipping points have been reached naturally

Answer 12

The possible release of methane hydrate at the end of the Permian era that caused climate change and mass extinction

Question 13

How do humans impact tipping points?

Answer 13

Global climate change
Causes an increase in the rate of natural processes so they become self sustaining because of human activities
We cause a lot of mechanism to reach their tipping point
Once that has happened we are unable to prevent those processes

Question 14

What tipping points do humans impact?

Answer 14

Forest fires,release of methane hydrate,permafrost melting

Question 15

Give 2 examples of naturally highly diverse systems

Answer 15

Tropical rainforests
Coral reefs

Question 16

Why are diverse systems better?

Answer 16

They are more likely to be resistant to change

Question 17

What impact do humans have on diverse systems?

Answer 17

They often produce less diverse systems

Question 18

Why is the impact that humans have on diverse systems detrimental to humans?

Answer 18

Agroecosystems focus on the production of a limited range of food species and neglects to maintain other species that help maintain ecological stability and productivity

Question 19

What types of organisms do agroecosystems neglect?

Answer 19

Pollinators
Detrivores
Natural pest predators

Question 20

Describe the energy use of natural systems

Answer 20

Natural systems,tend to be driven by low energy-density,renewable energy resources,especially solar power

Question 21

What drives natural processes?

Answer 21

All natural processes driven by solar energy are driven by low energy-density resources

Question 22

Give examples of processes driven by solar energy that are driven by low energy density resources

Answer 22

Hydrological cycle
Nitrogen cycle
Carbon cycle
Atmospheric circulation
Thermohaline circulation

Question 23

How do the human uses of energy prove using renewables is better?

Answer 23

Human activities powered by renewables have lower carbon footprints

Question 24

What are not natural processes low temperature?

Answer 24

Enzymes reduce the activation energy of natural processes so high temperatures aren’t needed

Question 25

Give examples of low temperature natural processes

Answer 25

Production of carbohydrates in photosynthesis
Decomposition
Nitrogen fixation

Question 26

How are human processes different because of temperature?

Answer 26

Human activities tend to use higher temperatures, therefore more energy

Question 27

Examples of high temperature human processes

Answer 27

Manufacturing processes
Haber process
Incineration of waste

Question 28

Why are natural material cycles more sustainable systems than human systems?

Answer 28

Natural processes often link in sequences to produce cycles, where waste from one process is what needed in another
This means all processes can exist of small amounts of elements because they are reused= sustainable system

Question 29

Are human material systems cyclical?

Answer 29

They are linear
It leads to resource depletion and waste generation

Question 30

Why is fossil fuel use not sustainable?

Answer 30

Using non-renewables is not sustainable
There use when renewables are available accelerates depletion rates

Question 31

Why is the human use of mineral resources unsustainable?

Answer 31

Human use causes them to be dispersed after use or they produce mixtures that are really difficult to seperate after use

Question 32

What are the impacts of the human mineral use being unsustainable?

Answer 32

Recovery and reusing the materials is difficult
Less chance of sustainability exploitation and more chance of resource depletion

Question 33

How does human mineral use compare to natural mineral use?

Answer 33

Waste from human use will build up,some of which is toxic
Natural waste products are either non-toxic or dont build up to the point where they are toxic

Question 34

Why are natural processes sustainable and better for the environment?

Answer 34

Molecules produced in natural processes are biodegradable,non-toxic and can be broken down to the raw materials for other natural processes- this make s it sustainable
Low toxicity products reduce environmental impacts

Question 35

Why do human activities cause damage ?

Answer 35

Toxic metals are used in consumer products e.g. electronics
They are difficult to extract from these products when disposed-cause damage
Persistent toxins with low degradability will bioaccumulate and biomagnify