Unit 1

Question 1

What are GPP and NPP. What is the relationship between them?

Answer 1

Gross Primary Productivity and Net Primary Productivity. They measure the rate of photosynthesis that occurs in an ecosystem, measured through the amount of CO2 lost. NPP = GPP - Respiration.

Question 2

Define the following terms:
Reservoir
Exchange pool
Residency Time

Answer 2

Reservoir is where a molecule stays for a long time
Exchange pool is where it stays for a short time
Residency Time is the average time that a molecule stays in a reservoir or exchange pool

Question 3

What are the major processes of the water cycle?

Answer 3

Evaporation
Condensation: Water vapor into floating liquid water in the form of clouds
Precipitation
Runoff: When rain water flows on the ground into a reservoir
Infiltration: when rain water becomes ground water
Photosynthesis: Plants take in water and produce carbs, which movie through the food chain
Transpiration: Plants breathing out water vapor

Question 4

What are the 4 largest reservoirs of water?

Answer 4

Ocean
Glaciers
Groundwater
Rivers, Lakes, etc..

Question 5

What are the major processes of the Nitrogen cycle?

Answer 5

Nitrogen Fixation: Atmospheric N2 is fixed into organic nitrate (NH3 or NH4+) by bacteria

Nitrification: nitrogen passing through food chain, making NH4+ become nitrate

Decay: nitrogen in dead organisms is converted to NH4 by bacteria

Denitrification: organic nitrogen becomes atmospheric nitrogen

Question 6

What are the major processes of the Carbon cycle?

Answer 6

Photosynthesis
Respiration
Diffusion
Decomposition