Unit 1 and 2 Flashcards
Carbon cycle
Movement of carbon in our atmosphere
What are the key terms that signal transferee between carbon?
Photosynthesis
Combustion
Decomposition
Fossil fuels
Death
Respiration
What are disruptions of the carbon cycle
Burning non renewable fossil fuels
Deforestation
Loss of cycle equilibrium
Consequences of disruptions
Increase in carbon dioxide leading to increased greenhouse effect and climate change
Ocean acidification
Nitrogen cycle
Movement of nitrogen in the environment
How do plants and animals use nitrogen
Bacteria converts it to a biological form
Why is nitrogen essential
Limiting factor in ecosystems
What are the key terms that signify transfers in the nitrogen cycle
Assimilation
Nitrification
Nitrogen fixation
Amonification
Disruptions in the nitrogen cycle
Fertilizer : common limiting factor and too much causes growth
Burning more fossil fuels
Consequences of disruptions in the nitrogen cycle
Can lead to acid rain
Runoff into lakes and created eutrophication and deadzones
Phosphorus cycle environment
Operates between land and water rarely changes forms
Key terms in the phosphorus cycle transfers
Assimilation
Mineralization
Weathering
How does the carbon cycle move
Photosynthesis and ocean absorption
Tundra
Very cold no trees
Taiga
Still cold, lots of trees/tiger stripes as trees
Temperate rainforests
Low temperature change, wet/dry weather (Washington)
Temperate seasonal forests
East coast, maple trees(East coast)
Woodland/scrubland
Sage, junipers , (traverse mountain)
Temperate grassland
Mid west states (20 degree temperature change)
Subtropical desert
Really dry (ST. GEORGE)
Savanna
Lion, tigers, African trees
Tropical rainforest
Very wet and bad soil
How deep can photosynthesis occur?
1 meter
Genetic diversity
Humans vs flies. Differences in species
Specialist species
Cannot live anywhere else except in that environment so they’re killed off faster
Generalist species
Can live anywhere they want
Indicator species
Presence reflects an environmental condition
What’s big to remember about matter and energy
Energy flows and matter cycles
Ecological tolerance
Range of conditions where an organism can survive
Disruptions
Physical, chemical, biological disasters
Resistance
The level when an Ecosystem can remain unchanged when disturbed
Resilience
Rate of ecosystems to return/heal
Three different disruptions
Periodic: fires (California)
Episodic: (know but not when) El Niño and La Niña
Random: earthquakes and tsunamis
Easiest description of a disturbance
One group of species makes way for another species
Primary successon
Bare rock, no soil, very slow, only lichens and moss can grow
Secondary successon
After a disturbance and retains soil, faster (hurricane or fire)
Plan vs. Biomass in the three stages of successon
Early: high plant low biomass
Mid: low plant and high biomass
Late: low plant and steady biomass
What are feedback loops
Different interactions that result in loss or gain in population
Primary productivity
Total energy produced by the sun
Gross primary productivity
Energy that producers capture with photosynthesis
Net primary productivity
Energy received and subtracting the energy from cellular respiration (available to animals)
What’s the math to find the net primary productivity
GPP subtract respiration
Resource partitioning
Instead of fighting for the resource, species divide them
Ecosystem services
Directly/indirectly support our survival and quality of life for the human race
What are the four ecosystem services and what do they service
Supporting- Soil formation, Primary production, nutrient cycling
Provisioning- food, water, medicine
Regulating- Climate, water purification, pollination, pest control
Cultural- recreation, aesthetic values, spiritual development
