Unit 2 Quiz #2 Flashcards
evaporation
liquid water to water vapor
transpiration
evaporation from leaves of plants
condensation
water vapor to liquid water
precipitation
water or snow that falls to Earth
infiltration
water that is absorbed into the ground
leaching
the movement of dissolved substances (fertilizer) caused by the movement of infiltrating water
runoff
water that moves into rivers, streams, and lakes
uptake
water that is taken in by plants
groundwater
water that is stored underground
Explain the water cycle
1) evaporation- liquid water from bodies of water and plants (transpiration) turns into water vapor
2) condensation- the vapor condenses to turn into clouds
3) precipitation- the water comes down from the clouds as rain or snow and re-enters the cycle
4) the water can then go though plants uptake, leaching, runoff, infiltration, or groundwater
what’s the step where liquid water turns into water vapor
evaporation
what’s the step where the water vapor turns into precipitation
condensation
what can happen to the water after precipitation
it can be absorbed into the ground, leached, move through other bodies of water, taken in by plants, and stored underground
what are the human impacts on the water cycle
overuse, diversion of the water, increasing water pollution, reducing infiltration, and deforestation
what are the carbon “sinks”
the ocean and forests
what are the steps in the carbon cycle
through photosynthesis carbon dioxide is pulled from the air to make food for the plants, through food chains the carbon that is in plants moves to the animals that eat them and the animals that eat other animals get the carbon from their food. when plants and animals die, their bodies decompose from decomposers and will become fossil fuels in millions of years. Animals and plants get rid of their carbon dioxide through respiration. when things are burned whether its through a fire or from fossil fuels, carbon moves to the atmosphere. the ocean absorb some of this carbon and is dissolved into the water.
what are the 2 major processes involved in the carbon cycle
photosynthesis and respiration
what are some areas where carbon “sinks” can be found
ocean, forest, underground
list 4 ways carbon can get into the atmosphere
cellular respiration, when fossil fuels are burned, when organism die, and soil distribution
what does the burial process result in
the organisms turn into fossil fuels in millions of years
what are some examples of human impacts on the carbon cycle
combustion, soil distribution, respiration, and extraction
why is nitrogen a limiting factor for producers
a lack of nitrogen limits their growth
what’s a problem with atmospheric nitrogen
its is unusable by living things
what is the largest “sink” for nitrogen
the atmosphere
what are the steps of the nitrogen cycle
1) biotic nitrogen fixation- turns atmospheric nitrogen to ammonia by nitrogen fixing bacteria
( abiotic nitrogen fixation turns lighting straight to nitrates)
2) nitrification- turns ammonia to nitrites to nitrates by nitrifying bacteria
3) assimilation- nitrates are taken up by plants and animals
4) ammonification- decomposing bacteria decompose dead plants and animals and turn it into to ammonia
5) dentrification- nitrates are returned to the atmosphere by denitrifying bacteria
how do consumers get their nitrogen
by eating plants and eating other consumers that eat plants
how is the Haber process good
it allowed us to turn air to fertilizer which produces more crops for us
how is the Haber process bad
50% of the nitrogen from these fertilizers isn’t absorbed by plants and ends up as a compound in the Earth’s water supplies.
