Unit 9 Flashcards
UV-C and UV-B may cause:
tissue damage, mutated DNA and cataracts
How does ozone absorb UV-B and UV-C radiation?
UV-C breaks O2 into two free oxygen atoms.
These oxygen atoms then combine with O2 to form Ozone (O3).
The continued formation and break down of O3 absorbs all UV-B and UV-C radiation.
What is the primary anthropogenic cause of O3 breakdown?
CFCs
Montreal Protocol
phases out and replaces CFCs with HCFCs
HCFCs
deplete O3, but to a lesser extent.
Still act as a green house gas
HFC
No ozone depletion
still acts as a green house gas
HFOs
No ozone depletion
do not act as a green house gas
What percent of solar radiation is reflected back into space by clouds and atmosphere
26%
What percent of solar radiation is absorbed by the atmosphere and clouds
19%
Darker surfaces __________ infrared radiation
release
How to Green House Gases heat the atmosphere
these gases trap heat from the sun and radiate it back to earth
*we need some green house gasses otherwise earth would be too cold
What releases methane into the atmosphere?
natural gas combustion and extraction, animal agriculture, anaerobic decomposition, permafrost thaw.
What releases Nitrous Oxide into the atmosphere?
denitrification of nitrates from overwatered or overfertilized soil
GWP
measure of how much a given molecule of gas can contribute to atmospheric warming over a 100-year period, relative to CO2.
How does climate change cause sea level rise?
thermal expansion, melting polar/glacial ice
What environmental impact does rising sea level have?
rising sea level causing flooding of costal ecosystems like estuaries.
rising sea levels can also disrupt the freeze-thaw cycle of glaciers, depriving surrounding ecosystems of fresh water
What are some economic impacts of rising sea level?
Destroyed property/flooding.
higher insurance cost
saltwater intrusion into wells, contaminating drinking water
How does climate change impact the spread of disease?
Climate change can increase the range of certain disease vectors, such as mosquitos, which increases the spread of disease (zika, west Nile, etc.)
vWhy has earth’s climate varied over geological time?
Earths obliquity (tilt) and Eccentricity (orbit) have followed Milankovitch Cycles. Which created predictable patterns in earths long term climate
How can scientists estimate earths temperature in the past?
-Foraminifera: using crustation shells to determine the temperature because different species of crustation have narrow temperature tolerance ranges
-Air bubbles in ice cores: identifying the concentration of CO2 in air bubbles
-measuring oxygen isotope concentration in ancient ice
Why is the loss of barrier islands due to sea level rise a concern?
barrier islands act as a buffer against wind, waves, and large storms.
How does climate change impact atmospheric currents?
Weakening and Widening of the Hadley Cell: and temperature differences between the equator and poles decrease, the hadley cell gets larger and less powerful
How does the weakening and widening of the Hadley cell effect biome distribution?
it pushes deserts towards the polls and expands the tropics.
How does sea level rise negatively affect marine ecosystems?
Increasing the depth of certain areas of ocean, causing them to receive less sunlight and sustain less plant life
How does global warming interfere with thermal Haline circulation?
global warming causes ice to melt and form freshwater build up in the North Atlantic. This slows the gulf streams and causes cooler waters in Europe.
How does air pollution effect global albedo?
air pollution adds soot to the atmosphere, which is then distributed to the poles, causing ice to be darker in color. This darker ice absorbs more head, decreasing albedo.
True or False: Heat that is absorbed into the ocean be transferred back into the atmosphere for decades.
True
What effects do warming oceans have on marine species?
Migratory Routes and Breeding seasons can be altered because reproductive timing is often linked to temperature change
Habitat Loss: coral bleaching occurs as oceans warm & oceans may become to deep for coral as sea levels rise.
Toxic Algal Blooms: toxic blue-green algae prefer warmer waters. So as waters warm, these algae can grow and release toxins. killing marine organisms
Coral and Algae have what type of relationship?
Mutualistic: algae supply sugar to coral and coral supply CO2 and nutrients to algae
Increased CO2 in the atmosphere leads to:
Lower ocean pH
What materials do marine organisms use to build their shells
calcium and carbonate
How does ocean acidification hinder the production of shells?
carbonic acid increases the concentration of H+ ions which bond with the carbonate ions necessary for shell construction.
This leads to fewer carbonate ions being available for shell construction
Ocean pH has decreased from ______ to _____ in the past 150 years.
8.2-8.1
Invasive species generally have what 2 characteristics?
r-selected, generalist
How did Zebra Mussels become invasive and why are they an issue?
-Transported by ship ballast water
-Zebra mussels are aggressive filter feeders, so they eat the algae that many other species rely on
How did kudzu vines become invasives and why are they an issue?
-planed in the American south to prevent erosion
-they grow very rapidly and outcompete native plants for sunlight
How did Asian carp become invasive and why are they an issue?
-Asian Carp were brought in to control algae growth in aquatic farms, but escaped into the Mississippi river
-they outcompeted native species for food
How did Emerald Ash Borers become invasive and why are they an issue?
-Spread by wood packing materials and firewood
-Larve eat their way into trees and disrupt tree nutrient transport
*Can be killed by Chinese wasps
How did the Cane Toad become invasive and why are they an issue?
-introduced to eat cane beatless on sugarcane crops in Australia
-had a big appetite, so they outcompeted other amphibians
How did Pythons become invasive and why are they an issue?
-brought to Florida as pets then released
-decimate mammal populations due to aggressive hunting
CITES
an international agreement allowing countries to set up agencies to monitor import and export of endangered species.
Endangered Species Act
US law giving USFWS power to designate species as endangered, monitor trade, and purchase land to preserve.
What type of animals are most vulnerable to climate change?
amphibians: they have a biphasic life (rely on both water and land) and have highly permeable skin
What type of tree is especially threatened by global warming?
Conifers: the range of pests is expanding, so they have become increasingly threatened by disease.
What are the HIPPCO threats to biodiversity?
Habitat Fragmentation
Invasive species
Population growth (human)
Pollution
Climate Change
Over exploitation
Metapopulations
subpopulations connected by habitat corridors to allow more gene flow
Edge Habitats
where two ecosystems meet
-biodiversity is higher in edge habitats due to diversity of food, shelter, and nutrients
Domestication of species for agriculture _________ genetic diversity and species biodiversity.
decreases because of selective breeding and genetic modification.
