negative feedback loops
What stabilizes a system by counteracting changes?
A negative feedback loop.
What type of loop drives systems toward extremes?
A positive feedback loop.
What is the sphere that contains all of Earth’s water?
The hydrosphere.
What is an example of a system where population changes affect each other?
The predator-prey cycle
Which spheres interact during a volcanic eruption?
The geosphere, atmosphere, biosphere, and hydrosphere.
Give an example of a negative feedback loop in nature
The predator-prey cycle between wolves and moose.
What happens when plants are removed and erosion increases?
It leads to a positive feedback loop, where erosion makes it harder for plants to regrow.
Which sphere includes gases like oxygen and carbon dioxide?
The atmosphere.
What is the feedback loop that occurs in soil erosion?
A positive feedback loop.
How do the geosphere and biosphere interact during a volcanic eruption?
Volcanic eruptions release gases and ash, which can affect plants and animals.
What role does the predator-prey relationship play in negative feedback loops?
Predators control prey populations, which prevents overgrazing or overpopulation, maintaining balance in the ecosystem.
What happens in the feedback loop when plants regrow and slow down erosion?
It is a negative feedback loop that stabilizes the system.
Which sphere is responsible for weather patterns?
The atmosphere.
What type of feedback loop occurs when predator-prey populations stabilize?
A negative feedback loop.
How do the hydrosphere and atmosphere interact during a heavy rainfall?
Water vapor in the atmosphere condenses into rain, which affects water bodies in the hydrosphere.
How does the decrease in moose populations affect the wolf population in a negative feedback loop?
The predator population decreases because there is less food available.
How does erosion create a positive feedback loop?
Erosion removes plants, which makes the area more vulnerable to further erosion, increasing the process.
What sphere includes all the living organisms on Earth?
The biosphere.
How does soil erosion affect plant growth and further erosion?
It worsens erosion, preventing plants from regrowing, and accelerates the cycle.
What spheres are involved when plants are affected by volcanic ash?
The biosphere and the atmosphere.
What does a negative feedback loop do to a system’s balance?
It stabilizes the system by counteracting changes.
What is the long-term effect of a positive feedback loop on the environment?
It leads to environmental extremes, such as worsening soil erosion.
What sphere involves both living and non-living components?
The biosphere.
Describe an example of how a positive feedback loop leads to environmental extremes.
Soil erosion, which worsens with the removal of plants, leading to further land degradation.
Explain how the spheres are interconnected in a forest fire scenario.
The fire (biosphere) can release gases into the atmosphere, impact the geosphere by changing the landscape, and affect the hydrosphere by causing runoff.