General apes A
How do you find gross primary productivity?
GPP = NPP + R
100 point bonus: What does NPP and R stand for?
If a population is left unchecked, the maximum population growth rate can increase exponentially and takes on a ________ shaped curve
J curves
Explain why nitrogen is often a limiting nutrient in ecosystems.
Although nitrogen gas is abundant in the atmosphere, most organisms cannot use it directly. Nitrogen must first be converted into usable forms through nitrogen fixation.
what are particulates?
small particles that rest midway in the air.
Identify at least one impact climate change may have on ocean systems.
Climate change can increase ocean temperatures, contribute to coral bleaching, raise sea levels, and increase ocean acidification, which harms marine organisms like shell-forming species.
when one organism benefits and the other organism is neither harmed or benefited
what is commensalism?
Explain the difference between exponential population growth and logistic population growth.
Exponential growth occurs when a population grows rapidly without limits, producing a J-shaped curve. Logistic growth slows as resources become limited and levels off at carrying capacity, producing an S-shaped curve.
What is the equation for percent change?
percent change = (ending value - starting value) / (starting value) * 100
US federal law designed to control air pollution on a national level. The EPA regulates airborne contaminants that are hazardous to human health.
Clean Air Act
A keystone species is removed from an ecosystem. Predict one likely ecological impact.
Removing a keystone species can destabilize the ecosystem and cause major population changes, including loss of biodiversity or collapse of food webs.
roughly 2.5%
what are the 4 layers of the earth?
crust, mantle, outer core, inner core
1930 in the midwest of the US, this event was caused by overgrazing and extensive plowing. Large winds came and blew the topsoil off
Dust Bowl
Animals, unlike plants, don't do photosynthesis. Instead, they (we) do something that's essentially backwards from photosynthesis. What is this process called?
[cell] respiration
Identify at least one environmental problem associated with clear-cutting forests.
Clear-cutting increases soil erosion, reduces biodiversity, disrupts habitats, and can increase carbon dioxide levels because fewer trees remain to absorb carbon.
substance that causes cancer
carcinogen
the 1986 nuclear power plant that released large amounts of radiation in the Ukraine
Chernobyl
Soils are formed through interactions of 5 major factors. Name as many as you can!
Time, climate, parent material, topography, organisms
what is geothermal energy?
international treaty that sets binding obligations on developed contries to reduce emmisions of greenhouse gasses.
Kyoto protocol
buildup of pollutants at higher levels of the food chain
biomagnification
process by which thermal radiation from the earth's surface is absorbed by certain gasses and bounced back, increasing temperature
greenhouse effect
Melting Arctic sea ice has accelerated in recent decades. Explain how loss of sea ice affects Earth’s albedo.
Loss of reflective ice lowers albedo, causing more solar energy absorption.
Identify at least ONE way that invasive species can reduce biodiversity.
Invasive species may outcompete native species for resources, spread disease, or alter habitats, which can reduce native populations and overall biodiversity.
Identify at least one way how increased access to education for women can influence population growth rates.
Greater access to education is often associated with delayed childbirth, increased career opportunities, and lower total fertility rates, which can slow population growth.