cycles of matter
carbon cycle (sources and sinks)
Sink: photosynthesis, ocean
source: cell respiration , decomposition, combustion
Carbon is a greenhouse gas (global warming)
carbon dioxide forms carbonic acid in the ocean which makes less carbonate for sea organisms to make shells and skeletons
the first law of thermodynamics
energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can only change forms
what is guano
phosphorous rich feces
phosphorous cycle
Erosion of phosphate rocks
phosphorus released into soil/water
Plant roots absorb it
Passes through food chain
decomposition of plants/animals puts it back into Soil /water
phosphorous
Eutrophication
mining phosphorous for soap and fertilizer disrupts ecosystem
the second law of thermodynamics
When energy is converted from one form to another, some of it is degraded to heat (entropy increases)
what will happen if you increase the variety of types of plants in an area
infiltration will increase
sulfur cycle
Erosion of phosphate rocks
phosphorus released into soil/water
Plant roots absorb it
Passes through food chain
decomposition of plants/animals puts it back into Soil /water
sulfur
when sulfur (SOx) mixes with water, it forms sulfuric acid which falls from the sky in the form of acid rain (most acid rain in northeast USA)
primary producers
autotrophs that make their own energy, includes photosynthetic plants, algae, and bacteria
what happens when you increase pH by 1 point
it increases times 10
water cycle
1. evaporation (water), transpiration (plants), 2. condensation
3. precipitation
4. infiltration- permeable surfaces (soil)
5. runoff- impermeable surfaces (ocean, river)
water
Eutrophication: plant nutrients get into water causing algal bloom which suffocates other organisms
aquifer depletion
saltwater intrusion
urbanization: more runoff, less infiltration, and less transpiration
sedimentation/siltation: soil gets into water, making it warmer
Detritivore
organisms that eat detritus (small pieces of decaying organic matter from plants or animals)
what does NPP/GPP stand for
net primary productivity/ gross primary productivity
nitrogen cycle
Nitrogen fixation converts nitrogen gas to Ammonia. Nitrification converts ammonia to Nitrites, and then Nitrates. Assimilation is when plants absorb nitrates from the soil to make protein. Ammonification breaks down organic nitrogen through the decomposition of the plant, and makes Ammonia. Denitrification converts nitrates back to nitrogen gas.
nitrogen
Eutrophication
Groundwater contamination
Photochemical smog
equation for finding NPP
GPP - cellular respiration
chemosynthesis
Process by which some organisms, such as certain bacteria, use chemical energy to produce energy