Feedback Loops
What is a feedback loop?
A feedback loop is a process where a change triggers effects that influence the system.
What are the 4 main elements of life?
The four main elements of life are carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen
What is primary succession?
Primary succession is the process of ecological change that occurs in an area with no soil, such as after a volcanic eruption.
How do human activities disrupt feedback loops?
Human activities, such as deforestation and pollution, can disrupt feedback loops by altering natural processes and leading to imbalances.
What is a species?
A species is a group of living organisms that can reproduce with one another and produce fertile offspring.
What is positive feedback?
Positive feedback is when a change triggers effects that push further in the same direction, reinforcing the original change
What is photosynthesis?
Photosynthesis is the process by which plants convert solar energy into chemical energy using carbon dioxide and water.
What is secondary succession?
Secondary succession is the process of ecological change that occurs in areas where soil exists after disturbances like fires or floods
What is the impact of deforestation?
Deforestation reduces carbon storage, releases CO₂, and can create positive feedback loops that accelerate climate change.
Define population.
A population is a group of organisms of the same species living in the same area at the same time
What is negative feedback?
Negative feedback is when a change triggers effects that push the system in the opposite direction, helping to maintain balance.
Define thermodynamics?
Thermodynamics is the branch of physics that deals with heat, work, and energy transformations
What role do pioneer species play in succession?
Pioneer species are the first organisms to colonize barren environments, helping to create soil and establish ecosystems.
Explain the soil carbon feedback.
The soil carbon feedback refers to the process where increased CO₂ levels can lead to soil degradation and further release of carbon, enhancing climate change.
What are producers?
Producers are organisms that make their own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis, forming the base of food chains.
Why are feedback loops important?
Feedback loops are important because they help regulate systems and can magnify or dampen changes, affecting stability
What is the 1st Law of Thermodynamics?
The first law of thermodynamics states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed
What triggers secondary succession?
Secondary succession is triggered by disturbances such as forest fires, farming, or storms.
What is the ice-albedo feedback?
The ice-albedo feedback is a process where melting ice reduces the Earth's reflectivity, causing more heat absorption and further ice melt.
What is a food chain?
A food chain is a simple path of energy transfer through an ecosystem, starting with a producer.
Give an example of a positive feedback loop.
An example of a positive feedback loop is the ice-albedo feedback, where melting ice reduces reflectivity, causing more absorption of heat and further ice melt
Explain anaerobic respiration?
Anaerobic respiration is the process of breaking down glucose without oxygen, resulting in less energy compared to aerobic respiration.
Why do ecosystems typically have 4-5 trophic levels?
Ecosystems typically have 4-5 trophic levels because energy becomes too low to sustain higher levels, leading to fewer organisms as you go up the levels.
How do fossil fuels affect climate change?
Burning fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases, increasing atmospheric CO₂ and contributing to global warming and climate change.
Explain trophic levels.
Trophic levels are the hierarchical positions in a food chain, including producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, and apex predators, with energy decreasing at each level.