The 'Speheres
Climates and Biomes
Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming
Natural Resources
Conservation
100
What is the Gaia Hypothesis?
The hypothesis considers Earth itself a living organism. Its atmosphere, geosphere, and hydrosphere are cooperating systems that yield a biosphere full of life.
100
How do you define a biome?
A biome is defined by its climate and by the planet of communities that live there.
100
What causes the pH of rain water to drop below normal levels? What is this called?
Pollutants in the water cycle cause rain pH to drop below normal levels. It is called acid rain.
100
What is a renewable resource?
A resource that replenishes itself quickly enough so that it will not be used faster than it can be produced
100
What is an ecological footprint?
The amount of land necessary to produce and maintain enough food, water, shelter, and waste
200
What is the atmosphere?
The air blanketing Earth’s solid surface.
200
Why are estuaries considered protective refuges for many species?
Reefs and barrier islands along the estuary’s boundary with the ocean protect species from storms and the ocean’s strong currents and waves.
200
How does the greenhouse effect help life on earth? Why is it important?
The greenhouse effect allows sunlight to pass radiation through and provide energy for plant growth. The glass also prevents infrared radiation from escaping. It plays an important role in maintaining an environment that is suitable for life.
200
What is a nonrenewable resource? List some examples.
Nonrenewable resources are used faster than they form. Examples include oil, coal and plants an animals there are used faster than they can be replenished
200
What is an indicator species?
Also known as a bioindicator, is a species that provides a sign, or indication, of the quality of the ecosystems’s environmental conditions
300
What is the Biosphere?
All organisms and the part of Earth where they exist.
300
What are the three different climate zones and where are they located?
The polar climate is found at the North and South poles. The tropical climate is located near the equator. The temperate climate is found between the tropical and polar climates.
300
What would happen if there were no greenhouse gases on Earth?
The Earth would be too cold to be suitable for life.
300
Describe some negative ways that humans have affected the environment and biodiversity.
Through population growth, pollution, and introduced species, humans have managed to destroy the environment and biodiversity.
300
Describe biomagnification
Biomagnification is when a pollutant moves up the food chain as predators eat prey, accumulating in higher concentrations in the bodies of predators.
400
What is the hydrosphere?
The combined mass of water found on, under, and over the surface of a planet.
400
Are weather and climate the same thing? Explain. Can both weather and climate change?
No, climate is the long-term patterns of the weather conditions on a region. Weather may change from day to day, or from one hour the the next , but climate is the patterns of weather changes.
400
What is the relationship between the greenhouse effect and global warming? How does pollution affect this process?
Scientist have inferred that changes in temperature are the result of increased levels of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, water and methane. The growth of industry and use of automobiles has increased the emission of greenhouse gases over the past 100 years.
400
Describe some positive ways that humans have affected the environment and biodiversity.
Through sustainable development, conservation practices, control of birth rates, technology to produce more food and less waste, and laws to protect natural resources, humans have helped to protect the environment and biodiversity.
400
How can introduced species disrupt ecosystems?
They can pose a great threat to the stability of an ecosystem if they prey on or crowd out native species.
500
What is the geosphere?
The geosphere is considered that portion of the Earth system that includes the Earth's interior, rocks and minerals, landforms and the processes that shape the Earth's surface.
500
What are the four key factors that shape an area's climate? What factor contributes to the creation of three climate zones on Earth?
The four factors are temperature, sunlight, water, and wind. Earth's curved shape causes it to be heated unevenly by the Sun, leading to different climate zones.
500
Describe the Greenhouse effect.
The greenhouse effect is a process by which thermal radiation from a planetary surface is absorbed by atmospheric greenhouse gases, and is re-radiated in all directions. Since part of this re-radiation is back towards the surface and the lower atmosphere, it results in an elevation of the average surface temperature above what it would be in the absence of the gases.
500
Give an example of an introduced species and explain the negative impact it had on the environment?
One example is the Burmese python. As irresponsible owners released the snake into the wild, they started to breed. They feed on small animals such as rats, birds, raccoons, and even dogs. They are also know to feed on endangered bird species in the park. Another example is the kudzu plant. Originally introduced to prevent soil loss from erosion, it is now classified as a problematic weed. It has an impressive growth rate and by blanketing trees and shrubs with its large leaves, it deprives other plants of the sunlight they need to survive. They are also resistant to most types of herbicide and can live for many years.
500
What are some conservation practices that the government contributes?
The government can create policies and laws to protect the environment such as the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Endangered Species Act. Setting aside areas as public land is another way that the government can protect ecosystems.
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