Same Planet, Different Drama
This open ocean biome makes up the largest part of Earth’s surface but has relatively low productivity per unit area.
What is the Open Ocean?
Burning fossil fuels adds this gas to the atmosphere, intensifying the greenhouse effect.
What is Carbon Dioxide?
NPP can be calculated using this equation involving GPP and respiration.
What is the relationship between Gross Primary Production and Net Primary Production?
NPP = GPP − respiration
This occurs when sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides react with water vapor to form acidic precipitation.
What is Acid Deposition?
This equation represents total environmental impact as a product of population, affluence, and technology.
What is the IPAT Equation?
(I = P × A × T)
This biome is characterized by salt-tolerant plants and is found along temperate coastlines.
What are Salt Marshes?
This process in the water cycle involves water vapor cooling and forming clouds.
What is Condensation?
Aquatic ecosystems often have high NPP in this zone where sunlight penetrates.
What is the Photic Zone?
This feedback loop occurs when melting ice reduces albedo, increasing heat absorption.
What is Positive Feedback Loop?
This formula is commonly used in APES to estimate energy transfer between trophic levels.
What is the 10 Percent Rule?
This deep ocean biome receives no sunlight and relies on chemosynthesis rather than photosynthesis.
What is the Abyssal Zone?
This slow geological process stores carbon long-term by forming carbonate rocks.
What is Sedimentation?
This factor limits NPP in oceans despite large surface area.
What is Nutrient Availability?
This term describes the gradual increase in Earth’s average temperature due to human activities.
What is Global Warming?
This formula calculates the percentage of land protected in a region.
(total land area/protected land area)×100
This biome contains permanently frozen subsoil that restricts drainage and root growth.
What is the Tundra?
This process releases water vapor from plant leaves into the atmosphere.
What is Transpiration?
This ecosystem generally has very high productivity due to nutrient-rich waters and shallow depth.
What are Estuaries?
This air pollutant forms from incomplete combustion and can reduce the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood.
What is Carbon Monoxide?
This formula calculates the efficiency of energy transfer between trophic levels.
What is:
(energy transferred/total energy available)×100
This aquatic biome is characterized by low salinity and high dissolved oxygen due to rapid water movement.
What are Streams and Rivers?
This process transfers carbon from living organisms back into the atmosphere through metabolic activity.
What is Cellular Respiration?
This factor often limits productivity in terrestrial ecosystems because it directly affects photosynthesis rates.
What is Water Availability?
This renewable energy source generates electricity by using underground heat from Earth’s interior.
What is Geothermal Energy?
A sample of a radioactive isotope has a half-life of 20 years. If the original sample was 160 grams, this amount would remain after 60 years.
What is 20 grams?
160 g → 80 g after 20 years
80 g → 40 g after 40 years
40 g → 20 g after 60 years