Ecosystems
What causes climate change?
Cyclical changes include seasons, predator-prey, and disease.
Small-scale disturbances recover quickly. Ex. small forest fire.
Large-scale disturbances can permanently alter ecosystems. Ex. volcanic eruptions
What are three factors of earth's energy?
Earth’s energy:
- Radiation: movement of energy as visible light, UV rays, and other types of electromagnetic waves. Only way that energy can travel in space.
- Conduction: transfer of energy between objects or atoms and molecules in contact.
- Convection: movement of energy caused by motion in matter.
With a spherical Earth, what happens with it's energy?
It is not evenly distributed. Spherical Earth means the poles get less energy than the equator.
Helps drive air currents. Hot air rises at the tropics. Cold air sinks at the poles.
What is stability?
how an ecosystem can deviate very little from its average state despite changes in environmental conditions.
Closely linked to biodiversity. More diversity = more stability
What is albedo effect?
Ability of a surface to reflect sunlight (heat from the sun)
Gyres
Gyres spin clockwise in the northern hemisphere and counterclockwise in the southern hemisphere.
What is resiliance?
ability of the ecosystem to recover after a disturbance
Three factors affecting resilience
Biodiversity, health, disturbance frequency.
Biodiversity- the greater the diversity the greater the chance all niches will be occupied.
Health- intact ecosystems are more likely to be resiliance than ecosystems suffering from species loss or disease.
Disturbance frequency- frequent disturbances make it more difficult for ecosystms to recover.
Greenhouse Effect
greenhouse gases- describes the natural process by which heat is retained within the atmosphere by greenhouse gases trapping heat that would normally radiate back into space.
Moderates surface temps of Earth
ex. water, vapor, CO2, and methane
What are invasive species?
A species that is not native (indigenous) to a particular area.
Can cause environmental and/or economic harm
To be considered invasive the species must:
Adapt easily to the new area, reproduce quickly, harm property, the economy, or the native plants and animals of the region.
Examples: murder hornets (new to the US), lionfish, yellow starthistle (at the reservoir)
What is Earth's energy?
Radiation, conduction, convection
radiation: movement of energy as visible light, uv rays, and other types of electromagnetic waves.
conduction: transfer of energy between objects or atoms and molecules.
convection: movement of energy caused by motion in matter.
What are keystone species and give an example?
Some species have a disproportionate effect on the stability of an ecosystem
If a keystone species is removed, the ecosystem can rapidly change or collapse
Examples: beavers and otters
What happens to solar radiation reaching Earth?
Not all of the radiation is kept. Some is radiated back into space.