Energy & Ecosystems
The primary source of energy for most ecosystems
What is the sun?
This meat has the highest ecological footprint.
What is lamb or beef?
The main greenhouse gas cattle produce.
What is methane?
Utilizes sunlight to generate electricity or heat.
What is solar energy?
These resources are consumed faster than they can be naturally regenerated.
What are nonrenewable energies?
Plants, algae, and some bacteria that convert solar energy into chemical energy through photosynthesis.
What are autotrophs or producers?
Machinery, livestock, and transportation produce these into the atmosphere.
A type of pollution source that is difficult to locate, due to the way it is distributed or disbursed.
What is a nonpoint source?
Converts organic materials (plants, waste) into energy.
What is Biomass?
Largest contributor to carbon dioxide emissions, which contributes to climate change.
What is coal?
They play a crucial role in nutrient cycling and energy flow by decomposing organic matter and releasing energy back into the ecosystem.
What are decomposers?
Fertilizer runoff leads to excessive nutrient levels in water bodies, producing algal blooms that deplete oxygen levels, causing dead zones.
What is eutrophication?
Food production, energy consumption, transportation and waste all contribute to this.
Carbon emissions.
Noise pollution and potential impacts on wildlife, such as birds and may create a concerning visual impact on landscapes.
What are disadvantages of wind power?
Emits less carbon dioxide than coal and oil, but the extraction process (fracking) has significant environmental concerns, including methane leaks and groundwater contamination.
What is natural gas?
Approximately 90% of energy is lost at each of these, primarily lost as heat due to respiration.
What is a trophic level?
Focuses on minimal soil disturbance (no-till or reduced-till farming), crop rotation, and cover crops to maintain soil health, reduce erosion, and increase biodiversity.
What is sustainable agriculture?
the main greenhouse gas produced by vehicles
What is what is co2?
Can displace communities and alter water quality with high initial construction costs and limited suitable locations.
What are disadvantages of hydropower?
The largest contributor to anthropogenic climate change.
What is burning of fossil fuels?
The variety of life on Earth, encompassing the different species, genetic variations, ecosystems, and ecological processes.
What is biodiversity?
A multifaceted approach, including integrated pest management, crop diversity, and responsible pesticide use, is essential to managing this problem in agriculture.
What is pesticide resistance?
Occurs when industrial facilities discharge heated water into water bodies, raising the temperature and disrupting aquatic ecosystems.
Warmer waters hold less oxygen, harming fish and other aquatic organisms.
What is thermal pollution?
A global commitment to reduce carbon emissions and limit global warming.
What is the Paris Agreement?
Fossil fuel combustion releases sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter, leading to this atmospheric challenge.
What is acid rain?