Earth Sci : Flow of Matter and Energy

Evaporation

Water enters the atmosphere through this process from seas, ocean, lakes, rivers, and other water bodies.

Transpiration

Evaporation of water from the leaves of a plant.

Evapotranspiration

The terms evaporation and transpiration put together to form the word:

Condensation

Water vapor rises into the atmosphere, cools, and then forms a cloud.

Precipitation

Any form of water that falls from clouds and reaches Earth's surface.

Runoff

Rain flows over the ground and into a body of water. It flows into streams and rivers and eventually back into the ocean or sea.

Infiltration

The process by which water on the ground surface enters the soil.

Percolation

The downward movement of water through soil and rock due to gravity.

Aquifiers

The materials that water can reside or flow through.

Sun

The Earth's major source of energy.

Trophic level

Each step in a food chain or food web.

Autotrophs

Producers who make their own food (ex. plant, bacteria, fungi); they contain the most energy.

Primary consumer

An organism that eats producers.

Secondary Consumer

An organism that eats primary consumers. In the arctic, the trophic levels do not go beyond this level.

Tertiary consumer

An organism that eats secondary consumers.

Heterotroph

An organism that cannot make its own food; they need to feed on other organisms.

1st Law of Thermodynamics/Law of Conservation of Energy

Energy can neither be created nor destroyed.

2nd Law of Thermodynamics/Law of Entropy

There is no transfer of energy that is 100% complete. There are losses in energy.

Ten percent rule

Only ten percent (10%) of the energy contained in the organisms of one trophic level are available to consumers in the next level. As you go up each trophic level, it is roughly 10% of the energy from the trophic level below stored.

Kilocalorie

A unit of energy equal to 1,000 calories.

DNA, RNA, protein

Nitrogen is important because it is used to make these (3) essential biomolecules for life:

Nitrogen gas (N2)

It makes up 78% of the atmosphere; not usable by life.

Nitrogen Fixation

Nitrogen-Fixing bacteria found in soil turns nitrogen gas into ammonia (NH3) or ammonium (NH4+).

Nitrogen Gas -> Ammonia

Assimilation

Ammonia can be taken up by plants to make biological molecules like DNA and proteins.Ammonia -> Biomolecules

Nitrification

Nitrifying bacteria add oxygen to ammonia that first convert ammonia into nitrite (NO2-) then to nitrate (NO3-). This happens best in soils that are well aerated.

Ammonia -> Nitrite -> Nitrate

Nitrate

A plant fertilizer and can be assimilated to make key biomolecules.

Ammonification

When living things die and decompose, nitrogen is returned back to the soil as ammonia. This can now be used again by plants (assimilation) or converted again into nitrates (nitrification), restarting the cycle.

Nitrogen (from the dead) -> Ammonia

Denitrification

Denitrifying bacteria convert nitrates into nitrogen gas. Happens best in low-oxygen environments like waterlogged soils and it reduces fertility of soil.

Nitrates -> Nitrogen Gas

Photosynthesis of plants

Oxygen was not present in the primordial atmosphere; rather, it was the product of __________.

Carbon dioxide; water; molecular oxygen

Enumerate the three (3) nonliving sources of oxygen atoms:

Respiration

Molecular oxygen (O₂) passes from a free state (O₂) to a combined form (H₂O). It becomes a water molecule through __________.

Photosynthesis

Molecular oxygen (O₂) is returned to its free state (O₂) from a combined form (H₂O) through __________.

Combustion

__________ releases oxygen from organic molecules as carbon dioxide (CO₂), which can then be recycled through photosynthesis.

Photolysis

A minor source of molecular oxygen in which ultraviolet light breaks apart water molecules in the upper atmosphere, creating a small amount of extra oxygen.

Ozone dissociation

A minor source of molecular oxygen in which ozone (O₃) in the atmosphere splits apart, releasing oxygen molecules (O₂).

Dissolved carbon dioxide and precipitated carbonates

Atmospheric carbon is in equilibrium with these two (2):

Photosynthesis

Carbon cycle on land begins with the fixation of atmospheric CO₂ through __________ by plants and microorganisms.

Carbohydrates

__________ produced by photosynthesis are consumed to supply energy to the plant.

Leaves or roots

Leaves or roots

Respiration

Part of fixed carbon is consumed by animals, which also release CO₂ through _____.

Microorganisms

When living things die and are decomposed by __________ in the soil, the carbon in their tissues is oxidized to CO₂ and returns to the atmosphere.

Phytoplankton

They assimilate dissolved CO₂ in saltwater and release oxygen.

Zooplankton and fish

They consume carbon fixed by phytoplankton, using dissolved oxygen for respiration.

Organic matter

Eventually, the decomposition of __________ replaces the CO₂ assimilated by phytoplankton.

Fossil fuel

Accelerated use of __________ increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by 10%. This increase results in the greenhouse effect of the atmosphere. This causes artificial climatic changes which might cause floods and raised levels of oceans.