energy in ecosystems; non renewable energy

photosynthesis

process used by green plants and some bacteria to synthesize the compounds that keep them alive

photosynthesis formula

6H20 + H20 + sunlight → C6H12O6 + 6O2

what is the exception to photosynthesis

extreme depths of the ocean- communities feed off of bacteria that get energy from hydrogen sulfide

cellular respiration

cells absorb oxygen and use it to release energy from food, all living things depend on respiration, plants use it to obtain energy from the carbohydrates they produce

cellular respiration formula

c6h12o6 + 6o2 → 6co2 + h2o + energy

anaerobic respiration (fermentation)

getting energy from the breakdown of glucose in the absence of oxygen

aerobic respiration

uses oxygen to convert organic nutrients back into the carbon dioxide and water

carbon cycle

excess co2 is budding up in the atmosphere, carbon is stored in limestone (land) and bicarbonate (oceans), too much carbon leads to global warning and too little carbon leads to global cooling

nitrogen cycle

needed to build proteins, amino acids, DNA and RNA, this makes up 78% of the earths atmosphere, is a limiting factor for plant growth

nitrogen fixation

conversion of gases → ammonia (NH3)

nitrification

aerobic bacteria convert ammonia (NH3) or ammonium (NH4) → nitrites (NO2-) → nitrates (NO3-)

assimilation

plants absorb nitrates (NO3-)

denitrification

anaerobic bacteria converts back to N2

phosphorous cycle

major building components for cells, DNA/RNA builder, part of ATP and nucleotide, limiting factor for plant growth

sulfur cycle

plants need sulfur for building of amino acids and proteins, many animals depend on these plants, 1/3 of the sulfur in the air comes from humans

fertilizers

excess nitrogen and phosphorus runoff can alter aquatic ecosystems

algal bloom

rapid growth of algae that can cause other organisms to die

producer

an organism that makes its own food

autotroph

primary productivity

heterotroph

secondary productivity

secondary production

generation of biomass in a system driven by organic material between trophic levels

consumer

an organism that gets its food from other animals

herbivore

eats plants

carnivore

eats meat

omnivore

eats plants and animals

scavenger

feed on dead organisms that were killed by other organisms

detritivore

feeds off of other organisms waste

decomposer

consumers that break down dead organisms for food (fungi, bacteria)

energy transfer

happens every time an organism is eaten by another organism, heat is lost upon transfer

food chain

a sequence in which energy is transferred from one organism to the next

food web

many feeding relationships that are possible within an ecosystem

trophic levels

each step in the transfer of energy through a food. chain or a food web in an ecosystem

biomass

digested material that becomes an organisms bodily material, productivity is the rate of generation, mass/unit of the surface area/ time (grams/m2/day)

biomass pyramids

shows how much mass is in level, measures in kilocalories, 10% of energy is transferred

trophic cascade

changes in trophic level

top-down change

the removal of the top consumer

bottom-up change

primary producer level, increase or decrease of in nutrient levels

energy pyramid

proportion of energy to the next level

ecological efficiency

about 90% of the energy is used and only 10% passes onto the next level (units not biomass)

gross primary proaction (GPP)

plants capturing and storing energy in biomass

net primary production (NPP)

energy that is used

what does NPP equal

GPP - plant respiration (R)

bioaccumulation

buildup of chemicals in an organism

biomagnefiction

climbs the pyramid, buildup of certain chemicals in an organism, the lower the trophic level, the greater the effects

DDT

a chemical widely used in the 1940s that caused the populations of a predatory bird to decline

toxicity

how harmful a substance is

dose

how much of the harmful substance is taken in, effects depend on genetic makeup and detoxification

solubility

can move through liquids (fats, blood, water)

persistance

how long it can stay

resistance

how long it can avoid being broken down

persistent organic pollutants (POPs)

chemicals that constantly stay in nature

endocrine system

glands that release hormones into the bloodstream

endocrine disruptors (DDT, mercury, PCBs, BPA)

mimic hormonally active agents, hormone blockers, thyroid disruptors

dose response curve

graph of various doses on a system

treshold

organism needs a certain level of dose (flat bottom curve)

nontreshold

any level of toxin can effect the organism (takes off right away)

LD50-

dose required to kill half of the members of a test population (not human), calculated in mg/kg

small LD50=high toxicity

high LD50=low toxicity

ecological succession

gradual process of change and replacement of the types of species in a community

primary succession

occurs on a surface where no ecosystem existed before; rocks, cliffs, sand dunes, new volcanic islands, glacier exposure

secondary succession

occurs on a surface where an ecosystem did exist, caused by human disruption or natural causes (floods, storms, earthquakes, fires)

climax community

a final and stable community that will remain the same if not disturbed

old field succession

occurs when farmlands are abandoned

pioneer species

the first organisms to colonize any new area and begin ecological succession (lichens and mosses)

early succession plant species

grows low to the ground, has short root structure when it decays, adds. nutrients to the soil (grass)

mid successional plants

plants with deep roots (shrubs)

late successional plants

trees and other plant species who can handle shade growth

fire cycle

fires return nutrients to plants, resets the succession of a forest

First law of thermodynamics

Energy cannot be created or destroyed

Second law of thermodynamics

When energy is converted, it created low quality energy and energy is lost as heat (respiration)

Fossil fuels

Remains of ancient organisms changed into coal, oil, or natural gas. They are limited and obtaining them can lead to various environmental factors

Why are fossil fuels used

Abundance, high net energy, infrastructure, politics, existing technology (why move away from gasoline)

Uses of fossil fuels

Transportation, manufacturing, heating and cooling, electricity

Turbine

Device that rotates and is powered by steam, water, or wind

Electric generator

Device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy, using electromagnetic induction (voltage across a conductor across a magnetic field)

how is the quality of coal determined

by rank or deposit and pressure and heat on the plant debris

bituminous

most abundant coal used for electricity in the US due to avaliablilty

aranthracite

used for home heating

coke

fuel used in steel making derived from making low-ash, low-sulfur bituminous coal in an airless oven at 1000 degrees C

coal burning effects

produces carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxides, causes global warming, acid rain, and air pollution (sulfur)

CO2 storage

involves injecting CO2 into the earth. deleted oil or gas fields and deep saline aquifers safely contain CO2 while unmovable coal seams absorb it

enhanced oil recovery

uses CO2 ti maintain pressure and improves extraction in oil resiviors

oceanic storage

injecting liquid CO2 into waters 500-3000 meters deep, where it dissolves under pressure (pH is a concern)

coal washing

removes sulfur from coal

wet scrubber (four gas desulfurization systems)

removes sulfur dioxide, a major cause of acid rain, by spraying flue gas with limestone and water

low-NOx (nitrogen oxide) burners

reduce the creation of nitrogen oxides, a cause of ground level ozone, by restricting oxygen and manipulating the combustion process

electrostatic precipitators

remove particulates that aggravate athsma and cause respiratory ailments by charging particles with an electrical field and then capturing them on collection plates

gasification

can remove CO2; with integrated gas combined cycle (IGCC) systems, steam, and hot pressurized air or oxygen combine with coal in a reaction that forces carbon molecules apart

syngas

a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen is cleaned and burned in a gas turbine to make electricity

petroleum

45% of the worlds energy use; Used un fuel, plastics, and chemicals

Organization of the petroleum exporting countries (OPEC)

13 oil producing nations; stabilization of oil prices in order to secure an efficient, economic, and regular supply of petroleum to consumers

Petroleum fractional distillation

Way in which crude ion is processed; oil is heated in a furnace which separates it, where it is then extracted for further refinement in a fractional column

Problems with petroleum

Causes air pollution, oil leaking from cars, expensive, and causes oil spills

Causes of oil spills

Leaks from infrastructure, natural seeps from the ocean floor, comes from cars, comes from runoff from storms

Environmental impacts from oil spills

Birds can’t fly, habitat loss, food web disruption, lack on sunlight reducing photosynthesis, causes dwaths

Negative impacts of oil spills

Cost of cleanup, decline in tourism, decline in commercial fishing, monetary loss of revenue

Positive impacts of oil spills

Grants, financial aid, provides jobs to those who clean up the spill

Dispersants

Chemical agents that break up the oil into small droplets

Emulsifiers and solvents

Types of dispersants, Acts like a detergent and dissolves the oil into the water

Advantages of dispersants

Reduced toxins, easy to apply, less costly, minimized surface spread, protects birds

Disadvantages of dispersants

Possible toxicity, oil can settle and cause damage, may increase surface area or spill, dispersed, not removed