Ecosystems

Evaporation

Liquid turns to water vapor due to heat

Sublimation

Solid water (snow or ice) into water vapor without becoming liquid

Condensation

Water vapor cools and turns back into liquid, forming clouds

Precipitation

Water droplets become heavy enough and fall to the ground

Subsurface water flow

Movement of water beneath the earth’s surface

Surface runoff

Water from precipitation that flows over land into bodies of water

Snowmelt

When snow and ice melt, the water joins bodies of water, contributing to surface runoff

Streamflow

Movement of water within a river or stream

What is the driving force of the water cycle?

The sun, it provides the energy for evaporation and influences weather patterns

Aquifer

A natural underground layer of permeable rock, sand, or gravel that stores groundwater

Groundwater

Water located beneath the earth’s surface in soil pore spaces and fractures of rock

6 carbon reservoirs

Atmosphere, oceans, soil, fossil fuels, terrestrial biosphere, and sedimentary rock

What is the largest carbon reservoir on earth?

Limestone

Fossil fuel

Fuel that is formed from the remains of ancient organisms under heat and pressure over millions of years (coal, oil, natural gas)

Why are fossil fuels non-renewable?

They are non-renewable because they take millions of years to from, but we use them faster then they are replaced

Animal husbandry

The care, breeding, and management of domesticated animals such as cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, chickens, and horses

How does animal husbandry increase CO2?

Deforestation for grazing land, methane emissions from livestock (especially cattle), and fossil fuel use in production and transport

What percent of the earth’s atmosphere is nitrogen?

78%

Ammonification

Decomposition of organic nitrogen into ammonia

Nitrification

Conversion of ammonia/ammonium into nitrites then into nitrates

Denitrification

Conversion of nitrates back into nitrogen gas by denitrifying bacteria, releasing it into the atmosphere

Exponential growth

A rapid increase in population size when resources are unlimited

Carrying capacity

The maximum number of individuals in a species that an environment can sustainable support based on available resources and space

Ecological niche

The role and position a species has in its environment

Species diversity

A measure of the variety of species in an ecosystem

Habitat

The physical environment where an organism lives

Habitat heterogeneity

The variety of habitat types or physical features within a given area. Higher heterogeneity often supports greater biodiversity

Keystone species

A species that has a disproportionately large effect on its ecosystem relative to its abundance

Seed vault

A storage facility that preserves seeds of various plant species to prevent against loss due to disasters, disease, or climate change

Carbon sequestration

The process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide, in attempt to reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere and mitigate climate change

Carbon sink

A natural or artificial reservoir that absorbs more carbon than is released

What is the current population?

~8.1 billion people

What are the 3 largest countries, population wise?

India, China, United States

Predatory-prey relationship

As prey population increases, predator numbers rise. Then, as predators consume more prey, prey numbers fall, leading to a decline in predator numbers

Biodiversity loss impacts

Loss of medicinal plants, reduced crop variety, fewer fish/animals to harvest for food

Regenerative benefits of a natural environment

Nature helps restore mental and physical health, improves mood, reduces stress, supports clean air/water, and aids in recovery from illness

Colony collapse disorder

Sudden disappearance from bees from hives. Significant because bees pollinate many crops. CCD threatens food security and ecosystems

Threats to biodiversity

Deforestation, overharvesting, and invasive species

Impacts of invasive species

Outcompetes natives, alters habitats, spreads disease, reduces biodiversity, and disrupts ecosystem balance.

Greenhouse effect

When gases trap solar radiation, warming the earth

Greenhouse gas emissions by type

CO2: 76%, Methane: 16%, Nitrous oxide: 6%, Fluorinated gases: 2%

Natural CO2 emission sources

Volcanic activity, respiration by organisms, decomposition of organic matter, and ocean-atmosphere exchange

How are fossil fuels created

They are produced from ancient organic matter under pressure over millions of years

What are the top uses of fossil fuels

Electricity, transportation, industrial processes, and heating.

Examples of carbon sinks

Forests, oceans, soil, and wetlands

Carbon sink

Anything that absorbs more carbon from the atmosphere than it releases

What human activity releases nitrogen?

Combustion of fossil fuels and use of artificial fertilizers

Eutrophication

A process in which nutrients accumulate in a body of water, resulting in an increased growth of organisms that may deplete the oxygen in the water

Weather

Short-term state of the atmosphere

Climate

Long-term pattern of weather

Anthropogenic

Environmental change causes by people

How long does carbon dioxide remain in the atmosphere?

300-1000 years

How long does methane remain in the atmosphere?

About 20 years

Human sources of methane

Fossil fuel, livestock farming, landfills and waste, rice agriculture, biofuels

What chemical compound is more potent and longer lasting than carbon dioxide and methane?

Sulfur hexafluoride