flux

Flashcards to review key concepts from the ecology lecture.

What components are included in an ecosystem?

All organisms within the defined area and the physical and chemical factors that influence them.

Earth is a(n) system regarding matter and a(n) system regarding energy.

closed, open

What drives the processes that move matter around the planet?

Energy, specifically sunlight

Name four compartments of the global ecosystem.

Atmosphere, oceans, land, and fresh water.

What are the two most abundant gases in the atmosphere?

Nitrogen (78%) and Oxygen (21%)

In what atmospheric layer does weather occur?

Troposphere

Name three greenhouse gases.

CO2 (Carbon Dioxide), CH4 (Methane), and N2O (Nitrous Oxide)

What part of the atmosphere absorbs UV light?

Stratosphere, specifically the ozone layer

How are minerals brought back to the surface in the oceans?

Upwelling zones

What drives thermohaline circulation?

The exclusion of salt as ice forms, making the remaining water saltier and denser, causing it to sink.

What is the approximate cycle time for the Global Conveyor Belt?

1000 years

Where do freshwater mineral nutrients primarily come from?

Weathered rock

Describe lake turnover.

Seasonal temperature changes result in mixing of lake components to distribute nutrients and oxygen evenly throughout the water column.

What percentage of the Earth's surface is land?

About 25%

What factors determine net primary production?

Latitude and climate

List six elements needed for life that cycle through biotic and abiotic components of ecosystems.

Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Sulfur

Name three states in which water can exist

Solid (ice), Liquid (water), Gas (vapor)

Name the four major rivers that carry the most fresh water.

Nile, Amazon, Mississippi, and Yangtze

Where is groundwater pooled?

Underground aquifers

What are the effects of fire on the atmosphere?

releases CO2, also nitrogen vaporized