Chapter 25- Global Ecology

Acid neutralizing capacity

The ability of the chemical environment to counteract acidity is usually associated with concentrations of base cations, including Ca⁺², Mg⁺², and K⁺.

Anthropogenic

Humans and their activities (that cause the result of something).

Arctic ozone dent

An area of the stratosphere over the Arctic region where ozone concentrations are low but not dropped below 220 Dobson units.

Climate Change

Directional change in climate over a period of three decades or longer.

Greenhouse effect

The warming of Earth by gases in the atmosphere that absorb and reradiate infrared energy emitted by Earth’s surface.

Greenhouse gases

Are gases that are found within the atmosphere: primarily water vapor, CO₂, CH₄, And N₂O.

Ozone hole

Occurs/develops during spring in the polar regions in which the polar stratospheric clouds of ice and HNO₃, provides surface for Cl to CATALYZE O₃ destruction

The global cycling of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and sulfur (S) are emphasized because?

Their biological importance and their roles in human alteration of the global environment.

99% of global C is found in?

Sediment and rock (A.K.A The Lithosphere)

The sediment and rock global carbon is?

The most stable pool.

Soils contain?

Twice as much as C as plants.

The ocean takes up CO₂ from?

The atmosphere

Most CO₂ although taken from the atmosphere most of it is….?

Transferred to deeper water? (As organic detritus and carbonate shells).

What are the three ways carbon naturally fluxes between?

1.) Biosphere ← —> Atmosphere (Photosynthesis and respiration)

2.) Biosphere ← —> Hydrosphere (River transport to the oceans)

3.) Hydrosphere ←—> Atmosphere (Phytoplankton photosynthesis and respiration, solubility and equilibrium)

We know that Terrestrial uptake varies both spatially and temporally, but what is it strongly influenced by?

1.) Season,

2.) Drought/ppt patterns

3.) Deforestation

(these are all stressed by precipitation)

Higher concentration of CO₂ may stimulate?

Photosynthesis

The oceans absorb what amount of anthropogenic CO₂

1/3

What two mechanisms does the ocean use to absorb anthropogenic carbon dioxide CO₂

1.) Solubility Equilibrium

2.) Photosynthesis

Microscopic phytoplankton does what?

Absorbs CO₂ into biomass

Most anthropogenic Carbon (C) in the?

Deep Ocean

What is the process that most anthropogenic Carbon follows when being stored in the ocean

1.) Photosynthesis

2.) Sinking

3.) Remineralization or burial

CaCO₃ acts as a?

Ballast

What even is a Ballast?

It is a common biological component of the ocean that can help weigh down the organic matter