APES U1

review notes like you're teaching, flashcards, practice test/learning goals in textbook

thermal inversion =

• normal conditions

• effects

• geographical factors

• brown smog =

• london smog =

• how does it look like on a graph? (temp = x axis, altitude = y axis)

a momentary reveral of normal conditions: traps colder, denser air underneath a warmer layer

• as altitude increases, temperature decreases

• pollutants can’t disperse

• valleys, nearby mountain ranges, coastal or prevailing winds encourage inversion levels

• brown smog = photochemical smog = LA = reddish/brown haze from nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons

  • from cars and VOCs

• london smog = sulferous smog = gray smog

  • from burning coal/sulfur fuels

Ecosystem =

• How to define ecosystem boundaries

community of elements interacting with each other

• using biotic and abiotic elements OR arbitrarily by humans

Biotic vs Abiotic

Living vs nonliving aspects of an ecosystem

Biosphere =

all of Earth’s ecosystems

Types of species interactions

Symbiosis = 2 species living in close and long-term association

• Predation = organism kills and eats another organism

• Parasitism: parasite lives on/in the host

• Herbivory: animal consumes plant/algae

• Mutualism: beneficial for both organisms

• Commensalism: only beneficial for one organism

Competition =

• Exclusion principle =

• Resource partitioning =

  • methods

struggle of individuals to get a shared resource

• 2 species competing for the same limiting resource CANNOT COEXIST

• 2 competing species will evolve to divide a shared resource + evolution will favor the species with less overlap in need for resource (specialized species)

  • Temporal (same resource; diff time)

  • Spatial (same resource; diff habitat)

  • Morphological (same resource; diff body adaptation)

Native vs Exotic/alien species

Native: species that’s lived in the habitat for thousands/millions of yers

Exotic/alien: living out of historical habitat

• often fail to establish population (bc they’re not suited to live in new habitat)

• OR quickly spread and harms natives bc they have no natural predators

Terrestrial Biomes

U1 M2 notes

Aquatic Biomes

U1 M3 notes

Biogeochemical cycles =

• Reservoirs

the movement/transformations of matter between ecosystems

• bodies containing matter that can serve as a SOURCE (when molecules leave) or as a SINK (when molecules are stored)

Carbon =

Carbon Cycle =

• fast processes

• slow processes

Human impact on Carbon cycle =

most important element that makes up body weight, makes up cells and proteins, and is needed for cell function

the movement of carbon around the biosphere among sources and sinks

• living orgs that hold carbon for a short time

• nonliving orgs that hold carbon for millions of years

= increased the speed of carbon release (which is supposed to be a slow process)

• increased combustion → increase rate of CO2 release → release faster than capture → excess carbon in atmosphere → global warming

• tree harvesting → carbon stored in wood is released + slower rate of carbon capture → increase of atmosphere carbon → global warming

Nitrogen =

Nitrogen Cycle ='

Human Impact =

important element used to form amino acids, protiends, nucleic acids, dna, n rna

the movement of nitrogen around the biosphere among sources and sinks

adding too much nitrogen to ecosystems

• adding nitrogen to soil → increase in atmospheric nitrogen

• leeching (transporting dissolved molecules thru soils via ground water) → alter ecosystem populations

Hydrogen =

Hydrologic Cycle =

water; required for bodily functions and movment around ecosystem

the movement of water around the biosphere among sources and sinks

= speed and direction of hydrologic cycle

• global warming → increased evaporation

• harvesting trees → reduces evapotranspiration → increase in runoff + percolation → water leaves surface

• paving over land → decreased percolation → increased runoff + evaporation

• diverting water for use

Phosphorus =

Phosphorus Cycle =

Human Impact =

element essential for DNA and RNA + limiting nutrient for plants

the movement of phosphorus around the biosphere among sources and sinks

= increase in phosphorus levels creates deadzones

• mine phosphate → use as fertilizer → excess phosphorus in runoff → algal bloom → release dangerous toxins + dies → uses up tons of oxygen as it decomposes → water becomes hypoxic (low oxygen level) → becomes deadzone

Cellular Respiration vs Photosynthesis

• Aerobic respiration =

• Anaerobic respiration =

• cellular respiration that is PHOTOSYNTHESIS BACKAWARDS

• glucose without oxygen → energy (less efficient)

Primary Productivity =

• GPP =

• NPP =

Standing Crop =

rate of solar energy → organic compounds ovr time

• GPP = total solar energy that producers capture

• NPP = GPP - energy used for respiration

amount of biomass in an ecosystem at a specific time

Ecosystem Productivity =

• Higher when ecosystems are

• is photosynthesis efficient?

• How to compare ecosystems

amount of energy entering trophic levels → biomass

• warmer/more sunlight

• photosynthesis is NOT efficient (only 1% is concerveted, most is lost as heat + some wavelengths can’t be absorbed)

• measure of NPP

Wavelengths, Water, and Efficiency

• water absorbs long light wavelengths > short

  • algae have evolved to photozinzie more effiently

Energy Efficiency =

• 10% rule

  • why?

proportion of consumed energy that can be passed net tropic level

• only 10% of energy is passed between trophic levels because

  • some energy isn’t usable/edible + some is used for day=day activities = little used for reproduction/biomass

U1M6: How do photosynthesis and respiration affect energy flow?

Photosynthesis captures energy from the Sun to convert CO2 + H20 → carbs (glucose)

All respiration unlocks chem energy stored in cells of organisms

U1M6: Why do primary producers have low efficiency?

Producers only capture ~1% of available solar energy (rest is lost as heat to atmosphere, including wavelengths that producers can’t use)

U1M6: Why are some ecosystems more productive than others?

Warmer temps + plenty of available water + higher concentrations of nutrients = higher rate of primary productivity of producers

U1M7: How do energy and matter move through trophic levels in an ecosystem

(trophic levels in pic): Energy is lost as heat to the atmosphere, but matter (carbon, phosphorus, nitrogen) cycles through the ecosystem as producers/consumers are broken down by scavengers, detritivores, and decomposers

U1M7: How does low ecological efficiency cause energy to decrease at higher trophic levels?

• Why?

• Human implication

Low ecological efficiency = 10% rule = only 10% of energy available in a trophic level is transferred to the next trophic level

• Some energy (biomass) isn’t transferrable (edible) + some energy is used for day-to-day activities = little energy used for biomass + reproduction

• We could be more efficient consumers if we ate at a lower trophic level (veggies vs meat)

Why do food webs experience feedback loops?

New species are added/existing species population lowers → widespread effects on other species BC THEY ARE ALL INTERCONNECTED!