FBS 36 | 1st Examination Pt. 4

Chapter 4 (Lecture)

Open System

The type of system that exchanges both energy and matter with its surroundings.

Solar Energy

The primary source of energy that drives most of Earth's systems.

Evaporation

The major process in the water cycle where water changes from a liquid to a gas.

Oceans

The location where the majority of Earth's water is stored.

Photosynthesis

The process by which plants take in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Carbon Sequestration

The term for the ability of forests to absorb more carbon than they release.

Carbon Farming

Agricultural practices aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and sequestering carbon in soil and vegetation.

SCHNOPS

The acronym used to remember the essential atoms for survival.

Nitrogen-Fixing Bacteria

The specific type of bacteria crucial for converting atmospheric nitrogen into a usable form for plants.

Rocks

The primary long-term storage reservoir for phosphorus in the phosphorus cycle.

Dinasour Carbon

The term used to describe carbon stored in fossil fuels over millions of years.

Evapotranspiration

The combined process of evaporation from the Earth's surface and transpiration from plants.

Condensation

The transformation of water from a gaseous state back into a liquid state.

Infiltration

The process by which water seeps into the ground.

Biogeochemistry

The branch of science that studies the flow and cycling of chemical elements and molecules in the biosphere.

Ice caps/Glaciers/Permafrost

A significant long-term storage location for water on Earth, often in frozen form.

Carbon Credits

A financial instrument that incentivizes the reduction of carbon emissions.

Carbon Dioxide

The gas released into the atmosphere when fossil fuels are burned, contributing to the greenhouse effect.

Reef Credits

Credits being developed to improve the quality of water flowing into the Great Barrier Reef.

Water Cycle/Hydrologic Cycle

The continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth.

Runoff

The process by which water moves across the land surface.

Water Vapor

The state of water in the atmosphere.

Decomposition

The breakdown of dead organic matter by decomposers, returning nutrients to the environment.

Absorption

The uptake of water by plant roots from the soil.

Forest, Ocean, Soil

A natural feature that stores a significant amount of carbon.

b) Closed system

Earth is best described as what type of system in terms of matter?

a) Open system
b) Closed system
c) Isolated system
d) Dynamic system

d) Combustion

Which of the following is NOT a major process in the water cycle?

a) Precipitation
b) Evaporation
c) Condensation
d) Combustion

b) Major stores of carbon in their biomass and soil.

Forests play a significant role in the carbon cycle as:

a) Primary sources of atmospheric carbon dioxide.
b) Major stores of carbon in their biomass and soil.
c) Having no significant impact on carbon levels.
d) Primarily releasing carbon through photosynthesis.

c) Reduced drought tolerance

Which of the following is NOT a benefit of carbon farming practices?

a) Increased animal production
b) Improved soil health
c) Reduced drought tolerance
d) Potential for carbon credits

b) To reduce greenhouse gas emissions through land management.

What is the main goal of carbon farming?

a) To increase atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.
b) To reduce greenhouse gas emissions through land management.
c) To deplete soil carbon content for agricultural purposes.
d) To solely focus on increasing crop yields.

a) Sodium

Which of the following is NOT a primary element essential for life, remembered by the acronym SCHNOPS?

a) Sodium
b) Carbon
c) Nitrogen
d) Phosphorus

c) Component of amino acids and DNA

What is the primary role of nitrogen in living organisms?

a) Energy storage
b) Building complex carbohydrates
c) Component of amino acids and DNA
d) Structural support in cell walls

d) By consuming plants and other animals.

How do animals obtain the essential SCHNOPS elements?

a) Direct absorption from the atmosphere.
b) Through the breakdown of rocks and minerals.
c) By producing them through metabolic processes.
d) By consuming plants and other animals.

b) A continuous cycle.

Unlike energy flow, the flow of matter in ecosystems is best described as:

a) Linear and unidirectional.
b) A continuous cycle.
c) Primarily an input process.
d) Always resulting in a net loss.

b) Decomposition

Which of the following processes releases carbon back into the atmosphere?

a) Photosynthesis
b) Decomposition
c) Infiltration
d) Condensation

c) Absorb more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Managing forests better can help to:

a) Decrease water infiltration into the soil.
b) Reduce biodiversity in the ecosystem.
c) Absorb more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
d) Increase the rate of soil erosion.

c) Transpiration

The movement of water through living organisms and the atmosphere is known as:

a) Precipitation
b) Evaporation
c) Transpiration
d) Condensation

c) Condensation

The transformation of water from a gaseous to a liquid state is:

a) Evaporation
b) Sublimation
c) Condensation
d) Freezing

c) Biogeochemistry

The study of how chemicals move between living and non-living parts of the Earth is called:

a) Ecology
b) Geology
c) Biogeochemistry
d) Hydrology

c) Groundwater

Which of the following is an example of a water store?

a) Rainfall
b) River flow
c) Groundwater
d) Evaporation

False

Earth is considered an isolated system for energy.

False

Deforestation generally increases the rate of carbon sequestration.

False

The phosphorus cycle has a significant atmospheric component.

False

The majority of carbon on Earth is stored in living organisms.

False

Animals can directly utilize atmospheric nitrogen.

True

Burning wood releases carbon that was recently absorbed from the atmosphere.

True

The melting of ice caps contributes to sea-level rise.

False

Precipitation always returns water directly to the oceans.

True

Nutrients in biogeochemical cycles follow a one-way path through ecosystems.

False

Scientists have definitively determined the exact amounts of water contributed to Earth by sources such as volcanic activity and impacts from space.