AICE Environmental Management: Quick Reference Notes

Major components: N₂ ≈ 78%, O₂ ≈ 21%, Ar ≈ 0.93%, CO₂ ≈ 0.041%, H₂O ≈ 0.4%.
Primary layers (four main): Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere; Exosphere sometimes listed.
Ozone Layer: located in the Stratosphere; absorbs UV radiation.
Temperature trend: decreases with altitude in the Troposphere; increases with altitude in the Stratosphere due to ozone absorption.
Greenhouse effect: natural warming where greenhouse gases trap infrared radiation; essential for life, but enhanced by human activities.

Ozone (O₃) concentrated in the ozone layer; absorbs most of the Sun’s UV radiation.
UV protection reduces DNA damage, skin cancer risk, and ecological harm.
Shortwave (solar) vs Longwave (terrestrial) radiation: Sun emits shortwave; Earth emits longwave; greenhouse gases trap some longwave radiation.

Process: some solar energy reaches Earth; surface warms and emits infrared radiation; greenhouse gases absorb some infrared and prevent it from escaping to space.
Human activities increase greenhouse gases, enhancing the effect and contributing to warming/climate change.

Biome: large area with distinct climate, vegetation, wildlife.
Ecosystem: community of living organisms plus their physical environment.
Biotic components: Producers, Consumers (primary, secondary, tertiary), Decomposers.
Abiotic components: Temperature, Humidity, Water, Oxygen, Salinity, Light, pH.
Biotic interactions: Competition, Grazing, Predation, Mutualism, Parasitism, Herbivory.
Diversity concepts: Niche Differentiation, Keystone Species, Biodiversity.
Factors influence population size and diversity based on interactions.

Definition: process by which plants synthesize glucose using CO₂, H₂O, and light energy; releases O₂.
Inputs: CO₂, H₂O, Light.
Outputs: Glucose, O₂.
Word equation: CO₂ + H₂O + light energy → C₆H₁₂O₆ + O₂.
Limiting factors: water, CO₂ concentration, light availability.
Land vs Ocean photosynthesis: terrestrial plants vs phytoplankton in oceans; both drive the carbon cycle and store carbon.
Carbon stores: soil organic carbon; marine sediments/oceanic carbon sinks.

Photosynthesis: atmospheric CO₂ incorporated into plants.
Respiration: organic carbon released as CO₂ during metabolism.
Feeding: carbon moves through consumption across food webs.
Decomposition: detritivores/fungi/bacteria release carbon back as CO₂ or other compounds.
Fossilization: organic material becomes fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas).
Combustion: burning fossil fuels releases stored carbon as CO₂ and other GHGs.
Overall: carbon moves among atmosphere, organisms, and Earth’s surface; regulates climate over time.

Trophic levels: Producer → Primary consumer → Secondary consumer → Tertiary consumer → Decomposer.
Energy transfer: only about 10% of energy is passed to the next trophic level; the rest is lost as heat, through respiration, or in waste.
Energy pyramid concept: energy decreases at higher trophic levels.
Decomposers recycle nutrients back into the ecosystem.