12F Environmental Impact Landes

Question 1

What is the diversity-stability relationship?

Answer 1

As biodiversity increases in an ecosystem, the stability of an ecosystem increases

Question 2

What is biodiversity?

Answer 2

the number of different types of living things in an ecosystem

Question 3

What is stability?

Answer 3

an ecosystem that is stable has healthy soil, the organisms are living in balance with one another (populations are not changing too much), and if a disaster occurs the ecosystem can bounce back

Question 4

What is an invasive species? Why are they bad for the environment?

Answer 4

any kind of living organism that is not native or not from an area; they spread uncontrollably because they do not have natural predators, and steal all of the resources (such as food and water) from native species; DECREASES biodiversity

Question 5

What is climate change?

Answer 5

atmosphere is warming too quickly, which causes extreme weather events, drought, and causes biodiversity to decrease

Question 6

What is the cause of climate change?

Answer 6

Excess production of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases; humans contribute to this by burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas

Question 7

What is eutrophication?

Answer 7

Humans put fertilizers on their crops, which end up in lakes, rivers, and streams. The extra nutrients in fertilizers cause large algal blooms to grow, and as they die, the decomposers take all of the oxygen out of the water which ends up killing everything living in the water.

Question 8

How does the nitrogen cycle work?

Answer 8

Nitrogen-fixing bacteria “fix” or convert the nitrogen in the air into nitrates (a solid form plants and animals can use). After nitrogen has cycled through the ecosystem, denitrifying bacteria release the nitrogen back into the atmosphere.

Question 9

What is the purpose of the carbon cycle?

Answer 9

Through cellular respiration and decomposition, carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere. Burning of fossil fuels disrupts the carbon cycle by putting too much CO2 into the atmosphere. Plants are the only organism that can remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Question 10

How would a rapid environmental change impact an ecosystem?

Answer 10

A rapid environmental change, such as a hurricane or tornado, will always decrease the stability of an ecosystem, because it decreases the biodiversity