Chapter 2 Flashcards

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1
Q

What does biogeochemical cycles mean

A

How chemicals cycle around and affect life on earth

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2
Q

What is the composition and % make up of our atmosphere

A

Carbon- 1%
Oxygen - 20%
Sulfur - 1%
Nitrogen - 78%

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3
Q

What is the difference between rapid and slow cycling

A

Rapid cycling is when matter can be cycled as fast as a year or a day

Slow cycling is when matter can take up to 1000 or a million years to cycle

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4
Q

What is a nutrient reservoir and what are the types

A

A temporary storage location for matter/nutrients in their cycle

Types - abiotic and biotic

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5
Q

What is an abiotic nutrient reservoir

A

Temporarily stores non-living components of an ecosystem

Eg. atmosphere, soil, water, minerals in rocks

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6
Q

What’s a biotic nutrient reservoir

A

Temporarily stores living or once living components of an ecosystem

Eg. living or recently living organisms, coal, oil, peat

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7
Q

Memorize the diagram on page 43 of the textbook.

https://d2l.cbe.ab.ca/d2l/le/content/1145447/fullscreen/14598355/View

A

Did u get it?

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8
Q

What are the equations for photosynthesis and cellular respiration

A

Photosynthesis: 6CO2 + 6H2O + Sunlight -> 6O2 + C6H12O6

Cellular Respiration: C6H12O6 + 6H2O + ATP -> 6CO2 + 6H2O

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9
Q

Define a carbon sink

A

A reservoir that absorbs carbon

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10
Q

Give 4 examples of slow carbon cycling

A

Trees in forest
Formation of sediments
Formation of Fossil fuels
Ocean

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11
Q

Give 4 examples of rapid carbon cycling

A

Forest fires
Weathering
Burn fossil fuels
Carbon moving through the food chain

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12
Q

Search up the nitrogen cycle and be able to label N2 fixation, ammonification, denitrification, and nitrification

A

Could u do it?

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13
Q

How does burning fossil fuels affect the environment

A

Burning of fossil fuels consume O2 and release CO2 and H2O(g) which are greenhouse gases which cause the radiant energy from the sun to get trapped and warm up the earth (global warming)

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14
Q

How is nitrogen used in our bodies

A

DNA, protein

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15
Q

What is nitrogen fixation

A

It is where bacteria on plant roots convert atmospheric nitrogen (N2) into Ammonium (NH4+) for plants to use

In return bacteria get sugar

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16
Q

What is ammonification

A

It is where bacteria in soil convert NH4+ into nitrite (NO2-) and nitrate (NO3-)

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17
Q

What is denitrification

A

Bacteria in soil and water convert NO2- and NO3- into N2

18
Q

What is nitrification

A

When N2 gets in contact with lightning it is turned into NO3-

19
Q

What is crop rotation

A

Farmers use legumes to release nitrogen back into the soil so that they don’t have to use fertilizers in order to save money and the environment

20
Q

What are the human impacts of Sulfur

A

Sulfur fertilizers and Burning of fossil fuels which releases SO2 into the environment

21
Q

How is acid deposition formed

A

It is when SO2 reacts with H2O(g) in the atmosphere to produce form acid rain which can increase the pH of lakes, kill plants, and leech nutrients from the soil

22
Q

How is Sulfur used by us

A

It is used to make up proteins such as muscles, skin, and bones

23
Q

How is Sulfur released into the atmosphere

A

Burning coal - human
Weathering of rocks containing Sulfur - natural
Volcano activity - natural

24
Q

What are some examples of slow cycling of Sulfur

A

Dissolving in water
Absorbed by plants
Move through the food chain

25
Q

What are some examples of rapid cycling of Sulfur

A

Burning fossil fuels
Volcano activity

26
Q

What % of the atmosphere is made of phosphorus

A

0%

27
Q

How is phosphorus used by us

A

DNA, ATP, bones, teeth

28
Q

How do plants get phosphorus

A

They can can only get phosphates (PO43-)

29
Q

How do we get phosphorus

A

Milk, grains, meat

30
Q

How is phosphorus released into the environment

A

Weathering - Natural
Sewage - human
Fertilitizer run off - human

31
Q

What are the steps in algal bloom

A
  1. Excess phosphorus enters the aquatic ecosystem (sewage and fertilizers)
  2. Algal bloom and overgrowth occurs
  3. Sunlight cannot penetrate below the surface
  4. Plants below the surface can no longer photosynthesize and die
  5. Decomposer population quickly grows, depleting oxygen
  6. Fish and other organisms requiring oxygen die
32
Q

Define productivity

A

The rate at which an ecosystem’s producers capture and store light over a length of time

33
Q

How is productivity measured

A

J/m^2/a

Joules/meters squared/year

34
Q

Give 2 examples of ecosystems and their productivities in relation to their biomass

A

Forest - large biomass, low productivity
Grassland - low biomass, high productivity

35
Q

What does productivity depend on

A

Number of producers
Amount of light
Amount of heat
Amount of rainfall

36
Q

What’s the Gaia hypothesis

A

The biosphere acts like an organisms that regulates itself, maintaining environmental conditions within certain limits.

37
Q

Label the water cycle

A

Could u do it?

38
Q

What are some properties of water

A

Universal solvent, high melting and boiling point, adhesive and cohesive, high specific heat capacity, surface tension, polarity

39
Q

What do plants use nitrogen for

A

Chlorophyll

40
Q

What are ways we can tell what life was like on earth millions of years ago

A
  • Ice core samples
  • Stratification of Earth’s layers
  • Can look at stromatolites
41
Q

What are stromatolites

A

rocks with layers in them so we can use those layers to date and look at how life was back then