Biochemical Cycles

Question 1

Why are material cycles important

Answer 1

The make small quantities of material support ecosystems over the long-term

Question 2

What is the overall change in dynamic equilibrium

Answer 2

None or minimal

Question 3

How does human activity alter the material cycles

Answer 3

Affecting the equilibrium

Question 4

How much energy is sunlight storing

Answer 4

Low quantities

Question 5

How much energy are carbohydrates storing

Answer 5

High quantities (through photosynthesis)

Question 6

What does plant respiration release (other than co2)

Answer 6

Energy for metabolic processes

Question 7

What does aerobic respiration break down and release

Answer 7

Organic matter, releasing energy

Question 8

What does anaerobic respiration return carbon as

Answer 8

Methane

Question 9

What are the herbivores eating in the food web

Answer 9

Lipids, proteins and carbohydrates

Question 10

What is fossilisation

Answer 10

Incomplete decomposition (in anaerobic conditions) creates long term carbon stores, e.g fossil fuels

Question 11

What do corals and marine organisms exoskeletons make

Answer 11

Calcium carbonate (limestone)

Question 12

Where is the majority of the planet’s carbon stored

Answer 12

In rocks

Question 13

What does the combustion of forests and grass lands release

Answer 13

Co2

Question 14

How does deforestation affect biomass

Answer 14

Reduced (less carbon movement)

Question 15

What does marine pollution affect

Answer 15

Reduced plankton populations

Question 16

What does the decrease in plankton cause

Answer 16

• Less co2 absorbed
• more marine sediment
• ocean acidification
• higher atmospheric carbon levels

Question 17

What is happening to algae in polar regions

Answer 17

Decreasing as the ice they grow on as melting with higher co2 levels

Question 18

What does DOM release an how

Answer 18

Co2 through bacterial and fungal respiration

Question 19

How does ploughing affect co2 levels

Answer 19

• Increases as more oxygen is accessible for decomposes to respire and break down more DOM
• less carbon stored in the soil (more in the atmosphere)

Question 20

What is oxidised methane

Answer 20

Co2

Question 21

What human activity creates anaerobic environments

Answer 21

• paddy fields
• landfill
• anaerobic sediment in reservoirs
• livestock

Question 22

What destroys anaerobic environments

Answer 22

Drainage water (for water logged fields, marshes and pear bogs)

Question 23

What has human activity created/altered

Answer 23

A new dynamic equalibrium

Question 24

What are the main processes in the carbon cycle (5)

Answer 24

Photosynthesis
Respiration
Food webs
Fossilisation
Combustion

Question 25

What caused changes to photosynthesis ( c cycle)

Answer 25

Deforestation and afforestation

Question 26

Why is changing photosynthesis relevant to the carbon cycle

Answer 26

Alters the carbon stored in biomass

Question 27

What does marine pollution do to marine ecosystems

Answer 27

Phytoplankton declines in population so less carbon is absorbed and stored

Question 28

Changes to aerobic respiration (c cycle)

Answer 28

Bacteria and fungi decomposing organic matter increases the release of carbon

Question 29

Ploughing impacts

Answer 29

Increases aeration so decomposition increases- releasing more stored carbon

Question 30

Changes to anaerobic respiration impacts

Answer 30

Increases release of methane which oxidises into co2

Question 31

Human activity that increases co2 release

Answer 31

Rice and paddy farming Landfill sites Reservoirs Livestock intestines

Question 32

What is human activity doing to the carbon cycle

Answer 32

Establishing a new dynamic equilibrium

Question 33

What does dissolved co2 form

Answer 33

Hydrogen carbonate crystals and hydrogen ions (lower ph- carbonic acid)

Question 34

Human actions that alter the carbon cycle

Answer 34

Synthetic fertilisers Deforestation Sewage discharge Fishing (removes marine biomass)