Chapter 2

Question 1

System
2 components of systems

Answer 1

network of interdependent components with materials and energy flowing from one to the next
Consists of compartments and flows

Question 2

Compartments

Answer 2

AKA state variable
store resources like energy or matter

Question 3

Flows (4 types)

Answer 3

Pathways by which resources move from one compartment to another
Photosynthesis, herbivory, predation, decomposition

Question 4

Open systems

Answer 4

receive inputs from their surroundings and produce outputs that leave the system

Question 5

Closed system

Answer 5

Rare, exchanges no energy or matter with surroundings

Question 6

Equilibrium

Answer 6

System is in stable balance
Inputs=outputs

Question 7

Feedback loops

Answer 7

Positive: increase process or component of a system
Negative: decreases process/component

Question 8

Matter

Answer 8

Everything that takes up space and has mass
Solid, liquid, and gas

Question 9

Organization of matter (elements, etc)

Answer 9

Elements (atoms)-molecules-cells-tissues-organisms

Question 10

Four elements that make up 96% of living things

Answer 10

Carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen
Carbon makes up most organic material, is the distinction between living and nonliving

Question 11

Key nutrients of ecosystems

Answer 11

Nitrogen, phosphorus
Limiting elements, they are essential but not abundant

Question 12

Components of ecosystems

Answer 12

1. Physical border (habitat)
2. Living things (biotic)
3. Nonliving things (abiotic)
4. Ecological systems (food webs, nutrient cycles, and evolution)
5. External influences

Question 13

Producers vs consumers (in terms of energy)

Answer 13

Producers: plants, diatoms, algae
convert light into chemical, usable energy using photosynthesis
Consumers: other eaters, cellular respiration

Question 14

Grazing vs detrital

Answer 14

Grazing is getting energy from eating, detrital is getting energy from decomposition

Question 15

Energy

Answer 15

The ability to do work

Question 16

Kinetic, potential, and chemical energy

Answer 16

Kinetic: energy in moving objects
Potential: stored energy
Chemical: stored in molecular bonds

Question 17

Heat

Answer 17

Energy stored as kinetic energy of molecules, can be transferred between objects of different temperatures
Changing heat content can make a substance change state

Question 18

Energy quality

Answer 18

Low: diffused, dispersed, and low in temperature (most alternative energy sources)
High: intense, concentrated, and high temperature (hot fire, oil, coal, gas)

Question 19

Matter versus energy

Answer 19

Matter is recycled in an ecosystem
Energy is exchanged, can be used repeatedly, and can be stored temporarily, but it cannot be recycled

Question 20

First law of thermodynamics

Answer 20

Energy is conserved: it cannot be created or destroyed

Question 21

Second law of thermodynamics

Answer 21

Each successive energy transfer/transformation loses or degrades energy
Entropy tends to increase

Question 22

The ultimate energy source for Earth

Answer 22

The sun

Question 23

Primary producers

Answer 23

Green plants
Create carbs using sunlight, air, and water

Question 24

Two reasons the sun is essential for life on Earth

Answer 24

1) Provides warmth within a livable range
2) Almost all organisms depend on solar radiation for energy created by photosynthesis

Question 25

Photosynthesis

Answer 25

Occurs in chloroplasts 1) Light dependent reactions: enzymes split water molecules and release oxygen. ATP and NADPH created 2) Light independent reactions: ATP and NADPH are extracted for energy to create sugars

Question 26

Photosynthesis equation

Answer 26

Converts water to oxygen, CO2 to sugar Water+CO2+light=sugar+oxygen

Question 27

Cellular respiration

Answer 27

Used by animals to get energy Splits C and H molecules from glucose and recombines with oxygen to create CO2 and water Converts oxygen to water

Question 28

Photosynthesis vs cellular respiration

Answer 28

Photosynthesis captures energy, respiration releases it

Question 29

Species

Answer 29

all organisms of the same kind that can reproduce together

Question 30

Population

Answer 30

all the members of a species living in an area at the same time

Question 31

Biological community

Answer 31

All the populations living in an area together

Question 32

Ecosystem

Answer 32

The biological community and its physical environment

Question 33

Trophic levels

Answer 33

An organisms feeding status Primary consumers eat producers, secondary consumers eat primary consumers, etc. Highest trophic level is top predator

Question 34

Scavengers, detritivores, and decomposers

Answer 34

Scavengers clean up dead carcasses Detritivores eat litter, debris, and dung Decomposers complete final breakdown and recycling of matter

Question 35

Pyramid model of trophic levels

Answer 35

It takes a huge amount of lower trophic level organisms to support a few top predators

Question 36

Biomass

Answer 36

Dry weight of the plants growing on a site

Question 37

Ecosystem productivity

Answer 37

Based on how much biomass there is More biomass=more productive Rainforests, coral reefs, intensive agriculture are more productive

Question 38

Carbon/oxygen cycle

Answer 38

1) Photosynthesis (takes in CO2, lets off oxygen) 2) Cellular respiration (lets off CO2, takes in oxygen) 3) Physical combustion (lets off CO2, takes in oxygen) 4) Oceanic absorption (takes in CO2, lets off oxygen)

Question 39

Carbon sinks vs carbon sources

Answer 39

Sinks take in CO2 (like oceans) Sources produce CO2 (like fossil fuels)

Question 40

Photosynthesis and cellular respiration in regards to biomass

Answer 40

Photosynthesis builds biomass Cellular respiration uses biomass for ATP

Question 41

Nitrogen cycle

Answer 41

Cyanobacteria break the triple bonds of nitrogen gas to convert to usable forms Happens in wetlands

Question 42

Phosphorus cycle

Answer 42

Plants turn phosphorus into phosphate

Question 43

Human alteration of phosphorus, nitrogen, and carbon cycles

Answer 43

Carbon: reducing sinks, increasing sources Nitrogen: damaging wetlands, lithosphere to atmosphere Phosphorus: fertilizer creates phosphate runoff, lithosphere to hydrosphere

Question 44

Natural vs cultural eutrophication

Answer 44

Natural eutrophication is the natural aging of lakes Cultural eutrophication is the human-caused speeding up of aging

Question 45

Point vs non point source pollution

Answer 45

Point source is a specific and known pollutant, non point source could come from anywhere

Question 46

Nitrogen and phosphorus Salt and fresh water

Answer 46

Phosphate limits freshwater primary production and nitrogen limits saltwater primary production

Question 47

Solutions to non-point source pollution

Answer 47

Restore riparian zones (plants growing along the river) Reduce fertilizers, reduce phosphate in fertilizers Fix single source sewer systems

Question 48

What are factors that promote cultural eutrophication?

Answer 48

A) shallow areas B) increased population C) increased agriculture

Question 49

Biogeochemical cycling

Answer 49

How the elements and compounds that sustain us are cycled through living things and the environment Hydrologic, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfer

Question 50

How the nitrogen cycle re-enters the atmosphere

Answer 50

Denitrifying bacteria break down nitrates into N2 and nitrous oxide gases

Question 51

How nitrogen and phosphorus end up in the lithosphere

Answer 51

Nitrogen: by death and decay (ammonia) Phosphorus: through minerals and rocks