Master this deck with 21 terms through effective study methods.
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The main sinks or reservoirs for carbon include the ocean (algae and sediments), plants (especially forests) through photosynthesis, and soil where dead organics are buried, contributing to fossil fuel formation.
Human activities such as fossil fuel combustion, animal farming, and deforestation add more carbon to the atmosphere at rapid rates, which exceeds the capacity of natural sinks and reservoirs to absorb it.
The primary sources of nitrogen include the atmosphere (as N2 and N2O), soil through nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and temporary storage in plants and animals through assimilation.
Human activities such as synthetic fixation for fertilizer production and excessive fertilizer use can lead to ammonia entering the atmosphere and leaching nitrates into soils and waterways, causing eutrophication.
Primary productivity is the rate at which solar energy is converted to organic compounds by producers through photosynthesis. It is important because high primary productivity leads to increased plant growth, providing food and shelter for animals and supporting high biodiversity.
Factors that contribute to high net primary productivity include water availability, light availability, higher temperatures, and nutrient availability.
Predator and prey interactions influence each other's population sizes through natural selection, where the availability of prey affects predator populations and vice versa, maintaining ecological balance.
Niche/resource partitioning is the process by which different species utilize different resources or habitats to reduce competition. This allows multiple species to coexist in the same environment by minimizing direct competition for the same resources.
The main sinks or reservoirs for phosphorus are rocks and sediments, which do not exist in the atmosphere. Phosphorus is released from rocks into sediments and soil through weathering and erosion.
Phosphorus enters plants and animals through a process called assimilation, where organisms absorb phosphorus from the soil and sediments.
Excess phosphorus can enter waterways due to the use of synthetic fertilizers, detergents, and cleaners, as well as phosphorus mining, leading to environmental issues such as eutrophication.
The main sources of water in the water cycle include bodies of water (oceans and freshwater), groundwater and aquifers, and the atmosphere in the form of water vapor and clouds.
Key processes in the water cycle include evaporation from bodies of water, transpiration from plants, and precipitation, which returns water to the surface.
Climate change can lead to increased evaporation rates and altered weather patterns, which can disrupt the natural balance of the water cycle, affecting water availability and distribution.
Transpiration is the process by which water evaporates from plant surfaces, contributing to the movement of water from the soil to the atmosphere and playing a crucial role in maintaining moisture levels in ecosystems.
Runoff is significant in the water cycle as it transports water from land surfaces back to bodies of water, helping to replenish lakes, rivers, and oceans while also potentially carrying pollutants.
Denitrification is the process by which bacteria convert nitrates in the soil back into nitrogen gas, returning it to the atmosphere. This process is essential for maintaining the nitrogen balance in ecosystems.
Synthetic fixation refers to the human process of producing nitrogen fertilizers through industrial methods, which increases the availability of nitrogen for agricultural use but can lead to environmental issues if overused.
Excess fertilizer use can lead to nutrient runoff into waterways, causing eutrophication, which results in algal blooms, decreased oxygen levels, and harm to aquatic life.
There is a positive relationship between biodiversity and primary productivity; higher primary productivity supports a greater variety of plant and animal species, leading to more complex and resilient ecosystems.
Deforestation impacts the carbon cycle by reducing the number of trees available to absorb carbon dioxide through photosynthesis, leading to increased carbon levels in the atmosphere and contributing to climate change.