Environmental Impact of Nitrogen and Phosphorus

Nitrogen and Phosphorus Cycles

• Nitrogen fixation is the process by which atmospheric nitrogen is converted into compounds that can be used by living organisms.
• Human activities like excessive use of fertilizers, burning fossil fuels, and livestock farming can increase the amount of reactive nitrogen and phosphorus in the environment.

Eutrophication

• Eutrophication is the excessive nutrient enrichment in water bodies, causing algal blooms that deplete oxygen and harm aquatic life.
• It is a result of human activities like excessive use of fertilizers, burning fossil fuels, and livestock farming.

Disruption of Nutrient Cycles

• Human activities can disrupt nutrient cycles and cause ecosystem imbalances.

Biomagnification and Bioaccumulation

• Biomagnification is the increasing concentration of toxic substances like pesticides or heavy metals in organisms at higher levels of the food chain.
• Bioaccumulation is the gradual accumulation of substances in an organism at a rate faster than the organism can eliminate them.
• Both processes can lead to harmful effects on organisms, including reproductive problems, disease, and death, especially for top predators with high toxin levels.

Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration

• Photosynthesis is the process by which plants and some other organisms convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose (food) and oxygen, using sunlight as an energy source.
• The chemical equation for photosynthesis is: 6CO2 + 6H2O + sunlight energy → C6H12O6 + 6O2
• Cellular respiration is the process by which organisms break down glucose and other nutrients to produce energy (ATP) for cellular functions, releasing carbon dioxide and water as byproducts.
• The chemical equation for cellular respiration is: C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + energy (ATP)

Ecology

• Ecology is the study of the interactions between organisms and their environment.
• Ants interact with the spheres by burrowing (lithosphere), obtaining water (hydrosphere), being part of food webs (biosphere), and contributing to soil aeration (atmosphere).

Hierarchy in Ecology

• The hierarchy in ecology includes: organisms, populations, communities, ecosystems, and biomes.
• Organisms are individual living beings.
• Populations are groups of organisms of the same species in a given area.
• Communities are populations of different species interacting in a specific area.
• Ecosystems are communities and their abiotic (non-living) environment, including air, water, and soil.
• Biomes are major regional ecosystems with similar climate, soil, and organisms.

Biotic and Abiotic Factors

• Biotic factors are the living components of an ecosystem, such as plants, animals, and microorganisms.
• Abiotic factors are the non-living physical and chemical components of an ecosystem, such as air, water, sunlight, temperature, and soil.

Water Cycle

• The water cycle is the continuous movement of water between the Earth's surface, atmosphere, and underground through various processes.
• The processes include: evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, surface runoff, and infiltration.

Carbon Cycle

• The carbon cycle is the continuous exchange of carbon between the Earth's atmosphere, biosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere.
• Human activities like burning fossil fuels and deforestation have disrupted the natural balance, leading to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and contributing to climate change.

Water and Human Rights

• Access to clean water is recognized as a fundamental human right by the United Nations.
• Water scarcity and lack of access to safe drinking water and sanitation disproportionately affect marginalized communities and can lead to health issues, poverty, and conflicts.

Climate Change

• Common problems associated with climate change include: rising sea levels, increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, disruption of ecosystems and loss of biodiversity, and impacts on agriculture and food security.
• The greenhouse effect is a natural process where greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (like carbon dioxide and methane) trap some of the Sun's heat, making the Earth warm enough to sustain life.
• However, human activities have increased greenhouse gas levels, intensifying the greenhouse effect and causing global temperatures to rise.