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Questions and Answers
What is the primary source of Nitrous Oxide (N2O) released into the environment?
What happens to excess Nitrogen in an ecosystem when the N:P ratio is greater than 16:1?
What is the primary reason for the increase in Nitrogen loading in ecosystems since the 1940s?
What is the effect of Nitric Oxide on the environment?
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What is the primary impact of Phosphorus in water bodies?
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What is the primary source of Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) in the atmosphere?
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What is the primary reason for the increase in available Nitrogen in ecosystems?
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What is the primary impact of Nitrogen saturation on ecosystems?
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What is the primary fate of Nitrogen in aquatic ecosystems?
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What is the primary impact of Nitrous Oxide on the environment?
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Study Notes
Segments of the Environment
- The environment consists of four segments: Atmosphere, Lithosphere, Hydrosphere, and Biosphere
- Atmosphere: small reservoir, efficient transporter
- Lithosphere: Earth's Crust, rocks, minerals; huge reservoir, less transport
- Hydrosphere: oceans and water; huge reservoir and transporter
- Biosphere: small reservoir, moderate transporter; huge impact on the environment
Structure of the Ecosystem
- Ecological Pyramids: show the relationship between different levels of organisms in an ecosystem
Functions of Ecosystems
- Productivity: Food Production
- Energy Flow: Food Chain and Food Web
- Nutrient Recycling: Biogeochemical Cycles (Water, Carbon, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Sulfur)
Biogeochemical Cycles
- Water Cycle: Evaporation, cloud formation, precipitation, and runoff
- Carbon Cycle: Reservoirs include air, rocks, and oceans; human impacts include burning of fossil fuels and deforestation
- Nitrogen Cycle: Reservoirs include air, rocks, and living organisms; human impacts include burning of fossil fuels, industrial nitrogen fixation, and livestock waste
- Phosphorus Cycle: Reservoirs include rocks, living organisms, and soil; human impacts include mining phosphate rock, fertilizer use, and detergent use
- Sulfur Cycle: Reservoirs include air, rocks, and living organisms; human impacts include industrial activities, combustion, and refining
Importance of Rainforests
- Rainforests absorb 2 billion tonnes of CO2/yr, about 20-30% of fossil C emissions
- Rainforests play a crucial role in the water cycle, redistributing energy to higher latitudes
- Destruction of rainforests can lead to drought, desertification, and loss of CO2 sink
Human Impacts on the Environment
- Climate change: feedback mechanisms, ocean acidification, and increased atmospheric greenhouse gases
- Human activities affecting the carbon cycle: burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and poor agricultural practices
- Human impacts on the nitrogen cycle: burning of fossil fuels, industrial nitrogen fixation, livestock waste, and fertilizer use
- Human impacts on the phosphorus cycle: mining phosphate rock, fertilizer use, and detergent use
- Human impacts on the sulfur cycle: industrial activities, combustion, and refining
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Description
This quiz covers the four segments of the environment: Atmosphere, Lithosphere, Hydrosphere, and Biosphere, and explores the structure of ecosystems, including ecological pyramids.
