Unit 5

Created by

Kasey Fuson

Cards (21)

Biosphere  
Narrow Area around the globe that can support life
(10km up into atmosphere, 10km don below sea levels)
Atmosphere  
All gases
Hydrosphere  
All water
Lithosphere  
All soil and rock
Open Systems  
Allows energy and matter to enter And exit freely
Closed Systems  
Allows energy in and out freely but matter is finite (recycled)
Autotrophs  
self feeders
Herbivores  
eat producers
Albedo Effect  
reflectivity of a surface
high albedo = high reflectivity
% of solar radiant energy
99% from sun
1% from geothermal and tidal
Hydrogen Sulfide  
Toxic Gas
rotten egg smell
Produced from the decomposition of organic materials
Importance of Sulfur 
Major components of proteins and vitamins
essential to all living things
CO2 is considered low due to its relativity low concentration.
The combination of ocean observation, and the carbon contributes to low concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere
In atmosphere as CO2 and CH4, returned to atmosphere through rapid and slow cycling
Phosphorus Cycle  
needed for DNA/ RNA and ATP
Does not circulate through the atmosphere
Found in the soil/ rock sediment
enters cycling through weathering/ erosion/ H2O runoff
Returned to sediment via waste decomposition
Denitrifying bacteria like anaerobic conditions (no O2)
By introducing O2 in the soil, denitrifcitation remains in the soil and feeds the lawn
Fast Cycling  
relatively quicker
Materials to cycle via waste deposition decomposition, cell resp
Slow Cycling 
Much slower
Materials returned to cycles via burning of fossil fuels, mining, volcanic eruption, geological uplifting
Nitrogen Cycle  
needed for proteins and nucleic acid (DNA/ RNA) (78%)
Algal Blooms 
A rapid increase in fresh water or marine water systems
It is often recognized by the discolouration in the the waters algae pigments
Produces toxic and harmful effects on people/ marine life
Pyramid of energy 
Measures the energy transfer from one tropic level to the next