Ecology

• Intraspecific competition


  competition within a species
• Burning peat releases a lot of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere contributing to the greenhouse effect
• peat bogs are produced when decomposition occurs over a very long time
• Peat stores a lot of carbon and can be extracted for use by gardeners or as an energy source
• Humans use land for buildings, quarrying, mining, agriculture, and landfill
• what reduces biodiversity?


  Sewage, toxic chemicals, household waste, and gas emissions pollute water, land, and air, reducing biodiversity
• what does global warming leads to?

  • melting ice caps
  • rising sea levels
  • changes in climate
• Steps of the carbon cycle

  1. P&A take in CO2 from atmosphere in photosynthesis

  2. C make up the cells of P&A

  3. P&A respire so some C is released back into the atmosphere as CO2

  4. P&A can be eaten by animals and then these animals can be eaten by others

  5. C that was in the plants becomes part of the carbohydrates, fats and proteins in the cells of animals

  6. Animals respire so some C is released back into atmosphere as CO2

  7. Animals release waste products

  8. Eventually animals and plants die

  9. Waste products and dead remains are broken down by decomposing microorganisms

  10. When decomposers carry out respiration, C in waste and dead remains is returned to atmosphere as CO2

  11. If decomposers don't function properly they get converted into fossil fuels

  12. Fossil fuels get released back into the environment