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| living & nonliving components of an ecosystem |
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| producers-primary consumer-secondary consumer-tertiary consumer |
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| only 10% of the usable energy is transferred |
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| Why is only 10% transferred |
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| usable energy lost as heat (2nd law), not all biomass is digested & absorbed, predators expend energy to catch prey |
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| : development of communities in a lifeless area not previously inhabited by life (lava) |
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| life progresses where soil remains (clear cut forest) |
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| : Commensalism: symbiotic relationship where one partner benefits & the other is unaffected |
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| relationship in which one partner obtains nutrients at the expense of the host \ |
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| large distinct terrestrial region having similar climate, soil, plants & animals |
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| the number of individuals that can be sustained in an area |
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| Natural radioactive decay |
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| unstable radioisotopes decay releasing gamma rays, alpha & beta particles |
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| : the time it takes for the mass of a radioisotope to decay. Each element has a specific half-life, could be from seconds to thousands of years. Know how to calculate: If you start with 100 Ci , 50Ci will be left in one half-life |
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| 3. Estimate of how long a radioactive isotope must be stored until it decays to a safe level |
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| approximately 10 half-lives |
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| nuclei of isotopes split apart when struck by neutrons |
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| : 2 isotopes of light elements (H) forced together at high temperatures till they fuse to form a heavier nucleus. Expensive, not cost effective yet as an answer to the nuclear waste problem |
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| a rock that contains a large enough concentration of a mineral making it profitable to mine |
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| Best solution to Energy shortage |
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| conservation and increase efficiency |
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| cheaper & can remove more mineral, less hazardous to workers |
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| Point VS non point sources |
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| (Point, from specific location such as pipe)(Non-point, from over an area such as runoff, good example: storm drains) |
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| biological oxygen demand, amount of dissolved oxygen needed by aerobic decomposers to break down organic materials |
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| rapid algal growth caused by an excess of N (nitrogen) & P (phosphorous |
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| when aquatic plants die, the BOD rises as aerobic decomposers break down the plants, the DO drops & the water cannot support life |
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| produced by humans & nature (CO, CO2, SO2, NO, hydrocarbons, particulates) |
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| formed by reaction of primary pollutants |
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| Particulate matter (source, effect, reduction) |
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| (burning fossil fuels & car exhaust) (reduces visibility & respiratory irritation) (filtering, electrostatic precipitators, alternative energy) |
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| : (Source: auto exhaust) (Effects: acidification of lakes, respiratory irritation, leads to smog & ozone) ( Equation for acid formation: NO + O2 = NO2 + H2O = HNO3) (Reduction: catalytic converter) |
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| (Source: coal burning) (Effects: acid deposition, respiratory irritation, damages plants) (Equation for acid formation: SO2 + O2 = SO3 + H2O = H2SO4) (Reduction: scrubbers, burn low sulfur fuel) |
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| Source: auto exhaust, incomplete combustion) (Effects: CO binds to hemoglobin reducing bloods ability to carry O, CO2 contributes to global warming) (Reduction: catalytic converter, emission testing, oxygenated fuel, mass transit |
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| (Formation: secondary pollutant, NO2+UV=NO+O O+O2=O3, with VOC’s) (Effects: respiratory irritant, plant damage) (Reduction: reduce NO emissions & VOCs) |
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| found in cities that burn large amounts of coal |
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| formed by chemical reactions involving sunlight (NO, VOC, O) |
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| caused by sulfuric and nitric acids resulting in lowered pH of surface waters |
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| (Examples: H2O, CO2, O3, methane (CH4), CFC’s) (EFFECT: they trap outgoing infrared (heat) energy causing earth to warm |
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| Effects of global warming |
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| rising sea level (thermal expansion), extreme weather, droughts (famine), extinctions |
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| Ozone depletion caused by |
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Definition
| CFC’s, methyl chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, halon, methyl bromide all of which attack stratospheric ozone |
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| Effects of ozone depletion |
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Definition
| increased UV, skin cancer, cataracts, decreased plant growth |
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| chemicals from a company were buried underground, school & homes built over it, the chemicals leached out leading to birth defects & cancer Led to the Superfund act. |
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| Municipal solid waste is mostly |
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Definition
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| Sanitary landfill problems and solutions |
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| (leachate, liner with collection system) (methane gas, collect gas and burn) (volume of garbage, compact & reduce) |
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| volume of waste reduced by 90% & waste heat can be used |
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| Incineration disadvantages |
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| toxic emissions (polyvinyl chloride—>dioxin), scrubbers & electrostatic precipitators needed, ash disposal |
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| Best way to alleviate the waste problem |
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| : reduce the amounts of waste at the source |
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| species whose role in an ecosystem are more important than others |
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| : species that serve as early warnings that an ecosystem is being damaged |
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| In natural ecosystems, 50-90% of pest species are kept under control by |
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| predators, diseases, parasites |
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| Major insecticide groups and examples |
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| (chlorinated hydrocarbons, DDT) (organophosphates, malathion) (carbamates, aldicarb) |
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| saves lives from insect transmitted disease, increases food supply, increases profits for farmers |
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| genetic resistance, ecosystem imbalance, pesticide treadmill, persistence, bioaccumulation, biological magnification |
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| better agricultural practices, genetically resistant plants, natural enemies, biopesticides, sex attractants |
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| : the amount of a chemical that kills 50% of the animals in a test population |
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| Mutagen Teratogen, Carcinogen |
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| causes hereditary changes, Fetus deformities, cancer |
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| Multiple use US public land |
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| National Forest & National Resource lands |
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| Moderately restricted use land |
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| : National Wildlife Refuges |
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| National Parks, National Wilderness Preservation System |
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| Volcanoes and Earthquakes occur |
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| at plate boundaries (divergent, spreading, mid-ocean ridges) (convergent, trenches) (transform, sliding, San Andreas) |
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| Electricity is generated by |
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Definition
| using steam (from water boiled by fossils fuels or nuclear). falling water or wind to turn a generator, or photovoltaic cells |
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| : microscopic aquatic organisms in sediments converted by heat & pressure into a mixture of hydrocarbons |
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| cheap, easily transported, high quality energy |
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| reserves depleted soon, pollution during drilling, transport and refining, burning makes CO2 |
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| Major parts of a nuclear reactor |
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Definition
| core, control rods, steam generator, turbine, containment building |
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| Two most serious nuclear accidents |
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| (Chernobyl, Ukraine-total meltdown) (Three Mile Island, PA – partial meltdown) |
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| wind, solar, waves, biomass, geothermal, hydrogen fuel cells |
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| Kyoto Protocol (agreement |
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| International meeting to control global warming by setting greenhouse gas emission standards. Will be expensive. |
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| : International meeting to phase out ozone depleting substances. Relatively successful |
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