1.1. Environmental Principles: Interdependence and Interconnectedness
1.1. Environmental Principles: Interdependence and Interconnectedness
1.1. Environmental Principles: Interdependence and Interconnectedness
B. Food Web
Where two animals are feeding on the same food
source competition may occur. Competition occurs between
animals and also plants when any resource is limited.
The different feeding levels at each stage of the food chain are
known as trophic levels
Green plants or producers form trophic level 1
Primary consumers form trophic level 2
Secondary consumers form trophic level 3
The tertiary consumer forms trophic level 4
PHOSPORUS CYCLE
Phosphorus moves in a cycle through rocks, water, soil and sediments and
organisms.
1. Over time, rain and weathering cause rocks to release phosphate ions and other
minerals. This inorganic phosphate is then distributed in soils and water.
2. Plants take up inorganic phosphate from the soil. The plants may then be consumed
by animals. Once in the plant or animal, the phosphate is incorporated into organic
molecules such as DNA. When the plant or animal dies, it decays, and the organic
phosphate is returned to the soil.
3. Within the soil, organic forms of phosphate can be made available to plants by
bacteria that break down organic matter to inorganic forms of phosphorus. This
process is known as mineralization.
4. Phosphorus in soil can end up in waterways and eventually oceans. Once there, it
can be incorporated into sediments over time.
CARBON CYCLE
The carbon cycle is the biogeochemical cycle by which carbon is exchanged
between the biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere of the Earth
WATER CYCLE
The water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle or the H2O cycle,
describes the continuous movement of water on, above and below the surface of the
Earth. The mass of water on Earth remains fairly constant over time but the partitioning
of the water into the major reservoirs of ice, fresh water, saline water and atmospheric
water is variable depending on a wide range of climatic variables. The water
moves from one reservoir to another, such as from river to ocean, or from the ocean to
the atmosphere, by the physical processes of evaporation, condensation, precipitation,
infiltration, runoff, and subsurface flow. In doing so, the water goes through different
phases: liquid, solid (ice), and gas (vapor).
The water cycle involves the exchange of energy, which leads to temperature changes.
For instance, when water evaporates, it takes up energy from its surroundings and
cools the environment. When it condenses, it releases energy and warms the
environment. These heat exchanges influence climate.
The evaporative phase of the cycle purifies water which then replenishes the land with
freshwater. The flow of liquid water and ice transports minerals across the globe. It is
also involved in reshaping the geological features of the Earth, through processes
including erosion and sedimentation. The water cycle is also essential for the
maintenance of most life and ecosystems on the planet.
SULFUR CYCLE
The sulfur cycle is the collection of processes by which sulfur moves to and
from minerals (including the waterways) and living systems. Such biogeochemical
cycles are important in geology because they affect many minerals. Biogeochemical
cycles are also important for life because sulfur is an essential element, being a
constituent of many proteins and cofactors.
ROCK CYCLE
The rock cycle is a basic concept in geology that describes the dynamic
transitions through geologic time among the three main rock types: sedimentary,
metamorphic, and igneous. As the diagram to the right illustrates, each of the types of
rocks is altered or destroyed when it is forced out of its equilibrium conditions. An
igneous rock such as basalt may break down and dissolve when exposed to the
atmosphere, or melt as it is sub ducted under a continent. Due to the driving forces of
the rock cycle, plate tectonics and the water cycle, rocks do not remain in equilibrium
and are forced to change as they encounter new environments. The rock cycle is an
illustration that explains how the three rock types is related to each other, and how
processes change from one type to another over time.