Ecology 2 notes

An ecosystem is a community made up of living organisms and nonliving components such as air, water, and mineral soil. It is the complex of living organisms, their physical environment, and all their interrelationships in a particular unit of space. This presentation therefore describes an ecosystem in details, the nutrient cycles and the energy pathways in a much scientifically proven manner.

Resources and its classification, Natural Resources and associated problems, forest resources, water resources, mineral resources, energy resources, soil resources, ecosystem.

Humans have brought Earth close to a biotic crisis by damaging the environment through various issues at the global, national, and local levels. These environmental problems have socio-economic and cultural impacts. The key issues include global warming, ozone layer depletion, acid rain, deforestation, loss of biodiversity, pollution, desertification, and waste disposal. While some environmental changes occurred naturally in the past, humans now have the potential to disrupt the entire global ecosystem if environmental damage is not addressed.

The document summarizes key aspects of ecosystems, including producers, consumers, trophic levels, food webs, and biogeochemical cycles. It then discusses specific biogeochemical cycles such as the carbon cycle, nitrogen cycle, phosphorus cycle, and water cycle. Key reservoirs and processes are identified for each cycle, including how nutrients move between ecosystems and the environment over time.

1) Ecology is the scientific study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment. The biosphere encompasses all life on Earth, including land, water, and air up to 8 km above and 11 km below the surface. 2) Ecology studies different levels of organization, from species to populations to communities to ecosystems and biomes. Energy flows through ecosystems from producers like plants to consumers at different trophic levels in food chains and webs. 3) Key biogeochemical cycles include the water, carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycles which are essential to life and maintain conditions on Earth. Climate and latitude also influence global patterns of biomes and ecosystems.

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Temperature, moisture, length of photosynthetic period, and nutrient availability affect net primary productivity in terrestrial ecosystems. Primary productivity is typically higher in coastal oceans due to nutrient inputs from land. Primary production fuels secondary production by consumers. There are two main food chains: grazing and detrital, with detrital dominating terrestrial ecosystems. Decomposition returns nutrients to the soil and is influenced by temperature, humidity, and oxygen levels. Biogeochemical cycles circulate essential elements through abiotic and biotic components, and nutrients can be lost through export, harvesting, and fire.

The document provides information about ecosystems, including: 1) An ecosystem is a dynamic system consisting of organisms and their environment that influence each other. There are terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. 2) Ecosystem structure includes stratification, and functions include productivity, decomposition, energy flow, and nutrient cycling. 3) Primary productivity is the production of biomass by plants, while secondary productivity is the production of new biomass by consumers.

An ecosystem is formed by the interaction of living organisms with each other and their environment. It contains biotic components like plants and animals, and abiotic components from the non-living environment like temperature, water, soil and light intensity. Producers like plants are the basic food source, while consumers feed on producers or other organisms and are divided into primary, secondary and tertiary consumers depending on their trophic level. Different abiotic factors influence the types of organisms present and their distribution in an ecosystem.

The document discusses key concepts related to ecosystems and their functioning. It begins by defining an ecosystem as the functional unit where living organisms interact with each other and their physical environment. It then discusses various ecosystem components like species composition, stratification, productivity, decomposition, energy flow and nutrient cycling. The document further explains concepts like trophic levels, food chains, food webs and ecological pyramids. It also covers ecological succession and biogeochemical cycles of nitrogen and phosphorus.

The slides mainly includes brief introduction about ecosystem, food chain, food web, ecological pyramid and ecological succession

An ecosystem consists of all the living and nonliving components in an environment and the interactions between them. It includes biotic factors like producers, consumers, and decomposers as well as abiotic factors such as water, sunlight, and temperature. Producers like plants obtain energy through photosynthesis while consumers obtain energy by consuming other organisms. Decomposers play an important role by breaking down dead organic matter and recycling nutrients.

This document discusses key concepts in ecology including ecosystems, ecological succession, biodiversity, threats to the environment, and approaches to environmental protection. It defines ecosystems as dynamic interactions between organisms and their environment. Biodiversity is declining due to threats like habitat loss, pollution, and climate change. The document advocates for sustainable development, conservation of biodiversity hotspots, and restoration ecology to protect the environment for future generations.

The document discusses key concepts in ecosystems including biotic and abiotic factors, producers, consumers, decomposers, food chains, food webs, energy transfer between trophic levels, and nutrient cycling. It also describes how human activities like deforestation, pollution, overfishing, and misuse of fertilizers and insecticides can negatively impact ecosystems. Maintaining clean environments, sustainably managing resources, and protecting wildlife are identified as important ways to conserve the natural world.

The document summarizes key topics in ecosystems, including: 1) Ecosystems are defined as the sum of all organisms in an area and the abiotic factors they interact with. Energy flows and matter cycles through ecosystems. 2) Gross primary production (GPP) is the amount of light energy converted to chemical energy by autotrophs. Net primary production (NPP) is the amount remaining after respiration. NPP determines the base of the food chain. 3) Pyramids illustrate the transfer of numbers, biomass, and energy between trophic levels, with typically only 10% passing to each higher level.

The document discusses environmental education and environmental problems. It defines environmental education as organized efforts to teach about natural environments and sustainable living. It aims to develop responsible citizens and enable understanding of the complex environment. Environmental education can be formal or informal. The document also discusses different ecosystems like agricultural, coral reefs, forests and urban ecosystems. It outlines several common environmental problems like air, water, land and noise pollution and their causes and effects.

The document discusses environmental education and environmental problems. It defines environmental education as organized efforts to teach about natural environments and sustainable living. It aims to develop responsible citizens and enable understanding of the complex environment. The document also outlines different ecosystems like agricultural, coral reefs, forests and urban ecosystems. It discusses common environmental problems like air, water, land and noise pollution and their causes. Exponential human population growth is putting pressure on the environment. Environmental education is key to addressing these problems.

This document provides a summary of North Carolina's geology, beginning with the oldest Appalachian Mountain province that was formed 480 million years ago through plate collisions. It describes how the shifting of tectonic plates led to the formation of various supercontinents like Rodinia and Pangea over hundreds of millions of years. As these landmasses broke apart, the sediments eroded from the mountains formed the Coastal Plain where North Carolina's coastline and features like barrier islands and sounds are now located. The document uses the geological clues and structures visible today to reconstruct North Carolina's geological history over millions of years.

1) The document discusses various weather phenomena including air pressure systems, wind, storms, and hurricanes. It describes how weather is measured and influenced by factors like pressure gradients, temperature differences, and the Coriolis effect. 2) Key terms are defined for various weather systems like high and low pressure areas, warm and cold fronts, and how they influence weather patterns. Different air mass types are also introduced. 3) Hazards from severe weather events like thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hurricanes are covered along with safety measures during such events. Historic storms like Katrina are summarized.

1. The document discusses various weather phenomena including air pressure, wind, air masses, fronts, and storms. It provides definitions and explanations of these concepts. 2. Key terms that are defined include high and low pressure systems, isobars, warm and cold fronts, thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hurricanes. Measurement tools like barometers and anemometers are also explained. 3. Visuals like diagrams and videos are referenced throughout to enhance understanding of complex weather patterns and interactions between different elements.

This document provides an overview of water quality and water systems. It discusses surface water features like rivers, watersheds, and groundwater. It explains the water cycle and how humans have altered it. Water quality is impacted by pollution, which can be from point sources like factories or non-point sources like urban runoff. Water is monitored through physical, chemical, and biological indicators. The document also summarizes specific issues with the Yadkin River watershed, including pollution from coal ash dumps, fracking, and GenX chemical contamination.

1) The document discusses the distribution and chemistry of Earth's oceans. 70% of Earth's surface is covered by oceans, which originally formed as one ocean but are now divided into five major basins. 2) It also describes ocean temperatures, currents, and how thermal and saline gradients drive global ocean circulation. Surface currents are wind-driven while deep currents are driven by water density from temperature and salt content. 3) The water and carbon cycles are interconnected as oceans absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, regulating Earth's climate over long timescales. Chemical and physical weathering processes interact with oceans to shape the lithosphere.

1. The document provides definitions and questions about various topics in astronomy and earth science. It defines nuclear fusion and fission, and asks about the sun's phase and forms of energy transfer. 2. Questions are also asked about the Milankovich cycles, specifically eccentricity, axial tilt variations, and orbital variations that impact climate over long timescales. 3. Additional questions cover the shape of the Earth, and which materials (ocean, air, land) heat up faster.

This document contains two unit check questions about various scientific concepts: 1. The first section asks the student to identify concepts like nuclear fusion, nebula, electromagnetic radiation, and which phase the sun is currently in (main sequence). 2. The second section asks the student to identify the Milankovich cycle of eccentricity and the shape of the Earth as an oblate spheroid. It also asks which materials (ocean, air, land) heat faster. 3. The third section asks the student to label the interaction between solar wind and Earth's magnetic field that creates the aurora.

1. Copernicus proposed that the Sun, not Earth, was the center of the universe. 2. Galileo made important astronomical observations of the moon, planets, and stars using a telescope. 3. Ptolemy previously believed that everything revolved around the Earth.

1. The document discusses various hydrological concepts including erosion, sediment deposition, watersheds, discharge, load, gradient, porosity, permeability, turbidity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and nutrient pollution. 2. Key terms defined include discharge, load, gradient, porosity, permeability, and turbidity. 3. The effects of changes in discharge, load, and gradient on erosive energy are explored.

The document discusses the global water cycle and how it influences Earth's lithosphere. It describes various weathering processes like mechanical, chemical, and mass movement that break down rocks over time. Mechanical weathering is caused by ice, water, plants and animals while chemical weathering involves acidification and oxidation of minerals. Weathering rates depend on factors like climate, hardness of rock material, and surface area exposure. Erosion then transports weathered materials and deposits them elsewhere as sediments, shaping landscapes and forming geographic features over millions of years. Examples highlighted include the Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Great Sand Dunes, Arches, Antelope Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Zion Canyon, Carlsbad Caverns, Bad