Environmental Science Notes OutlineUnit 2: Biomes and Climate
Biogeochemical Cycles
1. Define Biogeochemical cycle:
2. What is a source?
3. What is a sink?
4. How does water move through the environment?
5. How does carbon cycle through the environment?
6. How does nitrogen cycle through the environment?
7. How does phosphorous cycle through the environment?
8. Define nutrient cycle:
9. Define Pool (reservoir):
10. Define residence time:
11. Define flux:
12. Draw a diagram detailing the components of biogeochemical cycles. Be sure to include every part of the diagram, including vocabulary.
The Hydrologic Cycle
13. Define hydrologic cycle:
14. Describe what each of the following has to do with the hydrologic cycle:
a. Oceans:
b. Evaporation:
c. Transpiration:
d. Condensation:
e. Precipitation, runoff, and surface water:
15. Define aquifer:
16. Define groundwater:
17. Define water table:
18. What happens to “exposed” water?
The Carbon Cycle
19. Why is carbon such an important element?
20. Define carbon cycle:
21. Describe the role that plants, algae and cyanobacteria play in the carbon cycle:
22. How is carbon returned to the air and oceans?
23. How is carbon returned to sediments?
24. Describe the processes involved with carbon returning to sediments:
25. What is the largest reservoir of carbon? What is the second largest?
The Nitrogen Cycle
26. What percentage of nitrogen exists in Earth’s atmosphere?
27. Why is nitrogen such a vital nutrient for life?
28. Define nitrogen cycle:
29. Describe nitrogen fixing:
30. Why must atmospheric nitrogen be “fixed” before it can be used by living things?
31. Define nitrification:
32. How do consumers obtain the nitrogen they need?
33. How do decomposers obtain nitrogen?
34. Define denitrification:
35. What is the most common way humans are adding nitrogen to the environment?
The Phosphorous Cycle:
36. Why is phosphorous vital to life on Earth?
37. Define the phosphorous cycle:
38. Where is most of the phosphorous on Earth found?
39. Is there any gaseous phosphorous in the atmosphere?
40. Why is phosphorous a limiting factor for plant growth?
41. Define limiting factor:
42. Generally, how are human impacts affecting the biogeochemical/nutrient cycles?
43. Describe how human impact affects the hydrologic cycle:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
44. How does human impact affect the carbon cycle:
a.
b.
45. Why do many scientists believe (presently) that carbon dioxide is the driving force behind climate change?
46. Describe how human impact affects the nitrogen cycle. Basically, just copy that entire slide, because it’s all important.
47. Describe how human impact affects the phosphorous cycle. Just like with the nitrogen cycle, copy the entire slide. Yes, really.
48. List different possible solutions to help combat how humans are affecting these cycles (in other words, how can we decrease pollution and combat the “dead zone” problem affecting our oceans):
49. Watch the TED Talk video (Johan Rockstrom) and write down your thoughts.
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