Environmental Science 101Spring 2012

Week of February 13, 2012

Matter and Energy
Systems
Important to unerstan t!e systems nature of ecosystems
A set of things so related as to form a whole
"efinition from Webster#s $e% Worl &ictionary'
(iogeoc!emical cycles) Eart! is a close system for materials
*arbon cycle
organic c!emistry is base on compouns containing carbon atoms
bioorganic compouns) lipis, carbo!yrates, proteins, nucleic acis
inorganic carbon in *+2 in air an issolve in %ater, carbonate materials
organic carbon in plants an animals, fossil fuels
transfers to organic form t!roug! p!otosynt!esis
transfers to inorganic form t!roug! o,iation) respiration an combustion
natural cycle, but !umans affect rates of transfer
$itrogen cycle
nitrogen gas is about -./ of t!e atmosp!ere
some plants an bacteria can c!ange inorganic nitrogen to organic forms
organic nitrogen neee for proteins an ot!er bioorganic compouns
ot!er bacteria cycle nitrogen back to inorganic forms
ma0or !uman impacts on nitrogen cycle
fertili1ers containing nitrogen
nitrogen o,ies "$+2' are sie effect of combustion using air
$+2 are important contributor to aci rain
3!osp!orus *ycle
small amounts of p!osp!orus are neee in living tissues
often t!e compoun limiting t!e rate of biological gro%t!
e,cess p!osp!orus often leas to eutrop!ication
cycle oes not inclue atmosp!eric p!ase
t!is makes cycle very slo%, on geological time scale
Sulfur *ycle
sulfur neee in small 4uantities for life
most sulfur in rocks an %ater
comple, cycle because sulfur !as many c!emical forms
!umans release lots of sulfur to t!e atmosp!ere by burning fossil fuels
sulfur cycle may !elp regulate eart!s climate
3!ytoplankton release imet!ylsulfie "&5S'
+t!er (iogeoc!emical cycles) every element t!at s!o%s up in living tissue !as a cycle
Energy for 6ife) Eart! is an open system for energy
Important on t%o levels
iniviual
nee energy to survive
in t!is case, survive means maintaining an orere state
global
bot! of t!ese %it!in ecosystems
7!ermoynamics, t!e stuy of converting energy bet%een its various forms
e,ample) potential energy can become kinetic energy "energy of motion'
ball rolling o%n !ill
energy in gasoline moves car
First 6a%) energy is conservenot create or estroye
t!e amount of energy in a system is its enthalpy
Secon 6a%) all energy transfers go from a !ig!er 4uality form to a lo%er 4uality form
!ig!er 4uality forms !ave more ability to o useful %ork
2
n
6a% also means t!at systems go from more orere to more ranom states
Entropy is t!e measure of isorer
2
n
6a% says t!at entropy is al%ays increasing
W!ere oes energy for life on eart! come from8
5ostly from t!e sun
9 little from inorganic c!emical reactions an geot!ermal
e,ample) eep ocean tube %orms
3!otosynt!esis
Sunlig!t on green plants "%it! available inorganic materials' yiels sugars
sugars store energy, irectly or %!en converte to organic tissues
3!otosynt!etic *ycle
: *+2 ; : <2+ ; solar energy = *:<12+: ; : +2
t!is sugar is glucose
re4uires t!e presence of c!lorop!yll in green plants
>espiration
%!en t!ere is a nee to use t!e energy store by p!otosynt!esis
*:<12+: ; : +2 = : <2+ ; : *+2 ; energy
energy to o t!ings
plants pump sap or gro% trunks
animals gro% tissue, !unt, run a%ay
(iological 3rouctivity
3rimary proucers
p!otosynt!esi1e foo
buils biomass
fees ot!er creatures
3rimary an seconary consumers
consumers of primary or ot!er seconary consumers
escribe by foo %ebs
7rop!ic levels
first) primary proucers
secon) primary consumers "!erbivores'
t!ir) seconary consumers "carnivores'
fourt!) tertiary consumers "top carnivores'
Efficiency
eff "in /' = "energy out ? energy in' , 100
for organisms
eff = biomass mae ? %!at you eat
efficiency levels "appro,imate'
green plants) 1 @ 3 /
microorganisms) A0 /
invertibrates) 10 @ A0 /
vertibrates) up to 10 /
manage farm) 10 /
in nature) 1 /
%olves) 0B01 /
energy pyramis
efficiency levels multiply t!roug! trop!ic levels
important because of C%!ere %e eat on t!e foo c!ainD