Unit 3- Ecosystem Ecology

Vocabulary-

Ecosystem- particular location on Earth distinguished by its mix of biotic and abiotic components

Gross Primary Productivity- total amount of solar energy that the producers get via photosynthesis

Net Primary Productivity- energy captured minus the energy respired by producers

Biomass- total mass of all living matter in an area

Standing Crop- amount of biomass present in an ecosystem at a time

Ecological Efficiency- proportion of energy consumed that can be passed through trophic levels

Trophic Pyramid- represents the distribution of biomass among trophic levels

Biogeochemical Cycles- movements of matter within and between ecosystems

Macronutrients- six key elements organisms need in large amounts

Limiting Nutrient- lack of can cause death in organisms

Leaching- nutrients transporting through soil into water

Disturbance- event that results in changes in population size or community composition

Resistance- measure of how much a disturbance can affect the flows of energy and matter
Resilience- rate at which an ecosystem returns to its original state after a disturbance

Instrumental Value- worth as an instrument or tool that can be used to accomplish a goal

Intrinsic Value- it has worth independent of any benefit it may provide to humans



Current Events-
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140710141553.htm
The harmful algal bloom has caused drastic changes to the Lake Erie ecosystem.  The increased amount of phosphorus has caused a giant increase in the amount algae and this led to a dead zone in the lake.  Scientists are attempting to clear it out as best they can.

Environmental Quote-
http://www.buzzaboutbees.net/bee-pollination.html
Bees provide pollen transportation which can help in the production in most of the food that we eat.  Without these bees we would have a drastically smaller amount of produce being produced to eat eventually leading to the downfall of animals that eat the produce and us due to the lack of animals.

Big Picture Reflection-
Human Impact- The cycles of the elements that affect the ecosystems can be largely affected by humans.  Just by doing basic things like polluting or using too much fertilizer or causing fires, cycles can be enhanced or blocked. With these changes certain organisms cannot get what necessities that they require and this messes with the amount of energy being transferred.
Environmental Impact- The energy lost can cause organisms to die out.  The resistance and resilience will decrease with the loss of biodiversity and ecosystems will slowly diminish with the disturbances that come their way.
Economic Impact- When overuse of phosphorus as a fertilizer occurs crops can die out.  When the crops die farmers can't make a living and are forced to take up different types of farming.
Government Legislation- The Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program has partnered with the U.S. Golf Association have started working together to try to stop the high use of highly toxic pesticides and promote more nutrient retention and conservation of water on the courses.

Unit 2 Blog

Unit 2 Blog

Vocabulary:

Climate: the average weather that occurs over a long period in an area

 

Troposphere: layer of atmosphere that is closest to the Earth's surface; contains us and weather

 

Stratosphere: layer of atmosphere that contains the ozone

 

Albedo: percentage of sunlight reflected from the surface

 

Hadley Cells: convention currents that cycle between the equator and 30 degrees north and south

 

ITCZ: the intertropical convergence zone is the area that recieves the most intense sunlight; ascending branches of the two Hadley cells converge here

 

Polar Cells: convention currents formed by air that rises at 60 degrees north and south and sinks at the poles (90 degrees north and south)

 

Coriolis Effect: the deflection of an object's path due to Earth's rotation  

Gyres: large patterns of water circulation

 

 Upwelling: upward movement of water toward the surface

 

Thermohaline Circulation: drives the mixing of surface and deep water

 

ENSO: the El Nino-Southern Oscillation is a periodic change in winds and ocean currents collectively

 

Rain Shadow: when warm, wet air lets out its water on one side of the mountain then travels to the leeward side of a mountain and becomes warm and dry causing a desert like area

 

Current Event:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/09/140919142841.htm

The increase of temperatures in the poles are causing less temperature differences and are changing the amount of wind be made. The less wind there is the better or worse some predators can hunt which can cause prey to either diminish or flourish. With the changes in populations entire food webs can be affected.

Reflection:

 Human Impact: Humans have been affecting habitats and biomes since we started breathing. Only recently we have started trying to truly reverse some of the changes we made. With the destruction of certain environments for resources, we have been nipping away at the larger habitats and started expanding some, like deserts, and shrinking others, like rainforests. While we have been trying to replant trees and recreate habitats, the damage to certain places has already been done.

Environmental Impact: With the changing of some biomes comes change to weather as well. Wind patterns and speeds can be altered and slowed. These changes can affect food webs and ultimately humans as well. With the changing winds heat is redistributed to places it might not normally get it and those places are warmed up; cold could also be redistributed to places it wouldn't normally be cold. This would throw ecosystems out of balance.

Economic Impact: With some animals going extinct due to the destruction of their habitats, some businesses won't be able to rely on the food supply they used to be offered. Tax dollars and time can be put into the resurrection of habitats to attempt to recreate the food supply and balance things for the animals and people who live there. Tons of money is put into the stopping of air pollution so the tainted air doesn't ride the winds and change temperatures in areas that should be colder.

Government Legislation: Researchers at the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center in Washington, D.C. have developed a program to offer a "Bird Friendly" seal of approval to coffee farmers who were using environmentally friendly shade grown coffee techniques. This new form of growing coffee involved planting the bushes in an rain forest area where they could be grown with less use of pesticides and are more helpful to the environment. The Arbor Day Foundation also promotes this way of growing coffee.

Unit 1 Current Event 8/30

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-28870988

Summary- (posted 8/21/14) In 1998, a slowdown in temperature risings started.  Many theories have sprung up, but the latest is slow moving currents.  The currents are based off of a thirty year cycle.  When the currents are slower they have the chance to absorb some of the heat and pull it into the depths in the water.  When the water is faster it tends to reflect heat more.  The cold has caused scientists to even believe that there was a possible ice age incoming but now they have more knowledge they understand that it was only temporary.  When the heat comes back with the faster waves the global heating will be more intense than before.

Human Impact- Pollution caused by humanity causes the heat to come back harder than before and decreases some of the slower water's ability to absorb the heat.

Environmental Impact- With the fact that the heating up is causing the ice to melt which is destroying habitats in the antarctic and causing water levels to rise, which in turn drowns coastal habitats.

Economic Impact- As the water levels rise, real estate is forced to move further up the coast due to less land available.

Government Impact- The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change determined that from 1998 to 2012 the increase in temperature was only 0.05C per decade versus the average of 0.12C per decade.