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Biogeochemical Cycles: Ecosystems and Environmental Interactions

Explore the cycling of materials within ecosystems, from primary productivity to the carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous, and sulfur cycles. Learn about the impact of solar radiation, atmospheric composition, and ocean circulation on our planet's processes.

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Biogeochemical Cycles: Ecosystems and Environmental Interactions

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  1. Ecosystems and the Physical Environment

  2. Cycling of Materials within Ecosystems • Basics of biogeochemical cycling • Matter cycles between living and nonliving • Energy flow is unidirectional • http://www.hippocampus.org/hippocampus.php/course_locator.php?course=Environmental%20Science&lesson=7&topic=1&width=800&height=684&topicTitle=Water%20Cycle&skinPath=http://www.hippocampus.org/hippocampus.skins/default

  3. Primary Productivity • Rate at which radiant energy is stored by producers.

  4. Primary Productivity

  5. Primary Productivity

  6. Primary Productivity • Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) • Amount of organic matter made by producers. • TOTAL productivity of producers. • INCLUDES RESPIRATION • Net Primary Productivity (NPP) • Amount of organic material STORED by producers. • Productivity that is “left over” after some is used for respiration. • Amount of productivity that remains as biomass

  7. Carbon Cycle • Carbon cycle:

  8. Biological nitrogen fixation Nitrogen fixation by humans Decomposition Denitrification Plant & animal proteins NH3 & NH4- Assimilation NO3- Nitrification Nitrogen Cycle Atmospheric nitrogen (N2) Internal cycling

  9. Phosphate mining Fertilizer containing phosphates Excretion / decomposition Erosion Internal cycling Animals, crops Marine organisms Dissolved phosphates Internal cycling Marine sediments Erosion Soil phosphates Phosphorous Cycle Phosphate rocks

  10. Sulfur Cycle

  11. Hydrologic Cycle

  12. Solar Radiation

  13. Solar Radiation • Albedo effect - A measure of how much of the Sun's energy is reflected off an object to space compared to how much is trapped in Earth's . • Low – soil, asphalt • High – ice, water, sand

  14. Solar Radiation • Importance: • Drives hydrologic cycle • Drives winds & currents • Powers photosynthesis • Warms the planet

  15. Solar Radiation • The smaller the angle of radiation, the greater the area of light dispersal. Like at poles Like equator

  16. Solar Radiation • Temperature Changes with Season • http://esminfo.prenhall.com/science/geoanimations/animations/01_EarthSun_E2.html • Summer – angled toward the sun • Winter – angled away from the sun

  17. Insolation and Seasons • Your task is to apply what you have learned about insolation to teach another group about how insolation affects seasons around the globe. • Develop a model to demonstrate this concept. • Divide the components of the presentation equally for each group member to fully participate in the instruction of the concept. • Share your explanation with another group. • Have other group evaluate the accuracy and ease of understanding of your model and instruction.

  18. The Atmosphere • Composition • Nitrogen 78% • Oxygen 21% • Carbon dioxide • Argon • Water vapor • Pollutants • Helium • http://www.hippocampus.org/hippocampus.php/course_locator.php?course=Environmental%20Science&lesson=19&topic=1&width=800&height=684&topicTitle=Earth%27s%20Atmosphere&skinPath=http://www.hippocampus.org/hippocampus.skins/default Less than 1%

  19. The Atmosphere • Importance: • Protects Earth from high energy radiation. • Warms surface & lower atmosphere. • Allows visible light & some infrared radiation to penetrate.

  20. The Atmosphere

  21. Atmospheric Circulation

  22. Atmospheric Circulation • Circulation • http://www.hippocampus.org/hippocampus.php/course_locator.php?course=Environmental%20Science&lesson=21&topic=1&width=800&height=684&topicTitle=Air%20Movement&skinPath=http://www.hippocampus.org/hippocampus.skins/default • spawned by heating / cooling of Earth’s surface by solar radiation • Prevailing Winds: • Generated by pressure differences and Coriolis effect • Winds move from high to low pressure

  23. Global Wind Patterns

  24. The Atmosphere • The Coriolis Effect

  25. The Global Ocean • Circulation is influenced by: • Winds • Coriolis Effect • Land masses • Salinity – affects density

  26. The Global Ocean • Surface currents are primarily affected by wind & the Coriolis Effect. • Gyre – Large system of rotating ocean currents • Deep ocean currents are affected by temp. and salinity. • Differences in water’s density is determined by temperature and salinity • Least dense - Warm fresh water • Most dense – Cold, salty water • http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003600/a003658/ • http://www.montereyinstitute.org/noaa/lesson08.html

  27. Global Ocean

  28. Global Ocean • Considering what you know about thermohaline circulation, predict how rising global temperatures and melting ice caps may affect the ocean conveyer belt.

  29. The Global Ocean • Ocean Conveyer Belt • Influences regional and global climate

  30. The Global Ocean • Ocean Interactions with the Atmosphere

  31. The Global Ocean • El Nino • http://esminfo.prenhall.com/science/geoanimations/animations/26_NinoNina.html • Warmer ocean temp • Weaker trade winds • Slower ocean currents • Upwelling decreases • Aquatic populations changes • http://www.montereyinstitute.org/noaa/lesson08/l8la1.htm • http://www.montereyinstitute.org/noaa/lesson08/l8la2.htm

  32. The Global Ocean • La Nina • Cooler ocean temps • Stronger trade winds • Stronger ocean currents • Upwelling increases

  33. Weather and Climate • Examine the definitions for climate and weather. What is wrong with the following statement? • “Global warming cannot be occurring, we had a very cool summer.”

  34. Weather and Climate • Rain shadows Insert Fig 5.19 b

  35. Frequency of tornados annually per 100,000 km2 Tornado Alley (US) 40 Sydney, Australia 8 United Kingdom 1 Bangledesh 0.6 Source: University of Wyoming, Department of Atmospheric Science Weather and Climate • Severe weather events: • 1) Tornados

  36. Weather and Climate • Severe weather events: • 2) Tropical cyclones Atlantic Ocean = hurricanes Pacific Ocean = typhoons Indian Ocean = cyclones http://www.hippocampus.org/hippocampus.php/course_locator.php?course=Environmental%20Science&lesson=24&topic=2&width=800&height=684&topicTitle=NOAA%3A%20Hurricanes&skinPath=http://www.hippocampus.org/hippocampus.skins/default

  37. Internal Planetary Processes • Plate tectonics http://www.hippocampus.org/hippocampus.php/course_locator.php?skinPath=http://www.hippocampus.org/hippocampus.skins/default&course=Environmental%20Science&lesson=10&topic=2&topicTitle=NOAA:%20Subduction

  38. Internal Planetary Processes • Plate boundaries

  39. Internal Planetary Processes • Plate boundaries

  40. Most volcanoes occur along subduction zones Internal Planetary Processes • Volcanoes

  41. Some occur along spreading zones Internal Planetary Processes • Volcanoes Few, such as Hawaiian Islands, not associated with plates.

  42. Internal Planetary Processes • Earthquakes • caused by release of built up stress, typically along faults • movement releases seismic waves • Typical side effects include: • 1) Landslides • 2) Tsunamis

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