Week 5: Lead Lessons
Climate Change
Nutrient cycles
Chemical components if life [carbon/nitrogen] continually cycled through ecosystems.
2 phases:
- BIOTIC PHASE => inorganic ions/molecules incorporated into tissues of living things
e.g. CO2 taken up by plants [photosynthesis] and incorporated into carbs, proteins, lipids
that make up tissues
- ABIOTIC PHASE => inorganic molecules/ions returned to non-living parts of ecosystem
e.g. release of CO2 in respiration
Carbon cycle
Carbon => essential part of all organic molecules
Cycled as carbon containing compounds
Carbon sinks
Anything that absorbs more carbon than it releases (as carbon-containing compounds)
- Locked up as both organic and inorganic molecules
, Atlantic ocean
Absorbs up to 23% of carbon produced by humans/year
Influenced by WATER TEMP AND OCEAN CURRENTS
Calcium carbonate shells produced by marine organisms REDUCES CONC OF
DISSOLVED CO2 – allows ocean to absorb even more
Balancing the carbon cycle
PHOTOSYNTHESIS removes carbon from atmosphere into bodies of living organisms
RESPIRATION/DECOMPOSITION releases back into atmosphere from bodies of living
organisms
NATURAL BALANCE = SELF-REGULATING CYCLE
Climate Change
Nutrient cycles
Chemical components if life [carbon/nitrogen] continually cycled through ecosystems.
2 phases:
- BIOTIC PHASE => inorganic ions/molecules incorporated into tissues of living things
e.g. CO2 taken up by plants [photosynthesis] and incorporated into carbs, proteins, lipids
that make up tissues
- ABIOTIC PHASE => inorganic molecules/ions returned to non-living parts of ecosystem
e.g. release of CO2 in respiration
Carbon cycle
Carbon => essential part of all organic molecules
Cycled as carbon containing compounds
Carbon sinks
Anything that absorbs more carbon than it releases (as carbon-containing compounds)
- Locked up as both organic and inorganic molecules
, Atlantic ocean
Absorbs up to 23% of carbon produced by humans/year
Influenced by WATER TEMP AND OCEAN CURRENTS
Calcium carbonate shells produced by marine organisms REDUCES CONC OF
DISSOLVED CO2 – allows ocean to absorb even more
Balancing the carbon cycle
PHOTOSYNTHESIS removes carbon from atmosphere into bodies of living organisms
RESPIRATION/DECOMPOSITION releases back into atmosphere from bodies of living
organisms
NATURAL BALANCE = SELF-REGULATING CYCLE
