Biology Do Now 16

1.Differentiate between
transpiration and evaporation.
2.Diagram and describe the
nitrogen cycle. Be sure to
include any key organisms.
3.Explain how the carbon-oxygen
cycle is maintained on earth.
4.Differentiate between
greenhouse effect and global
warming
5.Define ozone and explain its
 Carbon cycle impacts
 Atmospheric CO2 levels have steadily risen
(more industrialized)
 Burning of wood and fossil fuels release CO2 into
atm
 Deforestation affects carbon cycle
◦ Def: clearing of forests for lumber, agriculture, etc.
◦ Eliminates plants that absorb excess CO2 from the air
◦ “Slash and burn” removes plants and adds CO2 to air
 Greenhouse effect
◦ When atmospheric gases trap heat close to Earth’s
surface
◦ Makes Earth “liveable”
 Global warming (theory)
◦ Theory that there is an overall rise in global
temperatures b/c of increase in greenhouse gasses
(CO2)
◦ NOT proven

Nitrogen Cycle Impacts
 Humans move large amounts of nitrogen
into air or water
◦ Sewage treatments, fertilizers
 Lots of Nitrogen in water (and phosphorus)
enables algae to grow rapidly on the
surface…eutrophication
◦ As algae dies, bacteria that consumes them use
up so much available oxygen in the water that
there isn't enough for the other marine
organisms
 Lots of Nitrogen (and sulfur) in Air
◦ Smokestacks and car exhaust pipes
◦ These nitrogen and sulfur containing compounds
mix with water in the air to make NITRIC ACID
and SULFURIC ACID
◦ These acids evaporate, condense and come
down as ACID PRECIAPTATION (acid rain)
◦ Acid Rain causes damage to soils and aquatic
ecosystems
-Fertilizers are often used in farming,
sometimes these fertilizers run-off into
nearby water causing an increase in
nutrient levels.
-This causes phytoplankton to grow and
reproduce more rapidly, resulting in algal
blooms.
-This bloom of algae disrupts normal
ecosystem functioning and causes many
problems.
-The algae may use up all the oxygen in
the water, leaving none for other marine
life. This results in the death of many
aquatic organisms such as fish, which
need the oxygen in the water to live.
-The bloom of algae may also block
sunlight from photosynthetic marine plants
under the water surface.
-Some algae even produce toxins that are
harmful to higher forms of life. This can
cause problems along the food chain and
affect any animal that feeds on them.
Water Cycle Impact
Deforestation
◦ Freshwater returns to atmosphere by
TRANSPIRATION from tropical forests
◦ Cut down tropical forest=reduce water
vapor in air=changes in precipitation
patterns and effects ecosystems
Irrigation and household water use
◦ Draws water up from aquifers and rivers
◦ If rate at which H2O is used is FASTER
than the water cycle can replace it,
rivers nad aquifers may run dry
(effects ecosystems)

Pollution and the
Environment
 Pollution:addition of substances to the
environment that result in a NEGATIVE
effect
 Biological Magnification
◦ Animals take in water and nutrients and
sometimes pollutants w/them
◦ PCBs
 Disposed in industrial wastes and Soluble in lipids
of animals
Concentration of PCBs increases in organisms
tissues increase as you move up trophic levels
◦ DDTs
Chemical used to control mosquitoes and crop
pests
Soluble in fatty tissue
Birds had high levels of DDT in their tissue and in
egg shells, which Ccauses
dichlor-diphenyl-trichlorethylene shells to be brittle and
14 H9Cl5
young birds cannot survive
Damage to Ozone
 Ozone: gas in atmosphere (O3)
 Ozone absorbs UV radiation from the sun
(protects organisms on earth from harmful
rays)
 Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) is a chemical
released from aerosol cans, refrigerator
units and certain manufacturing processes
◦ Chlorine from CFCs pull off an oxygen from a
molecule of O3, making chlorine monoxide,
ClO, and ozone into regular O2, and the ClO
binds with another ClO making chlorine
peroxide (Cl2 O2)..and now there is one less
molecule of O3 in the atmosphere to protect
organisms from harmful UV radiation...sun also
breaks the chlorine peroxide (Cl2 O2) into
chlorine atoms and another O2 molecule and
the cycle continues with more carbons
interacting with ozone molecules
◦ “Holes in the Ozone”
Biodiversity
Definition:# of species in an
ecosystem; the variety of
ecosystems; the variety of
individuals in a species
Why is biodiversity important?
◦ Species in ecosystem are
interconnected and depend on
each other
◦ If one species disappears, many
others affected
◦ Humans depend on biodiversity as
well (food, shelter, clothing,
medicine)
Threats to Biodiversity
Habitat destruction
Introduced Species
Over Exploitation of resources

Conservation Biology
 Def: application of biology to counteract the threats to biodiversity
◦ Focus on hot spots
 Small geographic areas with high conc. of species
 Cover less than 1.5% of earth’s surface
 Hotspots of extinction
 Contain 1/3 of all plants and vertebrates
◦ Understand Organism’s habitats
 Helps maintain org. habitat or create new habitats
 Biologists can protect key habitat factors of species
◦ Balance demand for resources
 Save species or meet economic and social needs of people
 Save a forest to protect and owl but put many loggers out of work?
◦ Planning for a Sustainable future
 Ways nations protect environment for future:
 Zoned reserves-areas of land that are relatively undisturbed by humans
 Encourage long term ecosystem conservations
 Buffer zones-areas that surround “zoned” reserve; these buffers are
minimally impacted by people...no major envirm. disturbances
Ex. Costa Rica- 8 zoned reserves
 Sustainable development- developing natural resources so that the can
renew themselves and be available to the future…
Ex. Forest corridor between farmlands