Rocks
Porosity: the volume of a rock or sediment that is occupied by open spaces
chemical weathering: reaction of rock with acidic groundwater
Xenolith: foreign rock (ex. piece of mantle in volcanic rock = info about mantle on surface
Thermosphere>Mesosphere>Stratosphere>Troposhere
Carbon cycle
Azote cycle
N is limiting in ecosys. N2 is common, not useful
Nitrogen fixation by bacteria N2 → NH3
Nitrificat. = ammonium ions → nitrite/nitrate ions
plants need N ions = azote enter food chain
denitrificat. = bacteria convert nitrate → N2 atm
Hydrologic (Water) cycle:
Reservoirs: Ocean; ice caps/glaciers, ground water
Processes: Precipitation,surfacerunoff, infiltration, percolation, evaporation, transpiration
Fluxes: mass balance = total amount of water is fixed /Local variations affect suppl → cause
floods and dry
Driving factor: solar E (evaporat., transpirat., condensat.), Gravity (precipitat., runoff,
groundwater, percolat)
Agriculture & Aquaculture
Over exploitat. = harvesting species from wild at rates that cant be compensated for by
reproduction/regrowth
agriculture = product. of food, fodder, fibre and fuel crops; livestock farming; aquaculture;
cultivation of trees
→ 2 biggest drivers of biodiversity decline
aquaculture: higher yields, in terms of kilograms of fish per square meter, per year
Biodiversity
Biome = habitat, niches, major regional ecosyst. type, significant biological population
biodiversity hotspots = regions contain high species diversity and endemic species (weak)
biodiversity increase stability/resilience of ecosyst
decreased biodiversity = reduces ecosyst.’s ability to function + provide services
Abundance = # of individuals / Richness= # of diff species
Evenness = distribution of abundance / species
→ # of individuals of different species in an area are equal or skewed
Spatial patterns of species richeness: β=ץ/α
α-diversity = # of species in local area of 1 habitat
ץ-divsty=# of species in large geographic area that comprises many habitats
β-d=turnover in species from 1 local area to other
same species in ≠, wide area= β=1, =ץα
≠ species in ≠ habitats = β > 1, >ץα
Most generalist: β low / specialists: β high
, Human population
Food security = physical/economic access to food to work and function normally: Acceptability/
Affordability/ Availability /Accessibility/ Adequacy
Malnutrition: marasmus (severe deficit of energy, protein/carbohydrates), kwashiorkor: (protein/
micronutrient deficiency)
models: reservoirs connected by fluxes
burden: The mass of a substance in a reservoir
Homeostasis=neg. feedback loop (self-regulation)
resistance= resist change + remains stable
resilience=change in response to disturbance + later returns to its original state
Steady state = no inputs or outputs
Soil
bedrock = continous solid rock (crust)
regolith = sediment (broken-up rock) X living org.
leaching: dissolved particles move down layer
humus: stable/decomposed organic matter
Karst: dissolution of layers of soluble rock (holes)
weathering = process that break down rock: physical/mechanical: no chem change
(wind/water/thermal expans./contract./freezing)
Chemical: interact with parent (water and gas)
Biological: organism break down parent (roots)
isostatic rebound: rise of land that were depressed by the huge weight of ice
soil profile: vertical section of the soil that shows all of its horizons (layer of soil → colour,
texture, nutrient content, chem composition)
good tilth: capacity retain moisture + nutrients
→ resist compact. → allow root/aerat./drainage
cation exchange capacity: measure of the ability of soil to retain critical nutrients
base cations: biologically important molecules
= affect the fertility of soil
Phosphorus and potassium: found in soils/ produced industrially/mixed w nitrogen and sold as
fertilizer/sometimes limiting nutrients for plant
Peat: organic layer of a soil that consists of partially decomposed organic matter
wetlands = protecting and improving water quality, providing fish and wildlife habitats
Soil degradation: deforest./ overgrazing/ agricult.
Soil formation: very slow (+1만년) = mineral content/ climate (T/P)/ vegetation(root, protective
cover)/biological act. (microbe, fauna, decomposit., accumulat. of organic)
Erosion (transport., accelerated by human, aeolian erosion, water, gravity)
Soil compaction (reduce air/water, degradat. of soil structure, loss of soil
biota=micro-organisms)
Nutrient depletion (lack of 미생물, 식물, nitrogen, phosphorus/ too much,over-intensive
agriculture)
Toxicity (pH, salinity, heavy metal contamination)
Soil restoration: increase soil retent./ prevent erosion/ counteract toxicity/ increase porosity/
provide organic substrate to retain water/nutrient
phytoremediation: treatment use of plants that remove, degrade, undesirable substances.
O soil horizon: composed primarily of organic mat
salinizat. : over-irrigation in hot, arid climates soil
Porosity: the volume of a rock or sediment that is occupied by open spaces
chemical weathering: reaction of rock with acidic groundwater
Xenolith: foreign rock (ex. piece of mantle in volcanic rock = info about mantle on surface
Thermosphere>Mesosphere>Stratosphere>Troposhere
Carbon cycle
Azote cycle
N is limiting in ecosys. N2 is common, not useful
Nitrogen fixation by bacteria N2 → NH3
Nitrificat. = ammonium ions → nitrite/nitrate ions
plants need N ions = azote enter food chain
denitrificat. = bacteria convert nitrate → N2 atm
Hydrologic (Water) cycle:
Reservoirs: Ocean; ice caps/glaciers, ground water
Processes: Precipitation,surfacerunoff, infiltration, percolation, evaporation, transpiration
Fluxes: mass balance = total amount of water is fixed /Local variations affect suppl → cause
floods and dry
Driving factor: solar E (evaporat., transpirat., condensat.), Gravity (precipitat., runoff,
groundwater, percolat)
Agriculture & Aquaculture
Over exploitat. = harvesting species from wild at rates that cant be compensated for by
reproduction/regrowth
agriculture = product. of food, fodder, fibre and fuel crops; livestock farming; aquaculture;
cultivation of trees
→ 2 biggest drivers of biodiversity decline
aquaculture: higher yields, in terms of kilograms of fish per square meter, per year
Biodiversity
Biome = habitat, niches, major regional ecosyst. type, significant biological population
biodiversity hotspots = regions contain high species diversity and endemic species (weak)
biodiversity increase stability/resilience of ecosyst
decreased biodiversity = reduces ecosyst.’s ability to function + provide services
Abundance = # of individuals / Richness= # of diff species
Evenness = distribution of abundance / species
→ # of individuals of different species in an area are equal or skewed
Spatial patterns of species richeness: β=ץ/α
α-diversity = # of species in local area of 1 habitat
ץ-divsty=# of species in large geographic area that comprises many habitats
β-d=turnover in species from 1 local area to other
same species in ≠, wide area= β=1, =ץα
≠ species in ≠ habitats = β > 1, >ץα
Most generalist: β low / specialists: β high
, Human population
Food security = physical/economic access to food to work and function normally: Acceptability/
Affordability/ Availability /Accessibility/ Adequacy
Malnutrition: marasmus (severe deficit of energy, protein/carbohydrates), kwashiorkor: (protein/
micronutrient deficiency)
models: reservoirs connected by fluxes
burden: The mass of a substance in a reservoir
Homeostasis=neg. feedback loop (self-regulation)
resistance= resist change + remains stable
resilience=change in response to disturbance + later returns to its original state
Steady state = no inputs or outputs
Soil
bedrock = continous solid rock (crust)
regolith = sediment (broken-up rock) X living org.
leaching: dissolved particles move down layer
humus: stable/decomposed organic matter
Karst: dissolution of layers of soluble rock (holes)
weathering = process that break down rock: physical/mechanical: no chem change
(wind/water/thermal expans./contract./freezing)
Chemical: interact with parent (water and gas)
Biological: organism break down parent (roots)
isostatic rebound: rise of land that were depressed by the huge weight of ice
soil profile: vertical section of the soil that shows all of its horizons (layer of soil → colour,
texture, nutrient content, chem composition)
good tilth: capacity retain moisture + nutrients
→ resist compact. → allow root/aerat./drainage
cation exchange capacity: measure of the ability of soil to retain critical nutrients
base cations: biologically important molecules
= affect the fertility of soil
Phosphorus and potassium: found in soils/ produced industrially/mixed w nitrogen and sold as
fertilizer/sometimes limiting nutrients for plant
Peat: organic layer of a soil that consists of partially decomposed organic matter
wetlands = protecting and improving water quality, providing fish and wildlife habitats
Soil degradation: deforest./ overgrazing/ agricult.
Soil formation: very slow (+1만년) = mineral content/ climate (T/P)/ vegetation(root, protective
cover)/biological act. (microbe, fauna, decomposit., accumulat. of organic)
Erosion (transport., accelerated by human, aeolian erosion, water, gravity)
Soil compaction (reduce air/water, degradat. of soil structure, loss of soil
biota=micro-organisms)
Nutrient depletion (lack of 미생물, 식물, nitrogen, phosphorus/ too much,over-intensive
agriculture)
Toxicity (pH, salinity, heavy metal contamination)
Soil restoration: increase soil retent./ prevent erosion/ counteract toxicity/ increase porosity/
provide organic substrate to retain water/nutrient
phytoremediation: treatment use of plants that remove, degrade, undesirable substances.
O soil horizon: composed primarily of organic mat
salinizat. : over-irrigation in hot, arid climates soil
