GEOG 101 – Days 2 & 3

Chapter 5: Earth Systemsand Ecosystem Ecology

9 Planetary Boundaries We Must Not Cross (did anyone read this piece?)

Housekeeping Items Does anyone need a course outline? I would

like to make one correction. Does everyone have a textbook? I will pass around the sign-in sheet for anyone

not here last time, and also a folder of potentially interesting articles.

I have put all of the assignment instructions up on my web site: http://web.viu.ca/alexander2 under “Courses.” You have to pick two out of four choices: life-cycle analysis, media analysis, report (to be published on West Linley Valley), and environmental education unit/ school visit.

Housekeeping Items Whatever assignments you choose, you

have to submit an outline/ proposal by Wednesday the 26th.

If you are on the Waitlist, keep trying to add until tomorrow; we will invariably have a couple of people

Please read on your own the very important speech by author/ activist Paul Hawken: (http://globalmindshift.wordpress.com/2009/05/21/the-unforgettable-commencement-address-by-paul-hawken-to-the-class-of-2009-university-of-portland-may-3-2009/).

Today we will start to cover Chapter 5 (we skip 2-4). We will come back to the very important topic of biodiversity (addressed in Chapters 3 and 4) later in the semester.

But First… Chapter 1, in its discussion of science,

showed a strong bias towards positivism. Does anyone know what positivism is?

Now that we’ve defined it, what are some potential arguments against it?1) 2)3)4)

This lecture on Chapter 5 will help you understand:*• The nature of environmental systems• How plate tectonics and the rock cycle

shape the Earth [we will only touch on this lightly]

• Ecosystems and how living and nonliving entities interact

• Landscape ecology• The water, carbon, nitrogen, and

phosphorus cycles

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*Please read the textbook yourself. There is way more in there than we can cover in class!

Central Case: The Plight of the St. Lawrence Belugas• Decreasing population due to GI cancer from pollutants

(polyaromatic hydrocarbons [PAHs] from fossil fuels)• Biomagnification of contaminants through food chain• PAHs come from as far away as the Golden Horseshoe in

Ontario• Agricultural development also leads to hypoxia and

eutrophication• Beluga is “vulnerable” andis an indicator of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence ecosystem

image source: Aqua Views 5-6

• System = a network of relationships among parts elements or components that interact with and influence one another - exchange of energy, matter, or information - receives inputs of energy, matter, or

information; processes these inputs; and produces outputs

- hard to understand and predict• Feedback loop = a system’s output serves as input

to that same system

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Systems show several defining properties

Negative feedback loop• Negative feedback loop = output that results from a system

moving in one direction acts as input that moves the system in the other direction.

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Positive feedback loop• Positive feedback loop = instead of stabilizing a system, it

drives it further toward one extreme or another

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FIGURE 5.1

Systems show severaldefining properties

• Dynamic equilibrium = system processes move in opposing directions at equivalent rates, balancing their effects

• Homeostasis = a system maintains constant or stable internal conditions

• Emergent properties = system characteristics not evident in the components alone

- “The whole is more than the sum of the parts”

5-10FIGURE 5.2

A systems approach• Environmental entities are complex

systems that interact with each other- For example, river systems consist

of hundreds of smaller tributary subsystems

• To solve environmental problems, all appropriate systems must be considered

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Complex systems and subsystems: watershed

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Systems are perceived in various ways

• Categorizing environmental systems helps make Earth’s dazzling complexity comprehensible

• For example, the earth consists of structural spheres- Lithosphere = rock and sediment - Atmosphere = the air- Hydrosphere = liquid, solid or vapor water - Biosphere = all the planet’s living organisms and the

abiotic portions of the environment • Boundaries overlap, so the systems interact

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The rock cycle

5-14Since this topic is covered extensively in GEOG 212, I will mostly skip over it.

The rock cycle• Rock cycle = The heating, melting,

cooling, breaking and reassembling of rocks and minerals

• Rocks help determine soil chemistry, which influences ecosystems

• Helps us appreciate the formation and conservation of soils, mineral resources, fossil fuels, and other natural resources

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Igneous rock• Magma = the molten, liquid state of rock • Lava = magma released from the

lithosphere • Igneous rock = forms when magma cools• Intrusive rock = magma that cools slowly

well below Earth’s surface (i.e., granite)• Extrusive rock = magma ejected from a

volcano (i.e., basalt)

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Sedimentary rock

• Sediments = particles of rock are blown by wind or washed away by water

• Sedimentary rock = dissolved minerals seep through sediment layers and crystallize and bind sediment particles together

• Lithification = formation of rock through the processes of compaction, binding, and crystallization

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Metamorphic rock

• Metamorphic rock = great heat or pressure on a rock changes its form

• Temperatures is high enough to reshape crystals and change its appearance and physical properties

• Marble = heated and pressurized limestone • Slate = heated and metamorphosed shale

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Plate tectonics shapes Earth’s geography

• Plate tectonics = process that underlies earthquakes and volcanoes and that determines the geography of the Earth’s surface

• Crust = lightweight thin component of Earth’s surface

• Mantle = malleable layer on which the crust floats

• Core = molten heavy centre of Earth made mostly of iron

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The Earth has 15 major tectonic platesMovement of these plates influences climate and evolution

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FIGURE 5.6

Plate boundariesDivergent plate boundaries = magma surging upward to the surface divides plates and pushes them apart, creating new crust as it cools and spreads

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FIGURE 5.7

Transform plate boundary = two plates meet, slipping and grinding alongside one another

Tectonic plates can collide• Convergent plate boundaries = where plates collide• Subduction = one plate of crust may slide beneath another• Uplift = lift material from both plates

5-22FIGURE 5.7

Ecosystems • Ecosystem = all organisms and nonliving

entities that occur and interact in a particular area at the same time- Includes abiotic and biotic components- Energy flows and matter cycles among

these components• Biological entities are highly intertwined

with chemical and physical entities- Interactions and feedback loops

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Ecosystems are systems of interacting living and nonliving entities

• Energy entering the system is processed and transformed• Matter is recycled within ecosystem, resulting in outputs

such as heat, water flow, and waste products

5-24FIGURE 5.8

Energy is converted to biomass• Primary production = conversion of solar energy to

chemical energy by autotrophs (plants)• Gross primary production (GPP) = assimilation of

energy by autotrophs• Net primary production (NPP) = energy remaining after

respiration (absorption of energy and release of CO2 and water), and is used to generate biomass- Available for heterotrophs (animals)

• Secondary production = biomass generated by heterotrophs

• Productivity = rate at which ecosystems generate biomass5-25

Net primary productivityHigh net primary productivity = ecosystems whose plants rapidly convert solar energy to biomass

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FIGURE 5.9

Nutrients can limit productivity• Nutrients = elements and

compounds required for survival that are consumed by organisms

• Macronutrients = nutrients required in relative large amounts (nitrogen, carbon, phosphorus)

• Micronutrients = nutrients needed in smaller amounts (e.g. iron, cobalt, chromium, copper, manganese, cobalt, iodine, selenium, zinc, etc. + vitamins).

Dramatic growth of algae in water treated with phosphate

– part of the Experimental Lakes Area program being

cancelled by the Harper government

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FIGURE 5.10

Nutrient runoff is devastating aquatic systems – what are its sources?

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FIGURE 5.11

Ecosystems are integrated spatially

• Ecosystems vary greatly in size• The term “ecosystem” is most often

applied to self-contained systems of moderate geographic extent

• Adjacent ecosystems may share components and interact

• Ecotones = transitional zones between two ecosystems in which elements of different ecosystems mix (examples?)

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• Patches = form the landscape, and are distributed spatially in complex patterns (a mosaic)

• Landscape = larger than an ecosystem and smaller than a biome

Landscape ecologists study geographic areas with multiple ecosystems

5-30FIGURE 5.12

Populations and Biodiversity• Metapopulation = a network of subpopulations

- Most members of species stay within patches but may move among patches or mate with those of other patches

- Individuals in small patches risk extinction• Conservation biology = study the loss, protection,

and restoration of biodiversity. Considers cores and corridors, and has been influenced by island biogeography, which is the study of the relative abundance of species and sizes of populations on islands depending on their size and distance from the mainland.

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Remote sensing helps us applies landscape ecology• Remote sensing technologies allow

scientists to create a complete picture of the landscape

• Geographic information systems (GIS) = computer software used in landscape ecology research

• Can analyze how elements within the landscape are arranged to help make planning and land-use decisions

• Here’s an interesting example from a different discipline: http://cohort11.americanobserver.net/latoyaegwuekwe/multimediafinal.html

5-32FIGURE 5.13

Nutrients circulate via biogeochemical cycles (more on this soon)

• Nutrient (biogeochemical) cycle = the movement of nutrients through ecosystems- Atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere

• Pools (reservoirs) = where nutrients reside for varying amounts of time

• Flux = movement of nutrients among pools, which change over time and are influenced by human activities

• Sources = pools that release more nutrients than they accept• Sinks = accept more nutrients than they release

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The hydrological cycle

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FIGURE 5.15

The hydrological cycle influences all other cycles•Water is essential for biochemical reactions and is involved in nearly every environmental system

•Oceans are the main reservoir •Evaporation = water moves from aquatic and land systems to air

•Transpiration = release of water vapor by plants•Precipitation = condensation of water vapor as rain or snow

•Run-off= movement of water across the land into receiving water bodies

•Infiltration= seeping of water into underground aquifers

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Groundwater• Aquifers = underground reservoirs of sponge-like

regions of rock and soil that hold groundwater- Groundwater = water found underground

beneath layers of soil- Water table = the upper limit of groundwater

held in an aquifer- Water may be ancient (thousands of years old)

• Groundwater becomes exposed to the air where the water table reaches the surface

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Human impacts on hydrological cycle• Damming rivers increases evaporation and

infiltration • Altering the surface and vegetation increases runoff

and erosion• Spreading water on agricultural fields depletes rivers,

lakes and streams• Removing forests and vegetation reduces

transpiration and lowers water tables• Emitting pollutants changes the nature of

precipitation• The most threatening impact is overdrawing

groundwater for drinking, irrigation, and industrial use

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Your water

• Are you aware of any water shortages or conflicts over water use in your region?

• What is the quality of your water, and what pollution threats does it face?

• Given your knowledge of the hydrological cycle, what solutions would you propose for water problems in your region?

4-38

weighing

the issues

The carbon cycle

5-39FIGURE 5.16

The carbon cycle

• Carbon is found in carbohydrates, fats, proteins, bones

• Photosynthesis moves carbon from the air to organisms

• Respiration returns carbon to the air and oceans• Decomposition returns carbon to the sediment,

the largest reservoir of carbon• The world’s oceans are the second largest

reservoir of carbon

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Humans affect the carbon cycle• Burning fossil fuels moves carbon from the ground to the

air• Cutting forests and burning fields moves carbon from

organisms to the air• Today’s atmospheric carbon dioxide reservoir is the largest

in the past 650,000 years- The driving force behind climate change

• The missing carbon sink: 1-2 billion metric tons of carbon are unaccounted for- It may be the plants or soils of northern temperate and

boreal forests5-41

The nitrogen cycle

5-42FIGURE 5.17

The nitrogen cycle• Nitrogen is 78% of our atmosphere but N2 gas is inert

(not a usable form)• Nitrogen fixation = Nitrogen gas is fixed (made into

ammonia) by nitrogen-fixing bacteria - Usable form (ammonium ions)

5-43FIGURE 5.18

Nitrification and denitrification

• Nitrification = bacteria that convert ammonium ions first into nitrite ions then into nitrate ions- Plants can take up these ions- Animals obtain nitrogen by eating plants

or other animals

• Denitrifying bacteria = convert nitrates in soil or water to gaseous nitrogen, releasing it back into the atmosphere

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Humans affect the nitrogen cycle• Haber-Bosch process = synthetic production of

fertilizers by combining nitrogen and hydrogen to synthesize ammonia- Humans are fixing as much nitrogen as nature does

• Increased emissions of nitrogen-containing greenhouse gases

• Calcium and potassium in soil washed out by fertilizers• Acidified water and soils• Increased transfer from rivers to oceans• Reduced biodiversity of plants adapted to low-nitrogen

soils• Changed estuaries and coastal ecosystems and fisheries

(the ‘Lake Erie’ effect)

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Eutrophication• The process of nutrient over-enrichment,

blooms of algae, increased production of organic matter, and ecosystem degradation

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FIGURE 5.19

The phosphorus cycle

5-47FIGURE 5.20

The phosphorus cycle involves mainly lithosphere and ocean

• Phosphorus is a key component of cell membranes, DNA, RNA, ATP and ADP

• Geology: - Most phosphorus is within rocks and is

released by weathering- With naturally low environmental

concentrations, phosphorus is a limiting factor for plant growth

• Plants take up phosphorus when it is dissolved in water

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We affect the phosphorus cycle• Mining rocks for fertilizer moves

phosphorus from the soil to water systems- Wastewater discharge also releases

phosphorus • Runoff containing phosphorus causes

eutrophication of aquatic systems• Household detergents may contain

phosphorus (another factor in the “death” of Lake Erie)

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Conclusion• The hydrologic cycle, the rock cycle, and plate

tectonics lay the groundwork for spreading life across Earth

• Understanding biogeochemical cycles is crucial because humans change the way cycles function

• Thinking in terms of systems can teach us how to avoid disrupting Earth’s processes and how to mitigate any disruptions we cause

• We can learn about sustainability from natural systems

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QUESTION: Review

The term “system” includes all of the following, except:

a) A network of relationships among various components

b) The various components tend to minimize interactions

c) Energy, matter, and information are exchanged between components

d) Energy and matter are valuable inputs to the system

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QUESTION: ReviewWhich of the following describes a positive feedback loop?

a) It drives a system towards an extremeb) It stabilizes the systemc) It causes the system to move in opposite

directions at the same ratesd) It causes the system to maintain a constant

condition

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QUESTION: Review

Which of the following is a correct statement?

a) Energy and matter flow in one direction onlyb) Energy and matter both cycle repeatedlyc) Energy flows in one direction, while matter

recyclesd) Matter flows in one direction, while energy

recycles

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QUESTION: Review

What is the definition of “net primary production”?

a) Assimilation of energy by heterotrophsb) Elements and compounds that are required for

survivalc) Energy remaining after respiration that is used to

generate biomassd) Assimilation of energy by autotrophs

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QUESTION: Review

Which biogeochemical cycle is contained in proteins, DNA and RNA?

a) Carbonb) Nitrogenc) Waterd) Phosphorus

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QUESTION: Review

Which biogeochemical cycle is being affected by damming rivers, and altering the surface and vegetation?

a) Carbonb) Nitrogenc) Waterd) Phosphorus

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QUESTION: Review

Which rock is formed from magma; for example, granite and basalt?

a) Sedimentaryb) Igneousc) Metamorphicd) Phosphorus

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QUESTION: Interpreting Graphs and DataAccording to this graph, which ecosystem has the warmest temperature and most rainfall?

a) Temperate grassland

b) Boreal forest c) Savannahd) Tropical rain

forest

5-58FIGURE 5.9

QUESTION: Interpreting Graphs and Data

What would be created as a result of this (Figure 5.7)?

• An earthquake-prone area• A slip-strike fault• Colliding plates• New crust

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FIGURE 5.7