Energy and the Environment

Energy and the EnvironmentMatter QualityMatter quality is a measure of how useful a matter resource is, based in its availability and concentration.High quality matter is organized, concentrated, and usually found near the earths crust.Low quality is disorganized, dilute, and has little potential for use as a matter resource.2High quality & Low quality

HIGH QUALITY

LOW QUALITY3

Energy Energy is the capacity to do work and transfer heat.Energy comes in many forms: light, heat, and electricity.Kinetic energy is the energy that matter has because of its mass and its speed or velocity.4Kinetic energy.

Kinetic energy is the energy that matter has because of its mass and its speed or velocity.It is energy in action or motion.Wind, flowing streams, falling rocks, electricity, moving car - all have kinetic energy.5Potential energyPotential energy is stored energy that is potential available for use.Potential energy can be charged to kinetic energy. 6The Law of Conservation of Matter and EnergyIn any nuclear change, the total amount of matter and energy involved remains the same.E = mc2The energy created by the release of the strong nuclear forces for 1 kilogram of matter will produce enough energy to elevated the temperature of all the water used in the Los Angeles basin in one day by 10,000oC7First Law of ThermodynamicsIn all physical and chemical changesEnergy is neither created nor destroyedBut it may be converted from one form to another8Second Law of ThermodynamicsWhen energy is changed from one form to anotherSome of the useful energy is always degraded to lower-quality, more dispersed, less useful energyAlso known as Law of Entropy9High Waste SocietiesPeople continue to use and waste more and more energy and matter resources at an increasing rateAt some point, high-waste societies will become UNSUSTAINABLE!10

Goals of Matter Recycling SocietiesTo allow economic growth to continue without depleting matter resources or producing excess pollution11

Matter Recycling SocietiesAdvantagesSaves EnergyBuys TimeDisadvantagesRequires high-quality energy which cannot be recycledAdds waste heatNo infinite supply of affordable high-quality energy availableLimit to number of times a material can be recycled12Low Waste SocietiesWorks with nature to reduce throughputBased on energy flow and matter recycling13Low Waste Societies FunctionReuse/recycle most nonrenewable matter resourcesUse potentially renewable resources no faster than they are replenishedUse matter and energy resources efficiently14Low Waste Societies FunctionReduce unnecessary consumptionEmphasize pollution prevention and waste reductionControl population growth15Ecology, Ecosystems and Food Webs16 Ecology and LifeEcology- study of relationships between organisms and their environmentEcology examines how organisms interact with their nonliving (abiotic) environment such as sunlight, temperature, moisture, and vital nutrientsBiotic interaction among organisms, populations, communities, ecosystems, and the ecosphere17Solar Energy72% of solar energy warms the lands0.023% of solar energy is captured by green plants and bacteriaPowers the cycling of matter and weather systemDistributes heat and fresh water

18Ecosphere SeparationThe Ecosphere and its ecosystem can be separated into two partsAbiotic- nonliving, componentsEx: air, water, solar energyPhysical and chemical factors that influence living organismsBiotic- living, components Ex: plants and animals19Range of ToleranceVariations in its physical and chemical environmentDifferences in genetic makeup, health, and age.Ex: trout has to live in colder water than bass20Limiting FactorMore important than others in regulating population growthEx: water light, and soilLacking water in the desert can limit the growth of plants21Limiting Factor Principletoo much or too little of any abiotic factor can limit growth of population, even if all the other factors are at optimum (favorable) range of tolerance.Ex: If a farmer plants corn in phosphorus-poor soil, even if water, nitrogen are in a optimum levels, corn will stop growing, after it uses up available phosphorus.22Dissolved Oxygen ContentAmount of oxygen gas dissolved in a given volume of water at a particular temperature and pressure.Limiting factor of aquatic ecosystem

23Salinityamount of salt dissolved in given volume of water

24Living Organisms in EcosystemProducers or autotrophs- makes their own food from compound obtained from environment.Ex: plant gets energy or food from sun25Living Organisms in EcosystemPhotosynthesis- ability of producer to convert sunlight, abiotic nutrients to sugars and other complex organic compoundsChlorophyll- traps solar energy and converts into chemical energy26PhotosysnthesisProducer transmit 1-5% of absorbed energy into chemical energy, which is stored in complex carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acid in plant tissue27Chemosynthesis-Bacteria can convert simple compounds from their environment into more complex nutrient compound without sunlightEx: becomes consumed by tubeworms, clams, crabsBacteria can survive in great amount of heat

28Consumers or HeterotrophsObtain energy and nutrients by feeding on other organisms or their remains

29ConsumersHerbivores (plant-eaters) or primary consumersFeed directly on producersDeer, goats, rabbits

http://www.holidays.net/easter/bunny1.htm 30ConsumersCarnivores (meat eater) or secondary consumersFeed only on primary consumerLion, Tiger

31ConsumersTertiary (higher-level) consumer Feed only on other carnivoresWolf

32ConsumersOmnivores- consumers that eat both plants and animalsEx: pigs, humans, bears

33ConsumersScavengers- feed on dead organismsVultures, flies, crows, shark

34ConsumersDetritivores- live off detritusDetritus parts of dead organisms and wastes of living organisms.Detritus feeders- extract nutrients from partly decomposed organic matter plant debris, and animal dung.

35ConsumersDecomposers - Fungi and bacteria break down and recycle organic materials from organisms wastes and from dead organisms Food sources for worms and insectsBiodegradable - can be broken down by decomposers

36RespirationAerobic Respiration Uses oxygen to convert organic nutrients back into carbon dioxide and waterGlucose + oxygen Carbon dioxide + water + energyAnaerobic Respiration or FermentationBreakdown of glucose in absence of oxygen

37Food ChainFood Chain-Series of organisms in which each eats or decomposes the preceding oneDecomposers complete the cycle of matter by breaking down organic waste, dead animal. Plant litter and garbage. Whether dead or alive organisms are potential (standard) sources of food for other organisms.

38Second Law of EnergyOrganisms need high quality chemical energy to move, grow and reproduce, and this energy is converted into low-quality heat that flows into environmentTrophic levels or feeding levels- Producer is a first trophic level, primary consumer is second trophic level, secondary consumer is third.Decomposers process detritus from all trophic levels.39Food WebComplex network of interconnected food chainsFood web and chains One-way flow of energyCycling of nutrients through ecosystem

40Food WebsGrazing Food WebsEnergy and nutrients move from plants to herbivoresThen through an array of carnivoresEventually to decomposers

(100,000 Units of Energy)41Food WebsGrazing Food WebsEnergy and nutrients move from plants to herbivoresThen through an array of carnivoresEventually to decomposers(1,000 Units of Energy)

42Food WebsGrazing Food WebsEnergy and nutrients move from plants to herbivoresThen through an array of carnivoresEventually to decomposers(100 Units of Energy)

43Food WebsGrazing Food WebsEnergy and nutrients move from plants to herbivoresThen through an array of carnivoresEventually to decomposers(10 Units of Energy)

44Food WebsGrazing Food WebsEnergy and nutrients move from plants to herbivoresThen through an array of carnivoresEventually to decomposers(1 Units of Energy)

45Food WebsDetrital Food WebsOrganic waste material or detritus is the major food sourceEnergy flows mainly from producers (plants) to decomposers and detritivores.

46Pyramid of Energy FlowMore steps or trophic levels in food chain or web, greater loss of usable energy as energy flows through trophic levelsMore trophic levels the Chains or Webs have more energy is consumed after each one. Thats why food chains and webs rarely have more than 4 steps47Pyramid of Energy FlowLoss of usable energy as energy flows through trophic levels of food chains and webs Rarely have more than 4 steps

48BiomassDry weight of all organic matter contained in organisms.Biomass is measured in dry weight Water is not source of energy or nutrient Biomass of first trophic levels is dry mass of all producersUseable energy transferred as biomass varies from 5%-20% (10% standard)49Pyramid of BiomassStorage of biomass at various trophic levels of ecosystem

50Pyramid of NumbersNumber of organisms at each trophic level

51Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)Rate in which producers convert solar energy into chemical energy (biomass) in a given amount of time

52Net Primary Productivity (NPP)Rate in which energy for use by consumers is stored in new biomass of plantsMeasured in kilocalories per square meter per year or grams in biomassNPP is the limit determining the planets carrying capacity for all species.59% of NPP occurs in land / 41% occurs in ocean53Ecological EfficiencyPercentage of energy transferred from one trophic level to another.10% ecological efficiency 1,000,000 units of energy from sun10,000 units available for green plants (photosynthesis)1000 units for herbivores100 units for primary carnivores10 units for secondary carnivores54Ecosystem ImportanceEcosystem services are the natural services or earth capital that support life on the earth Essential to the quality of human life and to the functioning of the worlds economies55Ecosystem ImportanceEcosystem services include: Controlling and moderating climateProviding and renewing air, water, soilRecycling vital nutrients through chemical cyclingProviding renewable and nonrenewable energy sources and nonrenewable mineralsFurnishing people with food, fiber, medicines, timber, and paper56Ecosystem ImportanceEcosystem services includePollinating crops and other plant speciesAbsorbing, diluting, and detoxifying many pollutants and toxic chemicalsHelping control populations of pests and disease organismsSlowing erosion and preventing floodingProviding biodiversity of genes and species57