Research 3

1. Open System• Energy and matter can enter

or leave the system

• There is always interaction between the internal and external elements

• Ex: Greenhouse

Closed System• Energy can leave or enter the

system, however matter cannot

• Does not need exchange with external elements for sustainability

• Ex: Earth

Isolated System• Neither energy nor matter can

enter or eave the system

• More of a hypothetical than an actual situation

• Artificial ecosystem – cannot exist in nature

2. Durability of A Closed System

• All waste products like carbon dioxide, feces, and urine are recycled by at least one other species

• It is a continuous cycle

3. Earth as a Closed System• Energy from the sun enters our

system• Material does not enter or exit • Examples:–Water from the ocean is evaporated into the atmosphere–Water vapor then condenses and falls as rain–Everything is used and recycled in some form

4. Nutrition Cycle• The circulation and the return

of organic and inorganic materials help the production of biotic material

• This process is regulated by food web pathways and by decomposers

5. Common Minerals• Carbon• Sulfur• Nitrogen• Water• Phosphorus• Oxygen

6. The Carbon Cycle• A series of steps by which

carbon is recycled and reused throughout the biosphere and the atmosphere

• Plays a very important role in the sustainability of ecosystems

7a. The Carbon Cycle

7b. The Nitrogen Cycle

8. Chemical Equations• Photosynthesis:CO2 + H2O + light ⇨ C6H12O6

+ O2 + energy

• Cell Respiration:C6H12O6 + 6 O2 + energy ⇨ 6

H2O + 6 CO2

9. Humans vs. Nitrogen Cycle• We use nitrogen containing

fertilizers in agriculture – improves the quality of plants

• We dump waste and other organic materials into bodies of water

• Pollution from cars, factories, etc.. contribute to acid rain

10. Humans vs. Carbon Cycle

• The exhale of CO₂ into the atmosphere is a normal part of the cycle

• We burn fossil fuels (oil, coal) for energy

• Plants can’t breath it in fast enough – so there is an accumulation of CO₂

11. Carbon into the Soil• A large portion of our bodies

are composed of carbon

• As we decompose, CO₂ that is not released into the atmosphere for photosynthesis is absorbed into the soil in the form of fossil fuels

12. Accumulation of CO₂• CO and other greenhouse gases

all contribute to global warming• Plants start to respond

differently than normal–More carbon = less of other minerals

• This in turn affects consumers (those who cannot adapt start to die off)