ENVI 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Edaphic, Hydrosphere, Nutrient Cycle
11 Sep 2016
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Document Summary
Geosphere: solid layer of earth (e. g. plate tectonics), crust/mantle/outer core/inner core. It"s so intensely hot in the cores because all of the pressure is built up there and the materials are very dense (big friction that converts into heat) Contains metals that are extracted from the environment. Natural gas/coal is extracted by hydraulic fracturing (access the gas through the rock and pump water, sand, and chemicals through the well, causing cracks) Can affect the environment negatively as these chemicals can seep through into the shale. But it will not stop because it is worth a lot of money. Supports the dispersion of pollen and seeds. 3 keys for life on earth: one-way flow of high-quality energy from the sun, nutrient cycling, gravity. Edaphic: factors that affect living organisms include water content, acidity, aeration, availability of nutrients. The climate dictates how an ecosystem will function. Autotrophs (producers): organisms that use solar energy or chemical energy to manufacture organic compounds.
