GSC 111 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Global Cooling, Nitrogen Cycle, Photorespiration

• School: University of Miami
• Department: Geological Sciences
• Course: GSC 111
• Professor: James Klaus

Document Summary

Earth system contains essentially fixed amount of each stable chemical atom. Each element moves among resevoirs in the solid earth, oceans, atmosphere and biosphere. Reservoir- bodies of chemical entities that occupy particular spaces (where something is stored) Can expand/contract through changes in rates at which elements flow to or from reservoirs. Flux- rate at which reservoirs gain or lose elements. The system responds to a stimulus in the same direction as the stimulus. Negative feedbacks- inhibits a trend global cooling. Co2 + h2o + sunlight ch2o + o2. Plants perform both photosynthesis and respiration- use sugars for energy and build tissue (metabolism) Animals and other decomposers use oxygen, sugars, proteins, and fat, for energy and to build tissue. Some organic material escapes from the ecosystem. Organic carbon escapes photorespiration cycle by burial. Buried (cid:272)ar(cid:271)o(cid:374) (cid:272)a(cid:374)"t (cid:271)e o(cid:454)idized u(cid:374)til late (cid:449)eatheri(cid:374)g.