ISCI 1001 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Decomposer, Surface Runoff, Remote Sensing
2 Oct 2015
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Document Summary
Our planet"s environment consists of complex networks of interlinked systems, as well as numerous cycles that shape landscapes and guide the flow of key chemicals. A system is a network of relationships that interact with and influence one another through the exchange of energy, matter, or information. Open systems receive inputs of energy and matter, while closed systems receive only energy. Systems that feed into themselves create feedback loops. In a negative feedback loop, output of a system moving in one direction causes input for the system to move in the other direction (thermostat. ) In a positive feedback loop, the output drives the system to further produce more output (erosion. ) Homeostasis is the tendency of a system to maintain constant or stable internal conditions through resistance (strength) and resilience (how quickly it can return to normal) Systems can show emergent properties, which are characteristics not evident in the components along.
