ENV100Y5 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Estuary, Smog, Evaporation

• School: UTM
• Department: Environment
• Course: ENV100Y5
• Professor: Monika Havelka

Document Summary

Earth"s environmental systems: consists of complex networks of interlinked systems, between living and non-living. System: is a network of relationships among parts, elements or components that interact with and influence one another through exchanges of energy, matter or information. Isolated system: neither energy nor matter can be exchanged across the boundaries: closed system: energy can be exchanged across the boundaries, but matter cannot, systems receive inputs and produce outputs of energy, consequences: There is no away to throw things to. What goes around, comes around - principle of environmental unity: open system: both matter and energy can be exchanged across the boundaries, system receive inputs of both energy and matter and produce outputs of both. Systems seldom have well-defined boundaries so deciding where one system ends and another begins can be difficult. Net primary productivity (npp) = gross primary productivity(gpp) - respiration by autotrophs.