Download Matter, energy, and ecosystems

Environmental Science Learning Objectives and Study Questions
Chapter 2: Withgott and Laposata 5th ed.
1. Describe Earth’s four major systems and give examples of processes that involve positive feedback and
negative feedback in one of these systems.
2. List the steps by which the addition of excess nutrients can lead to oxygen depletion in a body of water like
the Chesapeake Bay.
3. Sketch the structure of an atom and state what must change for this atom to become a different isotope or
an ion.
4. Define pH and state what ranges of values aqueous solutions have if they are acidic, neutral, or basic.
5. Explain the difference between potential energy and kinetic energy and give an example of each.
6. Describe the roles of the four main types of macromolecules found in living things: carbohydrates, lipids,
proteins, and nucleic acids, and give one example of each type of molecule.
7. Write the schematic reaction for photosynthesis/cellular respiration and label it with arrows to indicate the
direction it runs for each process.
8. Contrast how energy and matter move through ecosystems.
9. Explain the difference between how autotrophs (“producers”) and heterotrophs (“consumers”) sustain
themselves and give examples of two organisms that are members of each group.
10. List the largest reservoirs and fluxes for water, carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in Earth’s environment and
describe the major changes in these biogeochemical cycles that are being caused by human activities.
1. As Earth’s surface temperature rises more water evaporates from the oceans and condenses to form clouds.
These clouds, in turn, reflect sunlight back into space and cool the planet. This is an example of _____ in
Earth’s climate system.
A. human meddling
B. karma
C. negative feedback
D. positive feedback
E. runaway behavior
2. Most carbon atoms have 6 protons, 6 neutrons, and 6 electrons. An atom of
carbon that has 6 p, 6 n, and 4 e, however, is a carbon _____.
A. compound
B. ion
C. isotope
D. outcast
E. polymorph
3. Seawater typically has a pH of 8 which means it is more _____ than pure water.
A. acidic
B. basic
C. dense
D. self-actualized
E. tasty
4. With few exceptions the presence of carbon-carbon bonds formed by sharing of electrons indicates that a
substance is a/an _____ compound.
A. inorganic
B. manmade
C. organic
D. toxic
E. unstable
5. The ability of a system to do work by virtue of the positions of the particles it contains is known as _____.
A. can-do spirit
B. entropy
C. kinetic energy
D. potential energy
E. quintessence
6. Which of the following organisms is not an autotroph?
A. algae (“seaweed”)
B. cyanobacteria (“blue-green algae”)
C. fungi
D. green plants
E. actually, all of these are autotrophs
7. Which of the following is not a product of respiration?
A. CO2 carbon dioxide
B. energy, typically heat
C. H2O water
D. O2 oxygen
E. actually, all of these are products of respiration
8. According to Figure 2.20, which illustrates the carbon cycle, by far the
largest reservoir of carbon on Earth is its _____.
A. atmosphere
B. fossil fuels
C. land plants
D. ocean
E. sedimentary rocks