By Question 2.) “What is the greenhouse effect, and how does it influence the net radiation balance (and temperature) of Earth?”
Answer: The greenhouse effect is describe byauthors Issitt & Flynn (2018), state that the greenhouse effect is the natural occurrence gases in the atmosphere collect in large quantities; the gases hinder the radiation from the sun going back into space; thus the radiation continues to warm the earth. Furthermore, the greenhouse effect plays a key role in the development of life; but new scientific evidence shows that increasing fossil fuel consumption is accelerating the greenhouse effect causing global warming (Issitt & Flynn, 2018). It is necessary to continue environmental research in order to mitigate the world’s overall fossil fuel consumption in order to lessen the human impact on aggravating the greenhouse effect.
Question 5.) Why are the coastal waters of the southeastern United States warmer than the coastal waters of the Southwestern coast?
Answer: Some people may be surprised when they discover that the oceanic waters on the east coast are warmer than the oceans on the west coast of the United States. Despite this misunderstanding, the phenomenon is precisely a result of the Gulf Stream that pushes the warmer water from the tropics. Consequentially, the warmer currents of water travel into the North Atlantic, hence increasing the temperature of Europe’s western coast (Smith & Smith, n.d).
Question 9.) What feature of global atmospheric circulation gives rise to the desert zones of the mid-latitudes?
Answer: The rain shadow effect describes the process in which the rising of precipitation alters the ecology of a mountain or elevated region. Further analysis examines that when a large accumulation of oxygen makes contact with a mountainside the air mass begins to rise on the windward side of a mountain; as the air rises the temperature and humidity decreases (Smith, R. L & Smith, n.d). The cold, dry air then descends the moutain’s “leeward” side, hence the ecology of the leeward side of a mountain can exhibit characteristics of desert terrain, vs the lush evergreen forests typical of the windward side of the mountain.
Chapter 3: The Aquatic Environment
Question 3.) What property of water mountains aquatic organisms to function with far fewer supportive structures (tissues) than terrestrial organisms have?
Answer: One may contemplate the relationship between aquatic organisms and the water they so desperatly need to survive, as humans need air to survive aquatic animals must have the presence of water in their air. The term viscosity is a fundamental property of water that pushes against energy which propels it to flow, furthermore, this key property is needed for aquatic life to exist on, in, and near water. A majority of aquatic creatures have a hereditary buoyancy because their density is close to that of water, causing aquatic plants and animals to evolve without skeletons from the lack of gravity needed to support their bodies (Smith & Smith, 2015).
Question 9.) What causes the upwelling of deeper cold waters in the equatorial zone of the oceans?
Answer: When the warm air currents move from the tropics towards the north and south regions, consequentially the currents stir up cold; oxygen and nutrient-rich water from the deepest parts of the ocean, this is called upwelling (“What is upwelling”, n.d).
Chapter 4: The Terrestrial Environment
Question 1.) Name two constraints imposed on organisms in the transition of life from aquatic to terrestrial environments.
Answer:
There are several constrains that affect aquatic plants and animals when they attempt to transition into terrestrial life, these constraints include : Desiccation, Low-air density, and Water Balance.
Desiccation decribes the physiological contraint that is imposed on an organism during it’s transition from an aquatic to a terrestrial terrain; when moist is not continuously replaced in the air, an aquatic organism cannot survive in an environment void of moisture or water, thus the water balance must also be kept sufficient for the organsims biological needs (Smith, R. L & Smith, T. M, 2015). Furthermore, the low air density of air affects the aquatic organisms because the density of the water is much great, hence causing low-friction resistance and an elevated gravitational constraint on the aquatic organism.
Question 3.) What is the general shape of the curve that describes the vertical attenuation of light through the plant canopy based on Beer’s law? Why is it not a straight line?
Question 4.) What five major factors affect soil formation?
Answer: The five major factors effecting the formation of soil is said to be ; “parent material, climate, biotic factors, topography, and time.” (Smith & Smith, 2015, pg. 4.5, para. 1).
References
Issitt, M. L., & Flynn, S. I. (2018). Greenhouse effect. Salem Press Encyclopedia. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ers&AN=89158205&site=eds-live&scope=site
Smith, T. M., & Smith, R. L. (2015). Elements of Ecology (9th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson. Retrieved from https://platform.virdocs.com/r/s/0/doc/244377/sp/11138987/mi/39809700cfi=%2F4%2F2%5BP700049491000000000000000000073C%5D%2F6%5BP7000494910000000000000000000762%5D%2F8%5BP70004949100000000000000000007D6%5D%2F10%5BP70004949100000000000000000007DD%5D&sidebar=true
NOAA. (2013). What is upwelling?. Retrieved from https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/upwelling.html