Activity 2.3 – Biosphere and Interconnections

 


My first concept map is about, The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that energy transformations occur spontaneously only if they increase the universe’s entropy, or disorder. On Earth, solar energy is absorbed, converted into thermal energy, and emitted as infrared radiation, raising the universe’s entropy, with some energy always lost as heat. While living organisms seem to defy this law by using solar energy to create complex molecules and lower local entropy, this is only possible because of a constant influx of solar energy—without it, life would break down, increasing entropy. The ecological energy budget shows how photosynthetic organisms transform solar energy into biomass, with primary producers fixing energy as Gross Primary Production and Net Primary Production. Only highly productive ecosystems can sustain top predators. Human diet choices impact energy efficiency, with vegetarian diets being more efficient than those involving animal products due to fewer trophic levels, and also resulting in a smaller ecological footprint by using fewer resources and space.



My second concept map is about Biodiversity and genetic variation. In almost all species, the individuals tend to differ with their genetics. For example, some plants have little to no genetic variability while compared to other forms of life that have a vast genetic spectrum. Typically a high level of genetic diversity in a population is a desirable quality as a greater gene pool means a greater chance to be less affected by new diseases as well as more suitable to change. Another factor that plays into biodiversity is the richness of species. Species richness can simply be defined by the amount of species in an allotted area. Topical countries support a greater richness of species than temperate countries do. Unfortunately some tropical species are at risk of becoming endangered or even extinct because of the rainforests getting rapidly destroyed to be converted into agricultural land use. Along with species richness is richness of a community. A community is made up of the different species, genes, and groups in a given area. Biodiversity at the level of landscape is corresponding with the number, size, shape, connections, and spatial distributions. It is important to conserve this level of biodiversity as it is to protect genetic and species diversity.



My third concept map is about the different Biomasses and Ecozones that can be found all over the world, how different ecosystems work together to survive and provide for the living organisms.  


Freedman, B. (1970, January 1). Environmental science: A Canadian perspective. DalSpace Home. https://dalspace.library.dal.ca/items/78cb3c77-11c3-4124-b63e-fc8a9f15ce72 


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