1. The Non-Living Environment
Chapter 13
The Non-Living Environment

2. Environmental Factors
Biotic Factors
Features of the environment that are alive or were once alive
Biotic means living
Abiotic Factors
Nonliving physical features of the environment
Abiotic factors include air, water, soil, sunlight, temperature, and climate
These factors determine which kinds of living organism can live there

3. .                                            

7. Abiotic Factors Air Invisible and plentiful Called the atmosphere
Contains 78% nitrogen, 21% Oxygen, .94% argon, .03% Carbon Dioxide and trace amounts of other gases
Plants use CO2 along with H2O and Sunlight in Photosynthesis to make sugar
Give off Oxygen into the atmosphere

8. All organisms carry out respiration in their cells to obtain energy needed for life
Respiration is a process to release energy stored in the food that we eat
In respiration cells take in Oxygen from the atmosphere and release Carbon Dioxide

12. Water Essential for life on earth
Major ingredient of the fluid inside the cells of all organism
Most organisms are composed of 50-95% water
Many life function need water to take place, for example, Respiration, digestion, and photosynthesis

14. Soil
Mixture of minerals and rock particles, the remains of dead organisms, water, and air.
Topmost portion of the earths crust
Supports plant growth
Formed from the breaking up of rocks into tiny particles
Contains many living organisms and the decaying remains of dead organisms

15. Life includes: bacteria, fungi, insects and worms
Soil contains different combination of sand clay and humus (decaying matter)
Type of soil presents has an important role of what type and how much plant life is found

17. Type of Soil
Example of Test Jar
Sandy soils are found throughout Southern California, but are very common near the mountain foothills, along rivers and streams and certain coastal areas. Sandy soils are typically comprised of approximately % sand, % silt and % clay by volume. Sandy soils are light and typically very free draining, usually holding water very poorly due to very low organic content.
                                                           
Loam soils are also common in Southern California, particularly in the valleys and flat areas (flood plains) surrounding rivers and streams. Loam soils are typically comprised of approximately % sand, % silt and % clay by volume.  Loam soils are somewhat heavier than sandy soils, but also tend to be fairly free draining, again, due to typically low organic content.
Clay soils are very common in certain areas, particularly around urban areas where fill soils have been used to establish grade in subdivisions and developments.  Clay soils are typically comprised of approximately % sand, % silt and % clay by volume.  Clay soils are not typically free draining, and water tends to take a long time to infiltrate. When wet, such soils tend to allow virtually all water to run-off. Clay soils tend to be heavy and difficult to work when dry.
                                                              

22. Sunlight Sunlight is the energy for all life
During photosynthesis, producers convert light energy into chemical energy
Energy from the sun is passed on to consumers when they eat producers

24. Temperature Sunlight supplies heat energy as well as light energy
Most organisms can only survive if their body temperature stays within the range of 0* ans 50* C
Some organism have adapted to live in climates below and above these temp.
Pengiuns, and Camels

25. Temperature depends on how much direct sunlight an area gets
Areas located at latitudes farther from the equator tend to have colder temperatures
Receive less of the suns energy than equatorial areas
Equator gets direct sunlight
At poles sunlight strikes earth at angles and energy is spread out over a larger area

28. Elevation (distance above sea level) affects temperature
Higher elevations the atmosphere is thinner, meaning fewer air molecules to be heated by the sun
Therefore, temperature will be cooler
At higher elevation, trees are shorter and the ground is rocky
Above timberline (the elevation beyond which trees do not grow) plant life is limited to low-growing plants
Some mountain tops are covered with snow all year around

32. Climate
Refers to an areas average weather conditions over time, including temperature, rainfall or other precipitation, and wind
Temperature and precipitation are the most important components for living things
Amount of precipitation and average temperature influence the type of life in the area

33. Wind
As temperature increase the molecules in the air spread farther apart, making warm air lighter then cold air
Cold air sinks below warm air and pushes it upward
These motions create air currents that are called wind

38. The rain Shadow Effect
Presence of mountains can affect rainfall patterns
As air masses move over a mountain range it cools
As air cools the moisture at carries falls as rain or snow
By the time the air mass crosses over the mountain it has lost all its moisture
This results in the other side of the mountain getting very little or no precipitation

40. Cycles in Nature Water Cycle
Evaporation- takes place when liquid water changes into water vapor (gas) and enters the atmosphere
Water evaporates from lakes, streams, puddles and oceans
Water vapor enters the atmosphere from plants through a process of transpiration
Animals release water vapor when they exhale

41. Condensation
Water vapor in the atmosphere eventually comes into contact with cold air
Water vapor cools and changes back into liquid form (condensation)
Water vapor condenses on particles of dust in the air, forming tiny droplets
Clump together to form clouds
Once they become to heavy they fall as precipitation

43. Water Uses Homes and Business – 39,100 million gallons/day
Industry and Mining – 27,800 million gallons/day
Farms and Ranches- 141,000 million gallons/day
Electricity Production- 131,800 Million Gallons/day

44. Nitrogen Cycle Nitrogen is the main ingredient of proteins
Proteins are required for life processes
Nitrogen is the most plentiful gas in our atmosphere but most organism cannot use atmospheric nitrogen
Plants need nitrogen that is been combined with other elements

45. Through a process called Nitrogen Fixation, some bacteria in the soil can form the nitrogen compounds that plants need
Plants absorb nitrogen through roots
Animals get nitrogen from eating plants and other animals
When dead organism die they return the nitrogen back into the soil or atmosphere

48. Human activities can affect the nitrogen cycle
Growing corn and wheat remove much of the nitrogen out of the soil without replacing it
Farms add fertilizer to the fields to replace the nitrogen taken out
Compost and animal manure also contain nitrogen compounds

49. Another method Farmers use is called Crop Rotation
Farmers grow Nitrogen fixing Crops
Nitrogen fixing bacteria live on or in the roots of these plants
Farmers will grow corn, wheat or potatoes in a field for only one-two years and then grow a Nitrogen fixing plants for one-two years

52. 1. Legume symbioses
The most familiar examples of nitrogen-fixing symbioses are the root nodules of legumes (peas, beans, clover, etc.).
                                                                                                                                                    Part of a clover root system bearing naturally occurring nodules of Rhizobium. Each nodule is about 2-3 mm long.
                                                                                                                                                 

56. Carbon Cycle
Carbon is important part of soil Humus, and is found in the atmosphere as CO2
Carbon cycle begins when producers remove CO2 to carry out photosynthesis
CO2 is released by organism in the process of respiration
Human activities also release CO2 into the environment : Burning Fossil Fuels

57. Extra CO2 could trap heat and cause average temperatures to increase
The Amount of CO2 in the Atmosphere is increasing from Tree harvesting, and burning fossil fuels
Extra CO2 could trap heat and cause average temperatures to increase
Global Warming
Temperatures are increasing at a rate of about 2* every 10 years

68. Energy Flow Converting Energy
Photosynthesis – Converting solar energy into chemical energy (Glucose)
Respiration-Converting stored chemical energy into Kinetic energy (energy to do work)
Chemosynthesis- Organism that use chemicals to produce energy rich molecules
Bacteria living near hydrothermal Vents deep in the ocean where there is no light

69. Water near hydrothermal vents are very hot because of contact with molten rock
Waters are rich in chemicals such as sulfur
Consumers living in the vent rely on chemosynthetic bacteria for nutrients and energy

70. Energy Transfer Energy can be transferred from one organism to another
Throughout nature energy and matter is transferred from one organism to another
Food Chains
Shows how matter an energy passes from one organism to another
Producers are the first step of the food chain

71. Herbivores or Omnivores are the second step
Carnivores or omnivores are the third and higher steps

76. Food Webs Food webs are made up of many different food chains
Shows the feeding relationship between all organism in the community

79. Energy Pyramids
The amount of energy available is reduced as you move from one level to the next
For example: When a plant absorbs sunlight, it uses some of the energy to grow, therefore when the plant gets eaten not all the energy is passed on
Animals use energy they obtained to carry out life functions, so when they get eaten less energy is passed on

80. The same thing happens at every feeding level of a food chain
An energy pyramid shows the amount of energy available at each level
Bottom level is the largest, contains all the producers and contains the most energy
Only about 10% of the energy available at each level of an energy pyramid is transferred to the next highest level

81. Thus 10 percent of the energy in plants becomes stored in the tissues of herbivores, and 10 percent of the energy in herbivores becomes stored in the tissues of carnivores