Ecosystems and Biomes: A Comprehensive Look at Earth’s Habitats
Ecosystems: Interconnectedness of Life
From Geosphere to Biosphere
Ecology is the science that studies the characteristics of living beings and the environment in which they live. Key concepts include:
- Biotope: The physical environment where living organisms of an ecosystem develop their life.
- Biocenosis: The community of living beings in a particular ecosystem.
- Habitat: The specific location where an organism lives.
Terrestrial and Aquatic Environments
- Terrestrial Environment: The surface of continents.
Internal Geological Processes: Volcanoes and Earthquakes
Internal Geological Processes
Internal geological processes are caused by the heat inside the Earth. These include volcanic activity, earthquakes, and the formation of ridges. The heat inside the Earth not only causes volcanic activity but also the movements of lithospheric plates that produce earthquakes and cause the great ranges.
Volcanoes
Definition
Volcanoes are often steep, conical mountains. However, not all volcanoes are high mountains or perfect cones. They are often under the sea, and their
Read MoreUnderstanding Heat: Transfer, Capacity, and State Changes
Heat energy is the manifestation of the kinetic energy of particles, atoms, and molecules, which comprise the body in question. It is transmitted from hotter bodies to colder ones until a state of balance is reached, and energy transmission stops. This energy in transit is the heat.
Temperature and Heat
Temperature is a measure of the degree of heat of substances. It is measurable in °C, °K, or °F.
Heat is measured by a quantity called specific heat (Ce) and is defined as the heat needed to raise
Read MoreAndalusian Music: History, Forms, Instruments, and Flamenco
Andalusian Music
Andalusian music arose in the southern peninsula during the Muslim Epoka. It is a mixture of Jewish, Arab, and Berber musical traditions. It is both vocal and instrumental, featuring instruments such as the Arabic lute, lyre, and tambourine.
Musical Forms
The song is the most used musical form, which is the alternation between Strofada and Stribillo. In popular music, the verse is called a proverb. Romances are instructed in four categories:
- Horn: Bellows pipes, a three-hole flute (
Earth’s Subsystems and Pollution: A Comprehensive Look
Earth’s Interacting Subsystems
Within the Earth system, we can differentiate several interacting subsystems: the atmosphere (gaseous envelope), the geosphere (the solid Earth formed by rocks and minerals), the hydrosphere (inland waters, seas, and oceans), and the biosphere (all living organisms on the planet). All Earth system components are interdependent and supportive. What occurs in one subsystem will have consequences on the other subsystems; thus, there is a dynamic equilibrium.
Examples:
- The
Natural Resources and Energy: Types, Uses, and Global Impact
Raw Materials
Raw materials are items available in nature that humans use for direct consumption and to create products to meet energy needs. They can be of:
- Animal origin (meat, wool, milk)
- Vegetable origin (cotton, wood, fruit)
- Mineral origin (metals, rocks)
Minerals
- Metallic: Metals are extracted from these minerals (gold, silver, copper, iron)
- Non-metallic: No metals are extracted from these minerals (marble, plaster). They are used for construction.
- Energy use: These minerals provide energy (coal,