Exam 16: Physical Cycles and the Biosphere

Which form(s) of nitrogen is(are) unusable by plants?

The term weather differs from climate because

As you have learned in Chapter 16, global warming is taking place. Some sources estimate that the temperature on Earth will increase about 0.5 degrees Celsius over a 100-year period. Although scientists do not agree on the amount of increase, let's presume that this will result in an approximate seven-inch rise in sea level. When a national park (located at twenty inches above sea level) is initially submerged, how much would you expect the temperature to have increased?

Which of these categories has the shortest residence time?

When a coral reef turns white, it means that the reef is

Commercial fertilizers often add _______________ to the soil.

Photosynthesis utilizes __________, and the burning of fossil fuels generates __________.

A human's body is approximately _____ percent water.

Carbon primarily cycles between

Why do environmentalists ask inhabitants of waterfront properties to reduce their use of plant fertilizers?

The most abundant gas in the atmosphere is

The largest reservoir of carbon is

Heat from the sun allows water to __________ through plant __________.

When a gas changes from a gas into a liquid, it is called

The backbone of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins is

From 1980 to 2000, the global temperature

The water from rivers eventually flows into

Of the following carbon reservoirs, which contains the lowest mass of carbon?

People often talk about each of our "carbon footprints." What do you think that means?

Fossil fuels are primarily the result of