and the threats
to biodiversity
How do we
define a
system on
Earth?
How do each
of the spheres
on Earth
interact?
What events
occur in one
sphere that
impact
another?
How does
carbon cycle
through
Earth’s
spheres?
How does
carbon cycle
between
photosynthesis
and cellular
respiration?
Slide 1.
What spheres are
interacting here?
Slide 2. What spheres are interacting here?
Slide 3. What
spheres are
interacting here?
Slide 4. What
spheres are
interacting here?
Slide 5. What
spheres are
interacting here?
Slide 6. What spheres
are interacting here?
Key questions toward solving causes and effects of ecological disturbances
1. How could each of the Earth's four spheres (hydrosphere, atmosphere, lithosphere,
and biosphere) have contributed to the occurrence of _____________? possible sphere
causes, contributions, or amplifications to the event
Example: plate tectonics (lithosphere) and the development of an earthquake (event) that causes
a tsunami (hydrosphere).
2. What are the effects of _____________ on each of the Earth's four spheres
(hydrosphere, atmosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere)? These are the event and its
impact on spheres
Example: California wildfires (event) and their impact on air quality (atmosphere).
3. What are the effects of a change(s) in one of Earth's four spheres (hydrosphere,
atmosphere, lithosphere, or biosphere) on each of the other spheres (hydrosphere,
atmosphere, lithosphere, or biosphere)? These are the sphere-to-sphere interactions
Example: Severe rain (hydrosphere) and its cause of increased erosion (lithosphere) of soil into
rivers (hydrosphere) and its impact on freshwater invertebrates (biosphere).
Slide 7. Calbuco,
a 2,000m
(6,572ft) volcano
in Chile, has
erupted twice in
the past day,
sending
emergency
services (and
photographers)
into overdrive.
The volcano
overlooks the
cities of Puerto
Montt and Puerto
Varas, which
have a combined
population of
roughly 250,000
people.
What spheres are
interacting here?
Slide 8.
Southeast
Florida's St.
Lucie Estuary in
2016 as it
received national
attention due to
beach closures on
the Fourth of
July weekend
from the massive
amounts of toxic
green slime.
What spheres are
interacting here?