Connections in Algonquin
Completed by Nick Tran
The Mission: Explore the connections between the four spheres and human impact and how that affects the world and Algonquin
The Full Report: |
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Atmosphere: The Atmosphere is the gaseous layer that surrounds the Earth, held in by Earth's gravitational pull. It consists of mainly nitrogen (78%), oxygen (21%), and other gases. It holds the oxygen that is needed by all organisms to respire, as well as the nitrogen needed for growth. Weather and climate are also part of the atmosphere, and this alone showcases one of the many interactions between the atmosphere and hydrosphere
Hydrosphere: The Hydrosphere is liquid in all of its forms. This includes liquid water found in rivers and oceans, frozen water found in ice and glaciers, gaseous vapor found in the atmosphere, and groundwater contained within soil or rock. The hydrosphere supports all life on earth, providing water that is vital to all life, and provides a habitat for a variety of species of animal. Biosphere: The Biosphere is the sphere that includes all living things, and it also overlaps all other spheres, as life can be found in the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere. From bacteria to a whale shark, all living organisms are a part of the biosphere. It also is the global ecosystem between the organisms and the abiotic (nonliving) factors that affect them. The biosphere is extremely vulnerable to changes as all living organisms rely heavily on the other spheres, and without one, all live on earth would cease to exist. Lithosphere: The Lithosphere is the rocky outer crust of the Earth. Everything on the Earth rests on the lithosphere, as it is the plates that make up seabeds as well as the continents. It consists of the pedosphere (soil), the crust, and the uppermost mantle. These plates shift slightly every year, riding on the viscous, putty-like asthenosphere below. The plates will interact with each other, colliding, sliding, separating, and creating new crust, in addition to creating mountains and destroying crust. |
Climate:Algonquin park is shaped like a dome, and this has effects on temperature and precipitation of the park. Prevailing winds come from the west/ northwest, and sweep south/ southeast, carrying moisture across the park. As winds sweep across the park, they are forced upwards due to the elevation increase caused by the domed shape of the park. The rising air cools and condenses, forced to precipitate as it moves over-top of the. As a result, the western/ northwestern side of the park is cooler and wetter due to the higher elevation, and the eastern/ southeastern side of the park is drier and warmer due due to the lower elevation. This slight climate difference separates the park into two distinct environments.The cooler, wetter, west side of the park dominated by maples and other broadleaf trees that prefer the moister soil. On the other hand, the drier, warmer, east side of the park is suited towards the growth of pine and other coniferous trees. Because of these two different environments and vegetation, each environment supports different organisms and two different ecosystems.
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The climate of the park determines what vegetation grows inside the park, and what organisms will follow
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Oxygen is the second-most abundant element in our atmosphere, and is vital to life on Earth. Both carbon dioxide and oxygen are present in the atmosphere. Oxygen is taken in by all living organisms in a process called respiration, where they will take in oxygen for the production of energy and release carbon dioxide. Respiration is how carbon dioxide gets into the atmosphere: organisms intake oxygen, output carbon dioxide. But then how does oxygen get replenished into the atmosphere?
Plants create their food through the process of photosynthesis, which is deeply intertwined with respiration. Plants will take the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere along with sunlight and water to create glucose, a sugar used by plants for growth. In this process, oxygen is released as a waste product, which is how oxygen in the atmosphere is replenished after being used for respiration. This relationship between plants and the atmosphere is not just vital in Algonquin park, it is vital for all life on Earth, and sustains all life on Earth
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A diagram showing the intake and output of oxygen and carbon dioxide by plants in the processes of photosynthesis and respiration
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