Earth Science and Society Final

Part I . The hydrologic cycle is a model which geologists use to explain the pathways of water in and around the Earth . The hydrologic cycle gives a picture of the movement of water between its different reservoirs in the hydrosphere , lithosphere , atmosphere and biosphere Additionally , water can also take any of its three forms - solid , liquid and gas - while in the hydrologic cycle

A simplified overview of the hydrologic cycle begins at the hydrosphere composed of the oceans and seas . The liquid water , under the heat of the sun , evaporates into its

gaseous form and transfers to the atmosphere where it condenses to form clouds . In its cloud form , water can transfer into the lithosphere as precipitation in the form of rain (liquid sleet or snow (both solid forms . Upon reaching the lithosphere surface water may get absorbed by flora and fauna (the biosphere , get absorbed underground (to form groundwater , or runoff into rivers and streams back into the oceans and seas , completing the hydrologic cycle (Pidwirny et al , 2008

Water can also be stored underground . In the saturated zone of the ground , all spaces and openings between the rocks are filled with water The top of the saturated zone is called the water table . Wells may be drilled to the saturated zone so that the groundwater may be used above ground . At the point of the well , a cone of depression forms due to the locality of the upward draining of the water (Washington State Department of Ecology , 1986

Part II . One particular food chain can be found in the forests of Cook County Illinois . The Basswood , a tree , serves as the primary producer converting solar energy and nutrients in the soil into biomass . Moth females lay eggs in the crevices of the Basswood 's bark . When these eggs hatch , the moth larvae feed on the leaves of the Basswood tree , hence becoming the primary consumers . Migrating insectivorous birds - the food chain 's secondary consumers - such as warblets feed on these larvae These birds then fall prey to tertiary consumers such as large birds like hawks and owls which form the tertiary consumers - the top of the food chain . When these tertiary consumers die , their carcasses will be fed upon by scavengers and other decomposers which break down the animal into nutrients to be used again by trees and other primary producers (Thompson , 1960

Looking at the food chain , one sees how geography can be used in the study of living things . As opposed to biologists , zoologists and botanists who may study an organism in detail , learning about the in-depth workings of the organism , a geographer may instead look at the relationships between organisms . Whereas biologists may study inwards , geographers study outwards , emphasizing populations movements and relationships instead of physiology and biochemistry Geographers may study biomes - areas of the earth with similar ecological , climatic and geographical characteristics . This is in contrast to zoogeographic regions , regions of the earth characterized by having similar populations of plants and animals . Biomes can...