Feeback loops apply to change in the environment. Now consider possible feedback

Question

Feeback loops apply to change in the environment. Now consider possible feedback loops that might help keep the environment in balance (negative feedback) or exaggerate change (positive feedback). Use this sentence format.

If ____________, then __________ because _________, causing ____________ because ____________. This is _________ feedback.

For example:

If the number of earthworms decreases , then the soil will become more compact because earthworm holes aerate the soil, causing the number of earthworms to decrease even more because they have difficulty reproducing in compact soil. This is positive feedback (because the change becomes more exaggerated).

If the frequency of volcanic eruptions increases, then earth's temperature will decrease because vocanic dust in the atmosphere blocks sunlight, causing a decrease in the frequency of volcanic eruptions because glaciers cover volcanic mountains and counteract eruption pressure. This is negative feedback (because the initial change is reversed).

These examples are a bit silly, but illustrate the basic concept of feedback. Note that these feedback loops begin and end with change in same features: the number of earthworms and freqeuency of volcanic eruptions. Your feedback loops should begin and end with change in the same environmental feature as well.. Confused? Well, it's complex. Imagine trying to sort out the real world with billions of these interactions. Just do your best to make logical proposals and be sure to begin and end each example with change in the same feature.

10. Using your knowledge and imagination, think of one possible feedback loop (either positive or negative) affecting the atmosphere that would involve at least one feature of any other sphere.

If ____________, then __________ because _________, causing ____________ because ____________. This is ___positive______ feedback.

Explanation / Answer

10) If there is less rainfall then there is an decreases in soil moisture because of low precipitation causing plants to die because there is less water in the soil to be released through transpiration. This is a positive feedback.

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