Homeostasis

Front

Earth warms → Increased evaporation which produces more clouds → More reflection of light away from Earth → Temperature falls → Rates of evaporation fall. Is this situation amplifying or stabilizing?

Back

Stabilizing

Front

Earth warms → Increased evaporation which produces more clouds → More reflection of light away from Earth → Temperature falls → Rates of evaporation fall

Back

Negative Feedback

Front

Earth warms → Ice cover melts, exposing soil or water → More heat is absorbed by Earth’s surface → Global temperature rises → More ice melts

Back

Amplifying

Front

Earth warms → Ice cover melts, exposing soil or water → More heat is absorbed by Earth’s surface → Global temperature rises → More ice melts

Back

Positive

Front

Humans cut down trees for lumber → Deforestation loosens the soil → Water flow erodes unstable soil → Remaining unstable, low quality, soil can no longer sustain trees → More deforestation occurs

Back

Amplifying

Front

Humans cut down trees for lumber → Deforestation loosens the soil → Water flow erodes unstable soil → Remaining unstable, low quality, soil can no longer sustain trees → More deforestation occurs

Back

Positive

Front

Rabbit population decreases when eaten by foxes → Less food causes fox population to decrease → Less predators causes rabbit population to increase → More food causes fox population to increase → Rabbit population decreases when eaten by foxes

Back

Stabilizing

Front

Rabbit population decreases when eaten by foxes → Less food causes fox population to decrease → Less predators causes rabbit population to increase → More food causes fox population to increase → Rabbit population decreases when eaten by foxes

Back

Negative

Front

When the product of a reaction leads to an INCREASE in that reaction

Back

Positive

Front

Occurs when the product of a reaction leads to a DECREASE in that reaction. Counteracts what is happening.

Back

Negative