10.1 ecosystems, energy and nutrient cycling Flashcards
what are ecosystems?
-large-scale ecological system of integrated organic and inorganic parts, with patterns of biodiversity that have emerged over very long periods of time
-at the broadest scaled, we are talking about biomes (and even the biosphere)
what are biome examples?
what is average precipitation vs latitude?
what is precipitation vs temperature?
how are ecosystems largely inclusive?
ecosystems function through ____________________
biogeochemical cycles
all biogeochemical cycles have a common structure:
-inputs
-internal cycling
-outputs
what are biochemical cycles?
many chemical reactions take place in abiotic components of the ecosystem:
-atmosphere
-water
-soil
-rock
-the biogeochemical cycle is the cyclic flow of nutrients from the nonliving to the living and back to the nonliving components of the ecosystem
what are the two types of biogeochemical cycles?
in gaseous biogeochemical cycles, the main pools of nutrients are the atmosphere and the oceans
-global
-nitrogen, carbon dioxide, oxygen
in sedimentary biogeochemical cycles, the main pool of nutrients is the soil, rocks and minerals
-inorganic sources of minerals are released to living animals through weathering and erosion
-e.g. phosphorus
can hybrids of biogeochemical cycles occur?
-hybrid of gaseous and sedimentary cycles also occur (e.g. sulfur)
-both gaseous and sedimentary cycles are tied to the water cycle
what is the carbon cycle?
carbon is so closely tied to energy flow that the two are inseparable
-ecosystem productivity= grams C fixed/m^2/yr
inorganic carbon dioxide is the source of all carbon
-the inorganic carbon is fixed into the living components through photosynthesis
-carbon dioxide is again released following respiration
what is sucrose?
a disaccharide composed of subunits of glucose and fructose. 12 atoms of carbon are present
what is the global carbon cycle?
what is the mangrove forest carbon budget?
what is carbon cycle and net primary productivity?
terrestrial cycling of carbon:
-input: photosynthesis
-output: respiration, decomposition, combustion
net primary productivity=carbon uptake (photosynthesis)-carbon loss (respiration)
-net ecosystem productivity=difference in rates
what are trophic pyramids?
what is the graph of the worlds primary production?
what is the graph of atmospheric carbon?
what is the global carbon cycle?
-earth’s carbon budget is linked to the atmosphere, land and oceans and to the mass movements of air currents
-the earth contains 10^23 grams (or 100 gigatons) of carbon
-all but a small fraction of this carbon is buried in sedimentary rock and is not actively involved in the global carbon cycle
what do humans do to NPP?
