ch 55- ecosystems and restoration ecology Flashcards
ecosystem =
community of organisms in an area and the physical factors w/ which they interact
an ecosystem regardless of its size must have which two things
energy flow and chemical energy
what is energy flow
enters as light from sunlight, which is converted into chemical energy by autotrophs and leaves as heat
what is chemical energy
elements such as carbon and nitrogen are passed between biotic and abiotic components
what is primary production
the amount of light energy converted to chemical energy by autorophs
How does primary production work in terrestrial systems
primary production is greatest in areas with
- high precipitation and high temps bcs it creates a great amount of solar energy
how does primary production work in aquatic systems
affected by light and nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus)
eutrophication= primary production increases as ecosystem changes from nutrient poor to nutrient rich
energy transfer between trophic levels is
not sufficient
What are biotic components
living things w/in an ecosystem like plants, animals and bacteria
what are abiotic components
non living things like water soil and atmosphere
what are biogeochemical cycles
nutrient cyces that involve both biotic and abiotic components
examples of biogeochemical cycles
water cycle, carbon cycle, phosphorous cycle and nitrogen cycle
components of water cycle and where water is found
water is essential to all organisms
97 of water found in oceans, 1 in lakes and 2 in glaciers
components of carbon cycle
essential for organic molecules
photosytsnethis uses carbon dioxide
cellular respiration and burning of fossil fuels release CO2
what is important abt the phosphorus cycle
plants need this for growth
