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Ecology > Chapter 21: Ecosystem Energetics > Flashcards

Chapter 21: Ecosystem Energetics Flashcards

1
Q

This law states that energy is neither created nor destroyed.

A

First law of thermodynamics

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2
Q

This law states that when energy is transferred or transformed, part of the energy assumes a form that cannot pass on any further.

A

Second law of thermodynamics

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3
Q

A chemical reaction that results in the loss of energy from the system is an ___ reaction.

A

exothermic

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4
Q

A chemical reaction that must absorb energy to proceed is an ___ reaction.

A

endothermic

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5
Q

A reduction in potential energy is called ___.

A

entropy

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6
Q

True or false: The flow of energy through a terrestrial ecosystem starts with harnessing of sunlight by autotrophs.

A

True

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7
Q

The rate at which radiant energy is converted by photosynthesis to organic compounds is referred to as ___.

A

primary productivity

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8
Q

The total rate of photosynthesis, or energy assimilated by autotrophs, is the ___.

A

gross primary productivity

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9
Q

The rate of energy storage as organic matter after respiration is called ___.

A

net primary productivity

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10
Q

Net primary = gross primary - respiration by autotrophs

A

Yup

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11
Q

What unit is productivity usually expressed as?

A

units of energy per unit area per unit time

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12
Q

The amount of accumulated organic matter found in an area at a given time is the ___.

A

standing crop biomass

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13
Q

Net primary productivity = NPP

A

Kay

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14
Q

SCB = standing crop biomass

A

Kay

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15
Q

NPP = ΔSCB + D + C

A

D is death of plants (loss of biomass) and C is loss of biomass due to consumption by organisms

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16
Q

NPP ___ with increasing rainfall and temperature.

A

increases

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17
Q

Temperature, water, and nutrients control primary production in ___ ecosystems.

A

terrestrial

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18
Q

Temperature, light, and nutrients control primary production in ___ ecosystems.

A

aquatic

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19
Q

Photosynthesis changes with water depth, but ___ does not.

A

Respiration

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20
Q

The depth at which the availability of light is equal to the light compensation point is called the ___.

A

compensation depth

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21
Q

At compensation depth, the rate of photosynthesis is ___ than rate of respiration, and NPP is ___.

A

equal to; zero

22
Q

Organic carbon produced within an ecosystem is called ___ carbon.

A

autochthonous

23
Q

Carbon that comes from outside an ecosystem is called ___ carbon.

A

allochthonous

24
Q

In small, shaded streams where not a lot of photosynthesis can happen, ___ carbon is very important.

A

allochthonous

25
Q

Net energy of production is called ___.

A

secondary production

26
Q

Secondary production per unit time is referred to as ___.

A

secondary productivity

27
Q

The ratio of assimilation to ingestion is called ___ and is a measure of the efficiency with which the consumer extracts energy from food.

A

assimilation efficiency

28
Q

The ratio of production to assimilation is called ___ and is a measure of how efficiently the consumer incorporates assimilated energy into secondary production.

A

production efficiency

29
Q

True or false: consumers vary in efficiency of production.

A

True

30
Q

True or false: Bigger, more complex organisms have higher production efficiency.

A

False. Invertebrates have the highest, actually.

31
Q

In this food chain, the source of energy is living plant biomass or net primary production.

A

Grazing food chain

32
Q

In this food chain, the source of energy is dead organic matter.

A

Detrital food chain

33
Q

In the grazing food chain, flow of energy between trophic levels is ___, while in the detrital food chain it is not.

A

unidirectional

34
Q

True or false: the energy available to a given trophic level is the production of the next lower level (n-1).

A

True

35
Q

The ratio of ingestion to production at the next lower trophic level is called the ___.

A

consumption efficiency

36
Q

Values of consumption efficiency for the various consumer trophic levels determine the pathway of energy flow through the food chain, providing a basis for comparison of energy flow through different ecosystems.

A

Ok.

37
Q

A measure of efficiency used to describe the transfer of energy between trophic levels is called the ___.

A

trophic efficiency

38
Q

This is the ratio of productivity in a given trophic level to the trophic level it feeds on.

A

trophic efficiency

39
Q

Decreasing energy transfers through the food web causes a ___ in the standing biomass of organisms within each successive trophic level.

A

decrease

40
Q

What are the two types of biogeochemical cycles?

A

gaseous and sedimentary

41
Q

Nutrients entering the ecosystem via rainfall is called ___.

A

wetfall

42
Q

Nutrients brought in by particles and aerosols are called ___.

A

dryfall

43
Q

Nutrients for ___ ecosystems enter via drainage water, detritus, and sediment.

A

aquatic

44
Q

Fires and harvesting are examples of ___ that result in loss of nutrients from the ecosystem.

A

outputs

45
Q

True or false: the output of one system can be the input of another.

A

True

46
Q

The difference between the rate of carbon uptake in photosynthesis and the rate of carbon loss due to autotrophic and heterotrophic respiration is the ___.

A

net ecosystem productivity

47
Q

Why do levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide drop in the spring?

A

Because the plants are using it all.

48
Q

True or false: atmospheric nitrogen can be taken up by plants.

A

False

49
Q

One method for nitrogen to enter ecosystems is ___.

A

nitrogen fixation

50
Q

Microbial decomposition of organic matter, in which NH3 is released as a waste product of microbial activity and NH4 occurs in the soil as a product of microbial decomposition of organic matter, occurs in a process called ___.

A

ammonification

51
Q

Oxidizing NO2 to NO3 is called ___.

A

nitrification

52
Q

This can occur under anaerobic conditions and is when NO3 is reduced to N2O or N2.

A

denitrification

Ecology (6 decks)

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