CHES BAY QUIZ 3 Flashcards
ingredients of photosynthesis
chlorophyll a + Sun + CO2 +H2O (above pycnocline)
what bacteria use to decompose algae
dissolved oxygen
Products of photosynthesis
sugar and oxygen
consequences of algae
more bacteria and more dissolved oxygen consumed
when dissolved oxygen below pycnocline is lowest
summer and very early fall
what happens to algae when it dies
sinks below pycnocline and is decomposed by bacteria
consequences of nitrogen and phosphorous
algae grow faster than ecosystems can handle
oxygen is a ______ product of photosynthesis
waste
importance of sugar
growth and reproduction
autotrophs
make their own food through photosynthesis
cellular respiration
a process that releases energy from sugar to perform the functions of life – conversion of food you eat into energy your body uses. sugar and oxygen convert to CO2, water, and energy
how carbon, oxygen and water recycle continuously from inorganic to organic form and back
photosynthesis and respiration
as water temperature increases, the ___ oxygen a molecule of water can hold
less
as salinity increases, the ___ oxygen a molecule of water can hold
less
diurnal cycle of oxygen
increases in the morning with photosynthesis, peaks in late afternoon, and decreases when the sun goes down and respiration occurs. also varies seasonally (as temps increase in summer, water holds less oxygen)
productivity
The rate at which energy is converted by autotrophs (ALGAE) into carbon substances or biomass
gross primary productivity
The total amount of organic material or biomass produced by autotrophs per unit of time
Net primary productivity
the remaining fraction of carbon or biomass produced minus the energy lost due to energy used by the autotrophs in respiration
Biomass
the total mass of living matter, or recently living organisms (plants, plant-derived material and animals) in a given unit of environmental area or volume
why estuaries are so productive
point sources and runoff entering them brings in high levels of nutrients (N&P). ratio of watershed to bay surface area is large so lot of land contributing to small amount of water. fast turnover (rate of photosynthesis and respiration)
consequence of water being a polar molecule
pollutants attach to it
the faster turnover rate of photosynthesis-respiration, the _______ the total biomass passes energy into the ecosystem
faster
marine/estuarine turnover is ___ times faster than terrestrial
300
nitrogen cycle
a repeating cycle of processes during which nitrogen moves through both living and non-living things: the atmosphere, soil, water, plants, animals and bacteria. In order to move through the different parts of the cycle, nitrogen must change forms.
nitrogen fixation
Fixation converts nitrogen (N2) in the atmosphere into ammonia or forms that plants can absorb through their root systems. CONSUMES OXYGEN
nitrification
ammonia (NH4) in the soils is converted into compounds called nitrites and nitrates (NO2/No3)– CONSUMES OXYGEN
denitrification
nitrogen returns to the air as nitrates are converted to atmospheric nitrogen (N2) by bacteria
The more dead material there is to decompose, the the ___ active the bacteria become and the more oxygen they need.
more
16:1 nitrogen phosphorous ratio
neither N or P limiting - algae grows well
> 16:1 nitrogen phosphorous ratio
P limiting (upper Bay)
< 16:1 nitrogen phosphorous ratio
N limiting (lower Bay)
Redfield ratio
phytoplankton controls nutrient chemistry of the waters – you can cause a nutrient to be limiting and thus control the amount of algae being grown
Areas of Bay with Large watershed:water surface ratio have ____
lots of Nitrogen (high N:P)
Areas of Bay with Low watershed:water surface ratio have ___
less Nitrogen (low N:P)
where nitrogen is lowest
open ocean away from land
All plants need _____, _____, and _____ to grow.
nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium
The more algae, the more ___, the less ___
bacteria, dissolved oxygen
zooplankton
eat phytoplankton – but there aren’t enough of them to eat all, so that’s why phytoplankton fall to bottom
Decomposition (nitrogen cycle)
Bacteria and fungi decay convert the dead remains of plants or animals or their waste products to ammonia (NH3).
organic nitrogen
We use the term “organic nitrogen” to describe a nitrogen compound that had its origin in living material. The nitrogen in protein and urea is organic nitrogen. Organic nitrogen can enter septic systems as bodily wastes, discarded food material, or as components of cleaning agents.
