Ecology - From plankton to tuna

Question 1

How much NPP is captured through Photosynthesis per yr?

Answer 1

1000g c/m2/y

Question 2

How much NPP is used through respiration per yr?

Answer 2

250g c/m2/y

Question 3

What type of production does algae (plants) perform?

Answer 3

autotroph through photosynthesis = photo-autotroph

Question 4

What type of production does bacteria perform?

Answer 4

autotroph through photosynthesis = photo-autotroph
OR
autotroph through chemosynthesis = chemo-autotroph
OR
heterotroph (so no primary production)

Question 5

chemosynthesis

Answer 5

the synthesis of organic compounds by bacteria or other living organisms using energy derived from reactions involving inorganic chemicals, typically in the absence of sunlight.

Question 6

What type of production does archaea and some bacteria perform?

Answer 6

autotroph through chemosynthesis = chemo-autotroph

Question 7

Examples of consumers that are heterotroph

Answer 7

1. grazers (e.g. copepoda, snails, sea urchins)
2. Predators (e.g. fish, seals)
3. scavengers (aaseters. e.g. crabs, snails)
4. Filter-feeders (e.g. mussels, corals, koker worms)
5. deposit feeders (e.g. worms, snails)

Question 8

Reducers (decomposters) information

Answer 8

1. heterotroph
2. mostly bacteria and molds
3. break down dead organic material
4. makes nutrients available for primary production

Question 9

anaerobic bacteria in anoxic situations

Answer 9

use sulfate (example)

Question 10

sulfate use equation for anaerobic bacteria

Answer 10

C6H12O6 (Glucose –> sugar) + 2O4ˆ2- (Sulfate) –> CO2 (carbon dioxide) + H2S (hydrogen sulfide)

Question 11

Trophic dynamic

Answer 11

the interactions in an area of food in an ecosystem

Question 12

consumers carnivore trophic lvl

Answer 12

level 3+

Question 13

consumers herbivores trophic lvl

Answer 13

level 2

Question 14

producers trophic lvl

Answer 14

level 1

Question 15

equation for determining the TL of an organism

Answer 15

TL Organism = 1 + TL Food

Question 16

decomposers trophic lvl

Answer 16

they decompose dead material out of all TL’s. Therefore, they do not have a TL

Question 17

food chain

Answer 17

a linear schematic representation of the trophic interactions in an ecosystem

Question 18

Grazing and detrius food chain according to pinet

Answer 18

in reality, the food chains are not separate to each other, but form a web

Question 19

foodweb

Answer 19

schematic representation of the trophic interactions in an ecosystem.

Question 20

Problem with the foodchain/web

Answer 20

many organisms feed on multiple trophic levels

Question 21

solution to the problem with the foodchain/web

Answer 21

work with fractions (shared for the foodsource)
e.g.
TL = 1 + (TLp1 * Fp1 + TLp2 * Fp2)

Question 22

Food Piramid

Answer 22

schematic representation of trophic interactions in an ecosystem and the relative amount of energy which represents a layer.

Question 23

biomassa

Answer 23

amount of living matter per surface area or unit volume

Question 24

with each higher TL, what happens?

Answer 24

1. larger organisms
2. lower reproduction speed
3. less population numbers
4. lower total biomass

Question 25

why does the amount of energy and mass between TL’s decrease?

Answer 25

1. not all biomass is eaten
2. not all biomass is digested (e.g. energy use in forming bones, shells, etc.)
3. a lot of energy is used in maintenance (e.g. movement and growth)

Question 26

transfer efficiency

Answer 26

efficiency of carbon transfer. A certain amount of carbon is used for growth in following TL’s. Use 10% for calculations (between 10-20% is used for transfer)

Question 27

cases wadden sea: shrimp

Answer 27

low shrimp catch in spring/summer of 2015 +16

Question 28

cases wadden sea: eidereenden

Answer 28

high mortality in winter 2000

Question 29

cases wadden sea: mussels

Answer 29

good mussel breeding after a severe winter