Ecology: Lecture 4 Flashcards
What is ecosystem function?
- Species interactions
- Energy and nutrient flows
Ecosystem function is…?
How an ecosystem works
- How they operate in terms of creating biological matter and maintaining the livability of earth.
Humans are altering ecosystem function and what does it mean?
As we change the function, it will impact the ability of earth to support life and different kinds of life.
What is ecosystem function defined as?
- Species interactions
- Energy and nutrient flow
What do species interactions do for ecosystem function?
Species interactions (and different kinds of them) structure ecosystems, resulting the ecosystems that we see and the interconnections within sand between ecosystems.
Ecosystem function is also how an ecosystem….?
It is how an ecosystem works.
- How ecosystems operate in terms of creating biological matter and maintaining the livability of the planet.
Are humans altering function?
As we change the function of an ecosystem, it will impact the ability of earth to support life and different kinds of life.
What are primary producers?
They are autotrophs, turning light into biomass
What are primary consumers?
Primary consumers are herbivores
What are secondary consumers?
They are predators
What are decomposers?
Organisms that break down dead organisms.
What are detritus?
They are dead organisms - a vital source of nutrients. They make the environment/ecosystems sustainable.
Living and non-living components of an ecosystem?
Living organisms and dead organisms are biotic features.
The physical environment is an abiotic feature.
Living component?
Group of organisms that process energy and nutrients in similar ways.
- Move nutrients in similar ways (eat similarly)
The components are affected how?
- Trophic/energy/nutrient flows between organisms.
- Energy/nutrient flows between the organisms and the environment.
How are the components connected?
- Organism to organism
- Organism to physical environment
What is ecosystem function characterized by?
Ecosystem function is characterized by the connections between components and the flow of energy and nutrients.
How can we measure ecosystem functioning?
We can measure ecosystem functioning as these connections and rates of flow. I.e How fast/effiecient are ecosystems? Their components? Using their material?
Ecosystem energetics?
Ecosystems (and life) are powered by the sun.
What do primary producers do?
Primary producers capture radiant energy (photosynthesis) and
store chemical energy (molecular bonds in organic compounds)
- Radiant energy is contained in light beams
- Chemical energy is carbs, ATP, sugars, etc.
- Their energy is then available for other organisms to consume.
How do ecosystems transfer energy?
Ecosystems transfer chemical energy through consumption (transfer to consumers) and death (transfer to detritus)
How do ecosystems lose heat?
Ecosystems lose heat energy through respiration
Is energy flow in ecosystems a perfect loop?
No, it is not!
One-way energy flow in ecosystems: enters as radiant energy, stored and transferred as chemical energy, leaves as heat energy