ecosystem Flashcards
1
Q
what is the source of energy for all ecosystems
A
the sun
2
Q
what is gross primary productivity (GPP)
A
- the total quantity of plant biomass stored in a given area at a given time
3
Q
what is net primary productivity (NPP)
A
the chemical energy store that is left after the looses of respiration has been taken into account
4
Q
why is there a low percentage of energy transferred at each stage in the tropic levels
A
- not all of the organism is consumed
- some parts are consumed but cannot be digested so lost as faeces
- some energy is lost in excretory material like urine
- some energy is lost as heat form respiration
5
Q
what are producers
A
photosynthetic organism that manufacture organic substances using light energy, water, carbon dioxide and mineral ions
6
Q
what are consumers
A
- organism that obtain their energy via feeding on other organism
7
Q
what are saprobionts
A
- organism that break down the complex matter in dead organisms into simple ones
8
Q
what is biomass
A
the total mass of living material in a specific area art a given time
9
Q
what does a calorimetry do
A
measures the chemical energy stores on dry mass
