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Eco & Evo 2 > Ecosystem productivity + energy flow > Flashcards

Ecosystem productivity + energy flow Flashcards

1
Q

What is an ecosystem?

A

The linking of biotic + abiotic factors in an environment w/ a defined movement of energy + matter

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2
Q

What are the components of an ecosystem?

A 
Producers
Consumers
Decomposers
Abiotic components
-water
-atmosphere
-soil minerals
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3
Q

How will global warming affect distribution graphs?

A

Increase in temp:

  • > more hot weather + less cold weather
  • > less light precipitation + more heavy precipitation
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4
Q

What could an increase in precipitation due to global warming lead to?

A

Higher chance of leaching

= washes away fertiliser

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5
Q

Why should we care about ecosystem ecology?

A

> provides a mechanistic basis for understanding the Earth system
ecosystems provide good + services to society
human activities are changing ecosystems
- need to improve management

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6
Q

What are the core research areas in ecosystem research?

A

Transformation + interactions of energy + matter within an ecosystem:

  • energy budgets + factors that control energy transfer
  • monitoring changes over time + space
  • sustainability (carrying capacity + restoration)
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7
Q

What is productivity?

A

The rate of energy capture + conversion to chemical bonds

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8
Q

How much solar energy is reflected/not absorbed by plants?

A

99%

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9
Q

What are the 2 type of primary productivity?

A

GPP
= rate at which energy is captured + assimilated by producers
- includes use of captured energy for their own metabolism via respiration

NPP
= rate of energy assimilated + converted to biomass
= GPP - respiration

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10
Q

How could plants be made more efficient?

A

Make RUBISCO more efficient

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11
Q

What are the 4 ways you can measure primary productivity?

A
  1. measure changes in producer biomass
  2. measure changes in CO2 uptake + release
  3. measure changes in O2 uptake + release
  4. remote sensing
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12
Q

How do you measure change in producer biomass?

A

Measure mass of producers at beginning + end of growing season

= estimates NPP

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13
Q

How do you measure changes in CO2 uptake + release?

A

Measure CO2 in a container in light + dark

Decrease in CO2 in light = NPP

Difference between light + dark measurements = GPP

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14
Q

How do you measure changes in O2 uptake + release?

A

Measure dissolved O2

Increased O2 in light = NPP

Difference between light + dark measurements = GPP

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15
Q

What is remote sensing?

A

Using the absorbance + reflectance of chlorophyll to map global changes in producer biomass

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16
Q

Describe the pattern of NPP across the globe

A

Not equally distributed

Terrestrial systems show highest productivity in tropics

Tropical rainforests = most productive ecosystems

17
Q

Describe the pattern of NPP in aquatic systems

A

Marine systems = lower in productivity per unit area

Aquatic systems along coasts = highly productive

Estuaries + coral reefs = most productive

18
Q

What is the relationship between precipitation + temp, with productivity?

What about between nutrients + productivity?

A

Postive correlation

N + P, as well as in combination, can be limiting to productivity

19
Q

What is secondary production?

A

How much energy is fixated by the consumers

20
Q

What is energy flow in ecosystems constrained by?

A

Laws of thermodynamics:
1st law = energy can be converted from 1 form to another but can’t be created/destroyed

2nd law = transformations of energy result in some loss/dissipation of energy

21
Q

What is the consumption efficiency equation?

A

Consumed energy / net production of the lower trophic level

22
Q

What is the assimilation efficiency equation?

A

Assimilated energy / consumed energy

23
Q

What is ecological stoichiometry?

A

The study of the balance of energy and elements influences living systems

24
Q

What is the net production efficiency equation?

A

Net production energy/ assimilated energy

25
Q

What is the ecological efficiency equation?

A

Net production energy of a trophic level / net production energy of a lower trophic level

26
Q

How does ecological efficiency explain the no. of trophic levels?

A

Plants avoid being consumed via defences
-> less energy moves up in trophic levels due to low consumption efficiency
= less transferred energy supports fewer trophic levels

27
Q

How does the no. of trophic levels differ in aquatic ecosystems?

A

Algae is consumed more efficiently

-> supports more trophic levels

28
Q

What is standing crop?

A

The amount of biomass present at a particular time in a system

29
Q

What is the relationship between ecological efficiency and biomass accumulation?

A

Low ecological efficiency

= high biomass

30
Q

What does NPP vary with?

A

Environmental factors

- light, temp, nutrients etc

Eco & Evo 2 (16 decks)

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