Lecture 16 - Ecosystems Flashcards
Ecosystem
All the organisms in a given area, along with their envionment
Focuses on the flow of energy and cycling of nutrients
Energy flow
The passage of energy through the components of an ecosystem
Energy enters as sunlight and exits as heat
Nutrient cycling
The transfer of material within and ecosystem
Nutrients are cycled between the abiotic and biotic components
Primary production
The amount of solar energy converted to chemical energy by an ecosystems’ primary producers for given area at a given time
Biomass
The amount (or mass) of living organic material in an ecosystem
Trophic structure
A pattern of feeding relationship consisting of several different species and levels
Primary producers
base of the food chain which receive their energy from the Sun
Primary consumers
Herbivores that eat primary producers
Secondary consumers
Eat the next level below them
How much energy is passed to the next level?
On average, only 10% of the energy available at one trophic level is passed on to the next level
Biogeochemical cycle
The abiotic and biotic influences on the cycling in an ecosystem
Carbon, Nitrogen, Phosphorus
Carbon Cycle
- Photosynthesis
- Respiration
- Decomposers
Carbon is the major ingredient in all life
Nitrogen Cycle
- Fixation
- Nitrification
- Uptake/Assimilation
- Decomposition
- Dentrification
An ingredient in proteins and nucleic acids and is essential to all life
Phosphorus Cycle
- Weathering of rocks
- Uptake/Assimilation
- Decomposition
- Leaching/Sedimentation
- Geologic uplift
An important ingredient in nucleic acids, bones, teeth, and phospholipid
