lecture 2

Question 1

3 ecosystem components?

Answer 1

1. Primary producers (autotrophs)
   2. Consumers (heterotrophs)
   Decomposers (autotrophs)

Question 2

describe autotrophs

Answer 2

Autotrophs- manufacture organic requirements from inorganic sources

Question 3

describe heterotrophs

Answer 3

○ Heterotrophs- obtain organic requirements from other organisms and the environment

Question 4

what do trophic relationships follow? carbon as a currency?

Answer 4

○ Trophic relationships - following the path of energy/carbon through the system
○ Carbon as a currency - accounted for and integrated into our understanding of how ecosystems function

Question 5

describe primary producers. what is chemosynthesi s

Answer 5

• Green plants
  
  • Photosynthesis: use solar energy to convert inorganic molecules into organic molecules
  • Phytoplankton -> trees
  • Not all plants are autotrophs!! Ex. Corpse plant (not green, not an autotroph)
  • Some bacteria
    ○ Chemosynthesis: use chemical energy to synthesize organic compounds

Question 6

describe consumers

Answer 6

• Heterotrophs
  
  • 1degree consumers (herbivores) feed on plants
  • 2nd degree and higher order consumers feed on other animals
  • Omnivores are generalists

Question 7

describe decomposers

Answer 7

• Organisms that obtain nutrients by breaking down organic matter
  
  • Especially fungi, bacteria, invertebrates
  • Heterotrophs
    Essential step

Question 8

what are the 4 abiotic components of an ecosystem

Answer 8

1. Substrate/matrix: soil, parent material;
   
   2. Solar or other energy source
   3. Chemicals/compounds/minerals: contained in soil, air, water
      Climate: temp, wind, precipitation, light, humidity etc (micro and macro)

Question 9

ecosystem processes? (6)

Answer 9

pp
translocation
decomp
trophic lvl relationships
biogeochemical cycling
energy flow

Question 10

describe photosynth

Answer 10

Photosynthesis/primary production: conversion of light energy into chemical energy (fixation of C)

Question 11

describe translocation

Answer 11

Translocation: nutrients, water, carbs, moved within plant

Question 12

describe decomp

Answer 12

• Decomposition: breaking down OM into simpler forms

Question 13

what is cycled in biogeochemical cycling?

Answer 13

(e.g. water, nitrogen, phosphorous)
* Energy flow

Question 14

is ecosystem ecology interdisciplinary?

Answer 14

yes, encompasses many contexts and mechanisms

Question 15

why study ecosystem ecology?

Answer 15

whole system” approach critical for long term sustainable management biodiversity, populations and resources
* Cannot manage a species (resource, biodiversity) while ignoring important components of its ecosystem

Question 16

peruvian anchovy fishery ex?

Answer 16

• Used single species data to build harvesting model
  
  • Max Sustainable Yield= approx. 10 million tons/yr (based on avg. environmental conditions)
  • Bottom up approach- lots of food to drive the anchovy populations
  • Deep water tends to be highly nutrient rich bc of decomp of sinking dead organisms
    ○ Upwelling fertilizes organisms that are photosynthesizing on the surface
  • In 1972 - el nino warmed water and lowered fish productivity - movement of air changes, air blows inland instead of out to the ocean - no more upwelling/movement of water from upwelling, nutrients not moving up/being replenished
    fishery collapsed

Question 17

what are ecosystem services? 4 services?

Answer 17

• Direct and indirect contributions of ecosystems to human well being

1. Regulating of ecosystem processes
   
   2. Provising (obtained from ecosystem)
   3. Cultural (non material benefits)
      4.Supporting (necessary for production of all ecosystem services)

Question 18

describe Regulating of ecosystem processes

Answer 18

○ Climate, air quality, extreme events, water flow, soil retention, nutrients, pollination, biological control regulated

Question 19

describe provising

Answer 19

2. Provising (obtained from ecosystem)
   ○ Food, raw materials, fresh water, genetic resources (diversity), pharmaceutical

Question 20

describe cultural ecosystem services

Answer 20

3. Cultural (non material benefits)
   ○ Spiritual enrichment, intellectual development, recreation, aesthetic values, etc

Question 21

describe supporting ecosystem services

Answer 21

4. Supporting (necessary for production of all ecosystem services): primary production, soil formation, habitat, baseline genetic diversity

Question 22

what do ecosystem ecology questions address?

Answer 22

ocus on integrated systems rather than individual organisms or physical components
* Addresses interactions that link biotic systems with abiotic systems on which they depend

Question 23

what materials flow through the ecosystem?

Answer 23

○ Carbon
○ Water
○ Nitrogen
○ Rock derived elements (ie phosporous)
○ Novel chemicals (e.g. pesticides)
Found in biotic and abiotic pools

Question 24

look at flow diagram

Answer 24

ok

Question 25

open vs closed systems?

Answer 25

• Closed - all energy is contained within the system- easier to study
  
  • Open- energy is exchanged between biotic and abiotic
    Most systems are open

Question 26

what are pools?

Answer 26

• Pools -quantity of energy or material in a system
  ○ Abiotic (soil, rock, water, atmosphere)
  ○ Biotic (plants, animals, microbes)

Question 27

what are fluxes? examples?

Answer 27

• Fluxes - flow of energy or materials from one pool to another
  ○ Weathering of rocks
  ○ Evaporation of water
  ○ Dissolution of material in water
  ○ absorption of minerals by plants
  ○ Fall of leaves in autumn
  Consumption of herbivores by carnivores

Question 28

how is ecosystem ecology scale determined

Answer 28

ppropriate temporal and spatial scale depends on the question
Methods vary tremendously

Question 29

describe an ecosystem dynamic - temporal scales

Answer 29

Microseconds to millions of years
look at ex in notes