lecture 2 Flashcards
3 ecosystem components?
- Primary producers (autotrophs)
2. Consumers (heterotrophs)
Decomposers (autotrophs)
describe autotrophs
Autotrophs- manufacture organic requirements from inorganic sources
describe heterotrophs
○ Heterotrophs- obtain organic requirements from other organisms and the environment
what do trophic relationships follow? carbon as a currency?
○ 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
describe primary producers. what is chemosynthesi s
- 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
describe consumers
- Heterotrophs
- 1degree consumers (herbivores) feed on plants
- 2nd degree and higher order consumers feed on other animals
- Omnivores are generalists
describe decomposers
- Organisms that obtain nutrients by breaking down organic matter
- Especially fungi, bacteria, invertebrates
- Heterotrophs
Essential step
what are the 4 abiotic components of an ecosystem
- Substrate/matrix: soil, parent material;
- Solar or other energy source
- Chemicals/compounds/minerals: contained in soil, air, water
Climate: temp, wind, precipitation, light, humidity etc (micro and macro)
ecosystem processes? (6)
pp
translocation
decomp
trophic lvl relationships
biogeochemical cycling
energy flow
describe photosynth
Photosynthesis/primary production: conversion of light energy into chemical energy (fixation of C)
describe translocation
Translocation: nutrients, water, carbs, moved within plant
describe decomp
- Decomposition: breaking down OM into simpler forms
what is cycled in biogeochemical cycling?
(e.g. water, nitrogen, phosphorous)
* Energy flow
is ecosystem ecology interdisciplinary?
yes, encompasses many contexts and mechanisms
why study ecosystem ecology?
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
peruvian anchovy fishery ex?
- 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
what are ecosystem services? 4 services?
- Direct and indirect contributions of ecosystems to human well being
- Regulating of ecosystem processes
- Provising (obtained from ecosystem)
- Cultural (non material benefits)
4.Supporting (necessary for production of all ecosystem services)
describe Regulating of ecosystem processes
○ Climate, air quality, extreme events, water flow, soil retention, nutrients, pollination, biological control regulated
describe provising
- Provising (obtained from ecosystem)
○ Food, raw materials, fresh water, genetic resources (diversity), pharmaceutical
describe cultural ecosystem services
- Cultural (non material benefits)
○ Spiritual enrichment, intellectual development, recreation, aesthetic values, etc
describe supporting ecosystem services
- Supporting (necessary for production of all ecosystem services): primary production, soil formation, habitat, baseline genetic diversity
what do ecosystem ecology questions address?
ocus on integrated systems rather than individual organisms or physical components
* Addresses interactions that link biotic systems with abiotic systems on which they depend
what materials flow through the ecosystem?
○ Carbon
○ Water
○ Nitrogen
○ Rock derived elements (ie phosporous)
○ Novel chemicals (e.g. pesticides)
Found in biotic and abiotic pools
look at flow diagram
ok