Topic 5B:Energy Transfer in Ecosystems and Nutrient Cycles Flashcards
What is an ecosystem?
An ecosystem is a community of organisms interacting with each other and their environment, including both biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) factors.
What is the flow of energy through an ecosystem?
Energy flows through an ecosystem from producers (plants) to consumers (herbivores, carnivores) and decomposers. The flow of energy is unidirectional and decreases at each trophic level.
What is a trophic level?
A trophic level is a position in a food chain or web, representing the flow of energy through an ecosystem. The primary producers (plants) occupy the first trophic level, followed by primary consumers (herbivores), secondary consumers (carnivores), and so on.
What is a food chain?
A food chain is a linear sequence of organisms through which energy and nutrients are transferred as one organism eats another.
What is a food web?
A food web is a complex network of interconnected food chains, showing the multiple feeding relationships in an ecosystem.
Why is energy lost at each trophic level?
Energy is lost at each trophic level due to factors such as heat loss during metabolic processes, energy used for movement, and incomplete digestion. Only about 10% of the energy is passed to the next trophic level.
What is intensive farming?
Intensive farming is a method of farming that involves high input of capital, labor, and resources to increase the yield of crops or livestock, often in small areas of land.
What are the benefits of intensive farming?
Intensive farming can lead to higher food production, more efficient use of space, and increased profitability, helping to feed growing populations.
What are the environmental impacts of intensive farming?
Intensive farming can lead to soil degradation, loss of biodiversity, water pollution, and increased greenhouse gas emissions due to the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and livestock.
What is sustainable farming?
Sustainable farming is an agricultural approach that focuses on producing food while minimizing negative environmental impacts, promoting biodiversity, and maintaining soil fertility.
How do crop rotation and mixed farming help sustainability?
Crop rotation and mixed farming help maintain soil fertility, reduce pest build-up, and prevent land degradation by alternating crops and integrating livestock into farming systems.
What are nutrient cycles?
Nutrient cycles are the processes by which essential elements (such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus) are recycled through ecosystems, involving both living organisms and the environment.
What is the carbon cycle?
The carbon cycle describes the movement of carbon through the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere. It involves processes like photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition, and fossil fuel combustion.
What is the nitrogen cycle?
The nitrogen cycle describes how nitrogen is converted between different chemical forms, including nitrogen fixation by bacteria, assimilation by plants, and denitrification, returning nitrogen to the atmosphere.
What is the phosphorus cycle?
The phosphorus cycle describes the movement of phosphorus through the environment, primarily through rocks, soil, and living organisms. Phosphorus is essential for plant growth and is not found in the atmosphere.
What are fertilizers?
Fertilizers are substances added to soil to provide essential nutrients (such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) to plants, promoting growth and improving crop yields.
What are the two types of fertilizers?
~Organic fertilizers: Derived from natural sources like compost or manure.
~Inorganic fertilizers: Manufactured chemicals that provide nutrients in specific ratios (e.g., NPK fertilizers).
What is eutrophication?
Eutrophication is the process where excess nutrients, especially nitrogen and phosphorus, enter aquatic ecosystems, leading to algae blooms, oxygen depletion, and harm to aquatic life.
How do fertilizers contribute to eutrophication?
When fertilizers are overused or washed into rivers and lakes, they add excess nutrients (mainly nitrogen and phosphorus), which stimulate algae growth. This can lead to oxygen depletion and harm aquatic life when algae die and decompose.
What are the environmental consequences of eutrophication?
Eutrophication can lead to hypoxia (low oxygen), fish kills, loss of biodiversity, and disruption of aquatic ecosystems.
What is an ecosystem?
A community of organisms interacting with each other and their environment, including both biotic and abiotic components.
What is a trophic level?
A position in a food chain or food web, representing the flow of energy in an ecosystem, starting with producers and moving to primary consumers, secondary consumers, and so on.
What is a food chain?
A linear sequence of organisms in which each one is eaten by the next, transferring energy and nutrients.
What is a food web?
A complex network of interconnected food chains, showing the multiple feeding relationships in an ecosystem.
What is a intensive farming?
A method of farming that involves high input of capital, labor, and resources to maximize crop and livestock production.
What are nutrient cycles?
The process by which essential nutrients are recycled through ecosystems, including the carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycles.
What is sustainable farming?
Farming methods that maintain long-term soil fertility, biodiversity, and ecosystem health while producing food efficiently.
What is the carbon cycle?
The movement of carbon between the atmosphere, plants, animals, and the earth, driven by processes such as photosynthesis, respiration, and decomposition.
What is the Nitrogen cycle?
The process by which nitrogen is converted between different chemical forms, involving nitrogen fixation, assimilation, and denitrification.
What is the Phosphorus cycle?
The movement of phosphorus through the soil, water, and organisms, essential for plant growth, but not found in the atmosphere.
What are ferilizers?
Substances added to soil or plants to provide nutrients and promote growth. They can be organic (natural) or inorganic (chemically manufactured).
What is Eutrophication?
The process by which excess nutrients, primarily nitrogen and phosphorus, cause algae blooms in aquatic ecosystems, leading to oxygen depletion and harm to aquatic life.
