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Ecosystems. Studying organisms in their environment. biosphere. ecosystem. community. population. organism. Essential questions. What limits the production in ecosystems? How do nutrients move in the ecosystem? How does energy move through the ecosystem?. Ecosystem.
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Studying organisms in their environment biosphere ecosystem community population organism
Essential questions • What limits the production in ecosystems? • How do nutrients move in the ecosystem? • How does energy move through the ecosystem?
Ecosystem • All the organisms in a community plus abiotic factors • ecosystems are transformers of energy& processors of matter • Ecosystems are self-sustaining • what is needed? • capture energy • transfer energy • cycle nutrients
Ecosystem inputs biosphere constant inputof energy energy flowsthrough nutrients cycle Don’t forgetthe laws of Physics! Matter cannot be created ordestroyed nutrients can only cycle inputs • energy • nutrients
Decompositionconnects all trophic levels Generalized Nutrient cycling consumers consumers producers consumers decomposers decomposers nutrientsENTER FOOD CHAIN= made availableto producers nutrientsmade availableto producers return toabioticreservoir abioticreservoir abioticreservoir geologicprocesses geologicprocesses
CO2 in atmosphere Combustion of fuels Industry and home Photosynthesis Diffusion Respiration Plants Animals Dissolved CO2 Bicarbonates Photosynthesis Deposition of dead material Animals Plants and algae Fossil fuels (oil, gas, coal) Deposition of dead material Carbonates in sediment • abiotic reservoir: • CO2 in atmosphere • enter food chain: • photosynthesis = carbon fixation in Calvin cycle • recycle: • return to abiotic: • respiration • combustion Carbon cycle
Nitrogen cycle • abiotic reservoir: • N in atmosphere • enter food chain: • nitrogen fixation by soil & aquatic bacteria • recycle: • decomposing & nitrifying bacteria • return to abiotic: • denitrifying bacteria Atmospheric nitrogen Carnivores Herbivores Birds Plants Plankton with nitrogen-fixing bacteria Death, excretion, feces Nitrogen-fixing bacteria (plant roots) Fish Decomposing bacteria amino acids excretion Nitrogen-fixing bacteria (soil) Ammonifying bacteria loss to deep sediments Nitrifying bacteria Denitrifying bacteria soil nitrates
abiotic reservoir: • rocks, minerals, soil • enter food chain: • erosion releases soluble phosphate • uptake by plants • recycle: • decomposing bacteria & fungi • return to abiotic: • loss to ocean sediment Phosphorus cycle Land animals Plants Animal tissue and feces Urine Soluble soil phosphate Decomposers (bacteria and fungi) Loss in drainage Rocks and minerals Phosphates in solution Decomposers (bacteria & fungi) Animal tissue and feces Plants and algae Aquatic animals Precipitates Loss to deep sediment
abiotic reservoir: • surface & atmospheric water • enter food chain: • precipitation & plant uptake • recycle: • transpiration • return to abiotic: • evaporation & runoff Water cycle Solar energy Transpiration Water vapor Evaporation Precipitation Oceans Runoff Lakes Percolation in soil Aquifer Groundwater
Transpiration Remembertranspiration?
Breaking the water cycle • Deforestation breaks the water cycle • groundwater is not transpired to the atmosphere, so precipitation is not created forest desert desertification