10-Ecosystems Ecology 1
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Questions and Answers

What is Lindeman’s trophic efficiency generally quantified as?

  • Approximately 20%
  • Approximately 15%
  • Approximately 10% (correct)
  • Approximately 5%

    • Which factor allows for an inverted biomass pyramid in aquatic systems?

  • Lack of decomposers in the ecosystem
  • Low consumer biomass
  • High rates of production in lower trophic levels (correct)
  • Higher production at higher trophic levels

    • Which of the following cycles is most affected by the local availability of phosphorus?

  • Phosphorus Cycle (correct)
  • Water Cycle
  • Carbon Cycle
  • Nitrogen Cycle

    • Which compound is formed in the Haber-Bosch Process for nitrogen fixation?

    <p>NH3</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of water impact drastically reduces productivity and decomposition?

    <p>Water limitation</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which statement about global water usage is accurate?

    <p>Beijing is sinking at an estimated rate of 4 inches annually due to water drainage.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following best describes a characteristic of nutrient cycles?

    <p>They are referred to as biogeochemical cycles.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main reason 1.2 billion people currently lack access to clean water?

    <p>Poor management of water resources</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the definition of Gross Primary Production (GPP)?

    <p>The total amount of light energy converted to chemical energy by photosynthesis per unit time</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following correctly describes Net Primary Production (NPP)?

    <p>The rate at which new plant biomass accumulates over time</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why do endotherms have lower production efficiencies compared to ectotherms?

    <p>More energy is lost as heat during metabolic processes</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In which ecosystem is the NPP likely to be highest?

    <p>Tropical forest</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What factor primarily limits oceanic NPP per unit area compared to terrestrial ecosystems?

    <p>Low availability of light for photosynthesis</p> Signup and view all the answers

    If measuring the NPP of a grassland, which method would yield the most accurate results?

    <p>Enclose plots and measure grass growth inside them</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the implication of the 2nd law of thermodynamics in ecosystems?

    <p>Some energy becomes unusable during transformations</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which animal is more efficient for meat production based on energy transfer and production efficiency?

    <p>Guinea pig</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the most accurate definition of an ecosystem?

    <p>A collection of organisms and the environment in which they live.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which statement best describes how materials cycle and energy flows in ecosystems?

    <p>Materials cycle through ecosystems, while energy flows through them.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What differentiates gross primary production from net primary production?

    <p>Net primary production indicates energy stored after accounting for respiration.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does trophic efficiency measure?

    <p>The percentage of energy transferred between trophic levels.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which statement about decomposers is accurate?

    <p>Decomposers link primary producers and consumers in ecosystems.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does nitrogen pollution affect ecosystems?

    <p>It promotes the growth of certain species and disrupts ecosystem balance.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary function of primary producers in an ecosystem?

    <p>To convert inorganic materials to organic forms via photosynthesis.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to the first law of thermodynamics, what can be said about energy in an ecosystem?

    <p>Energy is transformed, but the total amount remains constant.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Ecosystem Ecology

    • Big, fierce animals are rare due to multiple factors
    • Ecosystems involve interactions between organisms and their surroundings
    • Ecosystems range in size, from ponds to deserts
    • Ecosystems contain both living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) components

    Ecology in the News

    • The average American uses 100-176 gallons of water per day at home
    • The average African family uses about 5 gallons per day
    • Yearly, 500,000,000 straws are used in the US
    • It takes 200 years to break down straws into tiny particles
    • Little plastic is recycled and much ends up in the ocean

    Need to Know

    • Define an ecosystem and understand how materials and energy flow through it.
    • Differentiate gross and net primary production and the concept of production efficiency.
    • Understand and describe trophic efficiency (Lindeman's efficiency).
    • Describe the nitrogen and water cycles.
    • Describe how nitrogen pollution and industrial fertilizers impact ecosystems.

    Ecosystems

    • An ecosystem is a collection of organisms and their environment where they live
    • Interactions happen between the organisms and the environment
    • Ecosystems include deserts, ponds etc
    • Ecosystems encompass biota and the physical environment

    Ecosystem Ecology Focus

    • Focuses on the flow of energy and materials within ecosystems
    • Energy flows through producers (plants), consumers (herbivores, carnivores), and decomposers (bacteria, fungi)
    • Abiotic components (carbon dioxide, oxygen, minerals) are essential for cycling
    • The cycles are interconnected and crucial for maintaining ecosystem health.

    Three Important Concepts

    • Abiotic factors (e.g., carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen, minerals)
    • Decomposers (e.g., bacteria, fungi)
    • Producers (e.g., plants)
    • Consumers (e.g., herbivores, carnivores)
    • Energy moves from one component to another in a food web
    • Materials are cycled through the components

    Materials Cycle

    • The materials cycle involves the constant exchange and recycling of elements like N, C, and phosphorus
    • Decomposers break down organic matter and release inorganic nutrients back into the system
    • Energy flows from producers through consumers and decomposers
    • Energy is not recycled
    • The cycle is interconnected to all parts of the ecosystem

    Decomposers

    • Decomposers (bacteria and fungi) connect primary producers to consumers
    • They convert organic matter into inorganic forms for primary producers to reuse
    • Critical for closing material cycles

    Learning Catalytics (Question 1)

    • Matter is recycled, but energy is not.
    • Matter is constantly recycled to be used by producers
    • Energy is transferred or transformed, but not recycled

    Thermodynamics - 1st Law

    • Energy is neither created nor destroyed, only transferred or transformed
    • Energy is stored, reflected and / or dissipated as heat

    Thermodynamics - 2nd Law

    • During energy transformation some energy is rendered unusable
    • Energy transfer is not perfectly efficient - some energy is lost as heat

    Primary Production

    • Photosynthesis converts carbon dioxide and water to glucose, releasing oxygen
    • Gross primary production (GPP) is the total amount of light energy plants convert
    • Net primary production (NPP) is the amount of energy consumed by the plants for growth, maintenance, and respiration
    • GPP is a rate
    • Chemical energy is used by plants for growth, reproduction, respiration, and maintenance

    Where is Chemical Energy Stored?

    • Chemical energy is stored as glucose in the plants.

    GPP = NPP + Respiration (plant)

    • GPP equals NPP plus plant respiration

    NPP

    • Represents net primary production, which is the rate of new plant biomass increase
    • In many ecosystems, NPP is around 50% of GPP

    Which ecosystem has higher NPP?

    • Tropical forests typically have higher NPP than the Serengeti plains

    NPP is Not Standing Crop

    • NPP is the creation of new biomass over time

    Best Experiment to Calculate NPP

    • Putting wire cages around areas of grass, cutting the grass to the ground, and measuring the amount of new grass growth over a period is the best way to calculate NPP

    NPP Estimated from Satellites

    • Terrestrial systems contribute 52% of the global NPP
    • Aquatic systems contribute 48% of the global NPP

    Energy Transfer

    • Processes involved in transferring energy from one trophic level to the next involve digestion, metabolism, respiration and growth

    Ectotherm and Endotherm Production Efficiency

    • Ectotherms have production efficiencies of 10-50 percent
    • Endotherms have production efficiencies around 1-5 percent.
    • Ectotherms use 65-80% of total energy intake for maintenance
    • Endotherms use 85-95% of total energy intake for maintenance

    Lindeman's Trophic Efficiency

    • Lindeman's efficiency is the percentage of production transferred from one trophic level to another
    • Typically around 10%

    Trophic Structure and Biomass Pyramids

    • Biomass pyramids show relative amounts of biomass at each trophic level
      • In terrestrial systems, producers have the most biomass.
      • In aquatic systems, producers can sometimes have lower biomass than consumers.
      • Pyramids can be inverted if the rates of production of lower trophic levels are high

    Element Cycling (Overview)

    • Nutrient cycles are called biogeochemical cycles
    • Highly mobile elements (carbon, oxygen, nitrogen) cycle globally in the atmosphere
    • Less mobile elements (phosphorus) cycle locally

    The Four Main Element Cycles

    • Carbon (C)
    • Water (H₂O)
    • Nitrogen (N)
    • Phosphorus (P)

    The Nitrogen Cycle

    • Nitrogen is essential to life and is a key component of proteins and nucleic acids.
    • Most nitrogen is found in the atmosphere as N2
    • Nitrogen-fixing bacteria convert atmospheric nitrogen to ammonia, which plants use

    The Haber-Bosch Process

    • The Haber-Bosch process is a method to artificially fix nitrogen

    The Water Cycle

    • Water is essential for all life
    • Water limits productivity and decomposition

    Bad Things (Water Issues)

    • 1.2 billion people lack clean water
    • 18,000 people die each day due to preventable waterborne diseases
    • Fossil water is being drained at an unsustainable rate
    • Cities, like Beijing and some areas in Mexico city, are sinking due to water overuse

    Water Use in Agriculture (California)

    • Producing 1 pound of food requires varying amounts of water
    • Lettuce requires 23 gallons
    • Beef requires 5,214 gallons per pound.

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