Week 6_7 - Ecosystems as energetic compartments PDF

SC253: Ecology and Environmental Problems October 7, 2024 Prof. Amy L. Frick  Agenda Housekeeping Review of ecological niches & trophic levels Ecosystems as compartments of energy Carbon cycling Law of...

SC253: Ecology and Environmental Problems October 7, 2024 Prof. Amy L. Frick  Agenda Housekeeping Review of ecological niches & trophic levels Ecosystems as compartments of energy Carbon cycling Law of 10% Effect of meat consumption on the environment [break] Carbon footprint Questions about the midterm?  Housekeeping 1. REMINDER: The MIDTERM is on 10/14/24. It will consist of multiple choice and short answer questions. It may cover anything discussed in class from 9/16-10/7, things from reading that were referenced in class, and material from in-class activities/assignments. 2. Your Ecological Footprint Essay is due on 10/21/24. You will discuss this in class with a mini-presentation of 1-2 slides. Details of this assignment are in the (/Content/Case Study of One) folder. Ecosystem organization Ecosystem Review: Communities are made of species of multiple ecological niches: Autotroph Heterotroph Decomposer  Trophic levels Apex predator Secondary consumer Primary consumer Primary producer  Trophic cascade Kelp forest Sea otters (with sea otters) removed Urchin population explodes Forest becomes an Urchins destroy urchin barren kelp forest Supplemental article: Sea urchin/Kelp - Sciencing  Trophic cascade Top down Bottom up  Energy flows through linked compartments in an ecosystem Ecological niches Autotroph Heterotroph https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/ecology/in Decomposer tro-to-ecosystems/a/energy-flow-primary-productivity  Energy is stored in carbon-containing bonds CO2: Carbon dioxide (gas) C6H12O6: Glucose (sugar)  Energy is stored in carbon-containing bonds Photosynthesis moves carbon from an inorganic compartment (air or water) to an organic compartment (plant) (AUTOTROPHs) Respiration moves carbon from an organic compartment (organism) to an inorganic compartment (air or water) (HETEROTROPHS)  Primary production Primary production: the process whereby primary producers capture the energy of light and transform it into the energy of chemical bonds in a carbohydrate. https://www.khanacademy.org/science/ biology/ecology/intro-to-ecosystems/a/e nergy-flow-primary-productivity  Photosynthesis [Sugar is a carbon-containing compound] Cellular respiration Cellular respiration Energy flows through linked compartments in an ecosystem Inhales Oxygen Eats glucose [Cellular respiration] Makes glucose [Photosynthesis] Exhales Carbon dioxide (CO2) Carbon cycling Glucose (CARBON) and Oxygen Water and Carbon dioxide (CO2)  Photosynthesis and cellular respiration have the same ingredients. Glucose (CARBON) and Oxygen [Photosynthesis] [Cellular respiration]  Ecosystem ecology The ecosystem is the fundamental unit of ecology. Within the ecosystem, energy passes through many links in a food chain. Each link in the food chain is a trophic level. Inefficiencies in energy transformation lead to a pyramid of energy in the ecosystem. The number of individuals at a trophic level depends on Only 10% of energy contained in chemical primary bonds is available to productivity the next trophic level  Trophic levels/pyramid of energy Tertiary consumers Secondary Only 10% of consumers energy contained in chemical bonds is available to the Primary next trophic level consumers Primary producers Video: Veganism could save the planet. Supplemental video: Is Veganism Really the Answer? (start at 8:21) Livestock’s global carbon footprint Livestock account for 11.1-19.6% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon footprint of various diets (pounds of CO2 per day)  Carbon footprint Your carbon footprint is a scam Supplemental video: Is Veganism Really the Answer? (start at 8:21) Q: Is eating less meat really going to save our planet? A: It’s complicated.  Evaluating source material. Scholarly vs. Popular articles CRAP test Supplemental: research  Helpful fact-checking links Google scholar (search peer-reviewed journals) Open Library Gutenberg.org LibriVox (audiobooks) May or may not be legal: ZLibrary alternatives Sci Hub proxy links Science Open WIKIPEDIA IS NOT A SOURCE. Wikipedia should be used for preliminary research only. Look at the sources cited on the Wikipedia page to find the original source. Questions about content from 9/16, 9/23, or 9/30?  Housekeeping (recap) 1. REMINDER: The MIDTERM is on 10/14/24. It will consist of multiple choice and short answer questions. It may cover anything discussed in class from 9/16-10/7, things from reading that were referenced in class, and material from in-class activities/assignments. 2. Your Ecological Footprint Essay is due on 10/21/24. You will discuss this in class with a mini-presentation of 1-2 slides. Details of this assignment are in the (/Content/Case Study of One) folder.