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Biology II > ch. 55 > Flashcards

ch. 55 Flashcards

1
Q

ecosystem

A

consists of all organisms living in an area as well as the abiotic factors with which they interact

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2
Q

2 main processes for dynamics of ecosystem

A
  1. energy flow
  2. chemical cycling
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3
Q

what do ecologists study

A

transformations of energy and matter in an ecosystem and map the movements of chemical elements

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4
Q

first law of thermodynamics

A

energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred or transformed

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5
Q

how does energy enter and leave an ecosystem

A
  • enters as solar radiation
  • conserved
  • lost from organisms as heat
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6
Q

second law of thermodynamics

A

every exchange or energy increases entropy of the universe

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7
Q

where is some energy lost in energy conversions

A

heat

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8
Q

law of conservation of mass

A

matter cannot be created or destroyed

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9
Q

chemical elements are ____________ ____________ within ecosystems

A

continually recycled

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10
Q

open systems

A

absorb energy and mass and release heat and waste products

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11
Q

what happens if a nutrient’s outputs from an ecosystem exceed its inputs

A

the nutrient will limit production

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12
Q

autotrophs

A

build molecules themselves using photosynthesis or chemosynthesis as an energy source to connect carbon together

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13
Q

heterotrophs

A

depend on biosynthetic output of other organisms

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14
Q

where do energy and nutrients pass

A
  • primary producers (autotrophs)
  • primary consumers (herbivores)
  • secondary consumers (carnivores)
  • tertiary consumers (carnivores that feed on other carnivores)
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15
Q

detritivores/decomposers

A

heterotrophs that derive their energy from detritus

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16
Q

detritus

A

nonliving organic matter

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17
Q

main detritivores

A

prokaryotes and fungi

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18
Q

what connects all trophic levels

A

decomposition

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19
Q

primary production

A

amount of light energy converted to chemical bond energy by autotrophs during a given time period

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20
Q

gross primary production (GPP)

A

total primary production

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21
Q

how is GPP measured

A

conversion of energy from light (or chemicals) to the chemical bond energy of organic molecules per unit time

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22
Q

net primary production (NPP)

A

GPP - Ra
- Ra = energy used by autotrophs for respiration
- amount of new biomass added in a given time period

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23
Q

on average, NPP is ________ GPP

A

one-half

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24
Q

how is primary production expressed

A
  1. energy per unit area per unit time
  2. bio mass added per unit area per unit time
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25
Q

only what is available to consumers

A

NPP

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26
Q

most productive ecosystems per unit area

A
  • tropical rain forests
  • estuaries
  • coral reefs
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27
Q

why do marine ecosystems contribute much to global net primary production if they are unproductive

A

because of their size

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28
Q

what limits primary production in marine/freshwater ecosystems

A

light and nutrients

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29
Q

what affect primary production in the photic zone of oceans/lakes

A

depth of light penetration

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30
Q

limiting nutrient

A

element that must be added for production to increase in an area

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31
Q

nutrients that most often limit marine production

A

nitrogen and phosphorus

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32
Q

what does the upwelling of nutrient-rich waters in parts of oceans contribute to

A

regions of high primary production

33
Q

what causes eutrophication of lakes

A

sewage runoff

34
Q

eutrophication of lakes

A
  • nutrient inputs from sewage promote growth of primary producers
  • detritivores use up dissolved oxygen, breaking down dead producers
  • loss of oxygen leads to fish death
35
Q

what does phosphorus limit in lakes

A

cyanobacterial growth
- more than nitrogen

36
Q

what affects primary production on a large scale in terrestrial ecosystems

A

temperature, moisture, soil nutrients

37
Q

what does NPP increase with in terrestrial ecosystems

A

precipitation, increasing temperature, and solar energy

38
Q

most common limiting nutrient in terrestrial ecosystems

A

nitrogen
- phosphorus as well, but in older soils

39
Q

adaptations of plants to access limiting nutrients from soil

A
  • mutualisms with nitrogen-fixing bacteria
  • mutualisms w/ mycorrhizal fungi
  • root hairs to increase surface area
  • enzymes that increase availability of limiting nutrients
40
Q

secondary production

A

amount of chemical energy in food converted to new biomass during a given period of time

41
Q

when a caterpillar feeds on a leaf…

A

only about 1/6 of leaf’s energy used for secondary production

42
Q

efficiency of birds/mammals

A

1-3% because of high cost of endothermy

43
Q

efficiencies of fish

A

10%

44
Q

efficiencies of insects and microorganisms

A

40% or more

45
Q

trophic efficiency

A

percentage of production transferred from one trophic level to the next

46
Q

usual value of trophic efficiency

A

10%, range of 5-20%

47
Q

trophic efficiency is ________ over the length of a food chain

A

multiplied

48
Q

how much of chemical energy fixed by photosynthesis reaches a tertiary consumer

A

0.1%

49
Q

energy pyramid

A

represents loss of energy w/ each transfer in a food chain

50
Q

biomass pyramid

A

each tier represents dry mass of all organisms in one trophic level
- show sharp decrease at higher levels

51
Q

inverted biomass pyramids of certain aquatic ecosystems

A

products (phytoplankton) are consumed so quickly that they are outweighed by primary consumers
- zooplankton larger

52
Q

who plays a key role in the general pattern of chemical cycling

A

decomposers/cycling

53
Q

what is the rate of decomposition controlled by

A
  • temperature
  • moisture
  • nutrient availability
54
Q

what does rapid decomposition result in

A

relatively low levels of nutrients in the soil

55
Q

what do cold and wet ecosystems store

A

large amounts of undecomposed organic matter, as decomposition rates are low

56
Q

what slows in anaerobic conditions

A

decomposition

57
Q

biogeochemical cycles

A

nutrient cycles that involve both biotic and abiotic components

58
Q

what occur in the atmosphere and cycle globally

A

gaseous carbon, oxygen, sulfur, and nitrogen

59
Q

less mobile elements

A

phosphorus, potassium, and calcium

60
Q

what is essential to all organisms

A

water and carbon-based organic molecules

61
Q

where is 97% of biosphere’s water

A

oceans

62
Q

2% of biosphere’s water

A

glaciers and polar ice caps

63
Q

1% of biosphere’s water

A

lakes, rivers, groundwater

64
Q

how does water move (Water Cycle)

A
  • evaporation
  • transpiration
  • condensation
  • precipitation
  • movement through surface and groundwater
65
Q

what do photosynthetic organisms convert CO2 to

A

organic molecules consumed by heterotrophs

66
Q

carbon reservoirs inclue (carbon cycle)

A
  • fossil fuels
  • soils and sediments
  • solutes in oceans
  • plant and animal biomass
  • atmosphere
  • sedimentary rocks
67
Q

how is CO2 taken up and released

A

photosynthesis and respiration

68
Q

what also contributes to CO2 in atmosphere

A

volcanoes and burning of fossil fuels

69
Q

what is nitrogen a component of

A

amino acids, proteins, and nucleic acids

70
Q

main reservoir of nitrogen

A

atmosphere (N2)

71
Q

how do plants uptake nitrogen

A

N2 from atmosphere must be converted to NH4+ or NO3- via nitrogen fixation by bacteria
- some bacteria can also use NO2-

72
Q

animals can only use ____________ nitrogen

A

organic

73
Q

ammonification

A

organic nitrogen decomposed to NH4+

74
Q

nitrification

A

NH4+ decomposed to NO3-

75
Q

denitrification

A

what converts NO3- back to N2

76
Q

what is phosphorus a major constituent of

A

nucleic acids, phospholipids, and ATP

77
Q

most important inorganic form of phosphorus

A

phosphate (PO43-)

78
Q

largest reservoir of phosphorus

A
  • sedimentary rocks of marine origin
  • soil
  • oceans
  • organisms
79
Q

what does the weathering of rocks release

A

phosphate into the soil, reaches aquatic systems through leaching

Biology II (43 decks)

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