ecosystem Flashcards
(49 cards)
ecosystem ex
aquarium,lake,forest
ecosystems consists of
all the organisms in a community plus abiotic factors
ecosystems are transformers of _____ and processors of _____
energy
matter
ecosystems are____
self sustaining
what is needed for a self sustaining ecosystem
capture of energy
transfer of energy
cycle of nutrients
what is inputed into an ecosystem
energy
energy ____ through the ecosystem
flows
where does matter cycling happen
within the ecosystem
where does nutrients cycle happen
nutrients cycle through the ecosystem/ within the biosphere
ecosystem inputs
energy
nutrient
how does energy flow through the ecosystems (food chain)
sun will hit the producers ( plants) which are autotrophs then the primary consumers ( herbivores which are heterotrophs who will eat he plant and take some to the energy the sun gave the plant through photosynthesis and rest of the energy will be let out as heat. same when the secondary consumers eat the primary consumers but they would get less energy from the plant then the primary consumer and a lot of the energy will be released by heat again
generalized nutrient cycle process
geological processes will help let out some chemicals and material and the abiotic reservoir take nutrients from non-living things and stores chemicals that can be used for cycling nutrients. some of the abiotic reservoir will enter the cycle and the nutrients will enter the food chain and it will be available for producers. producers will then give to consumers and they will decompose and the “nutrients” may go back to the abiotic resivor
decompostion
connects all trophic levels
primary production
amount of light energy converted to chemical energy by autotrophs is going to be available to the rest of the system
primary production ex. sun energy for photosynthesis
sun energy is used for photosynthesis so how much of the sun’s energy will be available for the entire cycle
ecosystem energy budgets
amount of energy that will be available for the rest of the system
what sets the spending limit for an ecosystem’s energy budget
photosynthetic production
what limits the photosynthetic otuput
solar radiation
why does the sun give such little energy for the ecosystem
only some light hits photosynthetic plant and only some of them is at a usable wavelength
which is more limiting to the ecosystem in the water
nutrients or lights
Nutrients
both nutrients and light limits what specifically
limits primary production
depth of light in the water means what
how far or how deep light can penetrate the water for photosynthesis
limiting nutrients means
there needs to be certain elements for there to be more production of plants mainly in a certain area
what are the 2 most limiting nutrients/elements
nitrogen and phosphorus
