Ecosystems Flashcards
Ecosystem
The combined physical and biological components of an environment
Understand how energy flows through an ecosystem
Energy from sunlight is captured by producers
Primary consumers (herbivores)
Secondary consumers (carnivores)
Tertiary consumers (carnivores)
Decomposers
Only about 10% of energy is transferred at each level
How does Matter move through an ecosystem?
Unlike the one way flow of energy, matter is recycled within and between ecosystems
Nutrients are passed between organisms and the environment through biogeochemical cycles
Understand how functioning ecosystems benefit mankind (ecosystem services)
Provisioning services
Regulating services
Cultural services
Supporting services
Why is most of the Earth’s water is unavailable?
Saltwater 97.5%
Freshwater 2.5% (glaciers, ground water
About how many gallons of water do each of us consume each day? 50 gallons 200 gallons 1,000 gallons 2,000 gallons
2,000 Gallons
About how many gallons of water does it take to make a hamburger?
13 gallons
130 gallons
1,300 gallons
1,300 gallons
Colorado River Basin
The Colorado River Basin is a critical component of North American water supply, providing water to 30 million people and thousands of acres of farmland.
