Lecture 30 Flashcards
What is an ecosystem?
A: A community of organisms and their physical (abiotic) environment.
How does energy flow vs. matter in ecosystems?
Energy: Flows in, lost as heat
Matter: Cycles (reused)
What is NPP?
Net Primary Production = GPP - Ra
(Amount available to consumers)
What is NEP?
Net Ecosystem Production = GPP - RT
(Measures ecosystem carbon gain or loss)
What limits terrestrial NPP?
Temperature and water
What limits aquatic NPP?
Light and nutrients (e.g., nitrogen, phosphorus, iron)
What is production efficiency?
% of assimilated energy turned into new biomass
What is trophic efficiency?
About 10% of energy is passed to the next level
What is bioremediation?
Using organisms to detoxify ecosystems (e.g., bacteria, plants)
What is biological augmentation?
Adding nutrients or organisms to restore degraded ecosystems
