how do ecosystems work? part 1! chapter 41. overview: pathways of energy and nutrients materials...
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How do ecosystems work? Part 1!
Chapter 41
Overview: Pathways of energy and nutrients
Materials cycle Note complete cycles
for purple arrows. Energy flows one
way! Energy (red) arrows in
direction of energy flow
Note heat loss at each step.
Energy flow through communities
Energy enters communities through photosynthesis
Carbon dioxide, water and sun’s energy used directly for photosynthesis
Inorganic mineral nutrients needed to build other molecules (proteins, lipids, carbohydrates)
Energy flow through communities Trophic levels
Autotrophs Which Domains/Kingdoms include at least some autotrophs?
Heterotrophs or consumers Primary consumers = herbivores: consume primary
producers Secondary consumers and higher = carnivores: consume
other consumers… Detritus feeders and decomposers
Consume dead organic matter Convert organic molecules back to inorganic ones so primary
producers can use them (bacteria mostly do this step.) What if there were no decomposers?
Energy flow through communities Terrestrial food chain and trophic levels
What is missing here?
Energy flow through communities Marine food chain and trophic levels
What is missing here?
Energy flow through communities Trophic levels (cont.)
Many consumers cannot be strictly categorized Omnivores: Feed as both herbivores and carnivores Many carnivores feed at multiple levels
• Example: Leopard seal in Antarctic marine food web
Antarctic marine food web (simplified)
Energy flow through communities
Energy transfer is inefficient
On average, only 10% of energy gets transferred from one trophic level to the next (red arrows)
Most of the rest is lost as heat (yellow arrows)
Some converted to unusable form (i.e. indigestible for the consumer, such as cellulose for us.)
Energy pyramid shows inefficiency of energy transfer
Biomagnification: Unlike energy, toxins become concentrated up the food web
Top predators are most affected by toxins At the peak of DDT use, predatory birds contained
DDT concentrations up to 1 million times the concentration in water.
Cycling of nutrients: Carbon
CO2 sinks Primary
producers (via photosynthesis)
Terrestrial Marine (>50%)
Ocean water Ocean sediments Carbonification
Fossil fuels formed from phytoplankton (oil and gas) and plants (coal, peat)
Cycling of nutrients: Carbon
CO2 sources Respiration: All
organisms Decomposition Fires
Natural For agriculture
Burning of fossil fuels*
Use 1 million times as fast as it is formed!
In sum, decrease of CO2 sinks and increase of CO2 sources
Increase in global CO2 correlates with global warming
Highest temperature increases are along the Antarctic Peninsula
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