Ecosystem Properties

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Ecosystem Properties
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Ecological Hierarchies

• Biosphere
• Biome
• Ecosystem
• Community
• Population
• Organism
• Tissue
• Cell
• Molecules

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Definitions

• Biosphere - The entire portion of the globe that
  can support life, including the atmosphere,
  oceans, terrestrial surface and belowground
• Biome The largest easily recognized subsection
  of the biosphere, based upon climate

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Definitions

• Ecosystem A region where plants, animals and
  microbes can interact with each other and their
  environment.
• Community A region where plants, animals and
  microbes can interact with each other.
• Population An interbreeding group of organisms

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Ecosystem Emergent Properties

• All systems are made up of components. Once
  those components are assembled into the system,
  they take on new properties, those of the
  system.
• E.g., bridge over South Canadian River
• E.g., living system

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Ecosystem Emergent Properties

• What are the emergent properties of a living
  system, e.g., you?
• You are composed of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen,
  oxygen, etc., but you are so much more than bags
  of elements flopping around
• As a living entity you
• Respire
• Irritable
• Capable of reproduction

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Ecosystem Emergent Properties

• So, as a system ecosystems also have emergent
  properties
• Nutrient cycling
• Energy flow

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Energy in Ecosystems

• Energy Movement follows 1st and 2nd laws of
  thermodynamics
• Energy cant be created or destroyed
• Any transfers of energy are not 100 efficient

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Energy flow
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Energy Flow
Calories
Solar Energy
1,000,000
1
10,000
Producers
10
1,000
Herbivores
10
Consumers
100
Carnivores
10
10
Top Carnivore
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Energy Flow
Solar Energy
1
Producers
10
Herbivores
Food Chain
10
Consumers
Carnivores
10
Top Carnivore
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Energy Flow
Solar Energy
1
Producers
Trophic Level
10
Herbivores
10
Consumers
Carnivores
10
Top Carnivore
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Any Questions?
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Nutrient Cycling

• There are two major types of nutrient cycles
• Gaseous Most of the nutrient is stored in the
  atmosphere
• Sedimentary Most of the nutrient is stored in
  the sediments or soils

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So what nutrients do we need?

• Macro-nutrients are needed in large quantities
• Na,Cl, C, H, O, P, K, I, N, S, Ca, Fe, Mg
• Micro-nutrients are also essential, but are
  needed in only small amounts
• Mo, B, Cl, Mn, Cu, Zn

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Gaseous Nutrient CycleThe carbon cycle
Respiration
CO2
(photosynthesis)
plant
Decomposers
herbivore
carnivore
top carnivore
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Sedimentary Nutrient CycleExample The
Phosphorus Cycle
erosion
plant
herbivores
carnivores
P in soil
decomposers
(weathering)
P in rock (apatite)
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So what nutrients do we need?

• Macro-nutrients are needed in large quantities
• Na,Cl, C, H, O, P, K, I, N, S, Ca, Fe, Mg
• Micro-nutrients are also essential, but are
  needed in only small amounts
• Mo, B, Cl, Mn, Cu, Zn
• The elements in blue have gaseous cycles

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Quick Quiz on Ecosystems

• Whats the definition of an ecosystem?
• An area where plants, animals and microbes
  interact with each other and the environment
• So why do you need an ecosystem for
• Energy Flow?
• Nutrient Cycling?
• Does energy ever cycle?

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NO-O-O!
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Take out a clean piece of paper

• A practice quiz
• List two types of symbiotic relationships

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Quiz, continued

• Competition between organisms of different
  species is known as
• Intraspecific interactions
• Intraspecific competition
• Interspecific interactions
• Interspecific competition

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Quiz, continued

• If you went up a tall mountain, how many meters
  increase in elevation would you have to go up to
  see the same change in vegetation structure that
  you would see if you went north 30 degrees
  latitude?
• 1800 m
• 4000 m
• 400 m
• 100 m

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Quiz, continued

• Which biome has the greatest number of species?
• Which biome produces most of the wood pulp used
  for paper in the U.S.?

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Quiz, continued

• In which grassland ecosystem would you expect to
  find the greatest number of species and why?
• Undisturbed tall grass prairie
• Wheat field
• Corn field
• Heavily grazed tall grass prairie