Ecology: Ecosystems

1
Ecology Ecosystems

• Energy Flow
• Water and Nutrient Cycling

2
Ecosystem Resources

• Energy one way flow from sun to organisms
  and loss as heat (yellow, red arrows)
• Nutrients move in cycles involving organisms
  and the environment (purple arrows)

3
Producers Capture the Suns Energy and
Accumulate Inorganic Nutrients
4
Energy Transfer and Loss
Heat
SecondaryConsumer
PrimaryConsumer
Producer
Heat
DetritusFeeders
Chemicals
Heat
5
Consumers Gain Energy as Organic Molecules from
Producers
HerbivoreEats Producers
Carnivore Eats Primary Consumers
Food Chains
Carnivore Eats Secondary Consumers
6
Food Web

• Shows interconnected food chains
• Trophic Levels
• 1) producer
• 2) primary consumer
• 3) secondary consumer
• 4) tertiary consumer

7
Efficiency of Energy Transfer 10 of calories
to next trophic level
8
Concentration of Contaminants at Higher Levels of
Food Chains
0.005 ppm DDT
0.00003 ppm DDT
0.01 ppm DDT
10 ppm DDT
9
Detritus Feeders and Decomposers Release
Nutrients for Reuse
Animals and Protists that feed on plant and
animal remains
Fungi and Bacteria that break down decaying
material
10
Applying Your Knowledge

• Primary Consumer
• Secondary Consumer
• Tertiary Consumer
• Producer

• Which level best represents
• a palm tree?
• a bird eating seeds?
• a student consuming a beefsteak?

11
The Nitrogen Cycle
Plants and animals die and begin to decay
Ammonification
Nitrogen Fixation
Nitrification
Assimilation
Denitrification
12
The Nitrogen Cycle
Nitrogen inAtmosphereReservoir
Nitrogen inAtmosphereReservoir
Reservoirs
Electrical stormsproduce nitrate
Nitrogen inAtmosphereReservoir
Processes/Locations
TrophicLevels/Organisms
Consumers
Producers
Wastes,Dead bodies
Uptakebyplants
Dentitrifyingbacteria
Nitrogen-fixingbacteria inlegume rootsand soil
Soil bacteria anddetritus feeders
Ammonia nitrate
Ammonia nitrate
Ammonia nitrate
13
The Carbon Cycle
CO2 inatmosphere(reservoir)
CO2 inatmosphere(reservoir)
CO2 inatmosphere(reservoir)
CO2 inatmosphere(reservoir)
CO2 inatmosphere(reservoir)
CO2 inatmosphere(reservoir)
CO2 inatmosphere(reservoir)
Burning offossil fuels
Reservoirs
Fire
Respiration
Processes/Locations
Photosynthesis
TrophicLevels/Organisms
Producers
Consumers
Consumers

Wastes,Dead bodies
Wastes,Dead bodies
Wastes,Dead bodies
Soil bacteria detritus feeders
Soil bacteria detritus feeders
Soil bacteria detritus feeders
14
Global Warming Parallels CO2 Increases
15
Greenhouse GasesContribute to Global Warming
16
CFCs Contribute to the Formation of a Hole in the
Protective Ozone Layer
South America
Antarctica
The hole
17
The Water Cycle
Water vaporin atmosphere
Water vaporin atmosphere
Evaporationfrom land transpirationfrom plants
Evaporationfrom ocean
Alternates between Evaporation and Precipitation
Precipitationover ocean
Precipitationover land
Water inocean(reservoir)
Water inocean(reservoir)
Water inocean(reservoir)
Surfacerunoff
Reservoirs
Processes/Locations
Groundwaterseepage
18
Water Carrying Industrial Pollutants Can Become
Acid Rain
19
Applying Your Knowledge

• Ammonification
• Assimilation
• Denitrification
• Nitrification
• Nitrogen Fixation

• Which term describes
• uptake of nitrogen-containing compounds by
  plants?
• conversion of nitrogen gas to nitrates?
• release of nitrogen gas from nitrates?

20
Applying Your Knowledge

• Water Cycle
• Food Chain
• Nitrogen Cycle
• Carbon Cycle

• Which process is related to
• concentration of toxic minerals in animal
  tissues?
• global warming?
• acid rain?