Chapter 4: Ecosystems: Components, Energy Flow, and Matter Cycling

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Chapter 4Ecosystems Components, Energy Flow,
and Matter Cycling
The Earths thin film of living matter is
sustained by grand-scale cycles of energy and
chemical elements.G. Evelyn Hutchinson
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What Is Ecology

• The study of how organisms interact with one
  another and with their nonliving environment.
• Connections in nature

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Important Terminology (Biology Review)

• Organism
• Any form of life
• Cell
• Eukaryotic cell
• Prokaryotic cell
• Species
• Groups of organisms
• Population
• Group of interacting individuals of the same
  species that occupy a specific area at the same
  time
• Genetic Diversity
• Variance in genetic makeup of populations
• Habitat
• Where a population normally lives

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Levels Of Organization
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Earths Systems

• Atmosphere
• Troposphere/Stratosphere
• Hydrosphere
• Liquid water
• Ice, icebergs, frozen soil layers
• Water vapor
• Lithosphere
• Crust and upper mantle
• Biosphere
• Where living organisms exist

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Life On Earth

• Life depends on three interconnected factors
• 1. One-way flow of high-quality energy from the
  sun
• 2. Cycling of Matter
• 3. Gravity

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Interconnected Factors
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Ecosystem Concepts and Biomes

• Terrestrial portion of the biosphere has been
  classified into biomes.
• These biomes are characterized by
• Distinct climate
• Long-term patters of weather
• Specific landforms

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Characteristics of Ecosystems

• No distinct boundaries nor self-contained
• Abiotic Factors
• Range of tolerance
• Limiting factor
• Biotic Factors
• Producers autotrophs
• Consumers - heterotrophs
• Herbivores Carnivores
• Omnivores Scavengers
• decomposers

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Food Webs and Energy Flow

• Food Chain

• Food Web

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Pyramids of Energy Flow
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Biogeochemical Cycles

• Nutrient cycles the nutrient atoms, ions, and
  molecules that organisms need to live, grow, and
  reproduce are continuously cycled from the
  nonliving environment and then back again.

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Water Cycle
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Water Cycle Human Impacts

• Withdrawing large quantities of fresh water from
  streams, lakes, and underground sources.
• Clearing vegetation from land for agriculture,
  mining, road and building construction, and other
  activities.
• Modifying water quality

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Carbon Cycle
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Carbon Cycle Human Impacts

• Clearing trees and other plants that absorb CO2
  through photosynthesis
• Adding large amounts of CO2 by burning fossil
  fuels and wood

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Nitrogen Cycle
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Nitrogen Cycle Human Impacts

• Adding large amounts of nitric acid into the
  atmosphere when we burn any fuel.
• Adding nitrous oxide to the atmosphere through
  the action of anaerobic bacteria on livestock
  wastes and commercial inorganic fertilizers
• Removing nitrogen from topsoil

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Phosphorous Cycle
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Phosphorous Cycle Human Impacts

• Mining large quantities of phosphate rock for use
  in commercial inorganic fertilizers and
  detergents
• Reducing the available phosphate in tropical
  forests by removing trees.
• Adding excess phosphate to aquatic ecosystems
• Runoff of animal wastes
• Runoff of commercial phosphate
• Discharge of municipal sewage

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Sulfur Cycle
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Sulfur Cycle Human Impact

• Burning sulfur-containing coal and oil
• Refining sulfur-containing petroleum
• Using smelting to convert sulfur compounds of
  metallic minerals

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Ecosystem Services
All things come from earth, and to earth they
all return. Menander (342-290 B.C.)