Ecosystem Ecology
NOTYfIfm CCOfogy reminder anecosystemincludesalltheabioticfactorssuch
asenergysoilatmosphereandwater
2 for exam
aterrariummicrocosmdemonstratesthatmatterincluding
waterandnutrientsisrecycledinanecosystemwhileenergy
J
ENERGY FLOW energyflowisthepassageofenergythroughthecomponentsoftheecosystemEnergyentersthe
theterrariumintheformofsunlightyellowarrows Plantsproducersconvertlightenergyto
chemicalenergythroughtheprocessofphotosynthesis Animalsconsumerstakeinsomeofthischemicalenergyintheformoforganiccompounds
whentheyfeedonthewastesandremainsofotherorganismsEveryuseofchemicalenergyinvolvesalossofsomeenergytothesurroundingsinthe
formofheatredarrows Energyisnotdestroyedbutitdissipatessothatitisnotavailabletodowork Bcsomuchoftheenergycaptured
by
photosynthesisislostasheatthisecosystemwouldrunoutofenergyifitwerenotpowered
byacontinuousinflowofenergyfromthesun
CHEMICALCYCLING chemicalcyclingistheuseandreuseofchemicalelementssuchascarbon nitrogenwithintheecosystem
chemicalcyclingbluearrowsinvolvethetransferofmatterwiintheecosystemChemelementsarenotcreatedordestroyedTheyarecycledbetweenthe
abioticcomponentsoftheecosystem includingairwaterandsoilandthebioticcomponentsoftheecosystemthecommunityplantsacquiretheseelements
ininorganicformfromtheairandsoilandusethemtoconstructorganicmoleculesAnimalslikethesnailconsumesomeoftheseorganicmolecules
DccomposersfeedingondeadplantandanimaltissueproduceCO2andmineralwastesreturningmostoftheelementstothesoilasthebyproductsofplant
animalmetabolism ifnutrientsarelostduetoerosionorbiocropsareremovedfromwheretheyareproduced nutrients
maybecomelimited
energy flow in ecosystems
Summary allorganismsrequireenergyforgrowth
maintenancereproductionandin
insummaryenergyflowand manyspecieslocomotion
chemicalcyclinginvolvethetransfer
ofenergyandmatterthroughthetrophic primaryproduction energyflourlevelsoftheecosystemHoweverenergy ecologistscalltheamountormassoflivingorganic
flowsthroughandultimatelyoutof materialinanecosystemthebiomassTherateatwhichanecosystem's
ecosystemswhereaschemicalsare producersconvertsolarenergytothechemicalenergy
recycledwithinandbetween storedinorganiccompoundsiscalled
primaryproductionThe
ecosystems primaryproduction
oftheentirebiosphereisroughly
165billiontonsofbiomassperyear
OODWEBS
describesthetrophicstructure
ofanecosystem
APEXPREDATORalsoknownasanalphapredators
ortoppredator isapredatoratthetopofafoodchain
withoutnaturalpredatorsApexpredatorsareusually
definedintermsoftrophicdynamicsmeaningthatthey
occupythehighesttrophiclevels
TERTIARYconsumer acarnivoreatthetopmostlevel
inafoodchainthatfeedsonothercarnivoresananimal
SECONDARYconsumers areorganismsthateatprimaryconsumers thatfeedsonlyonsecondaryconsumersIntherealworld
forenergyTheycanbecarnivoresoromnivoresIntemperateregions theycaneatmanydifferentanimalsandevenplants
secondaryconsumerssuchasdogscatsmolesandbirdsorfoxesowls sometimesThismeansthattheycanactuallybecarnivorous
wolvescrowsandhawks examplesthatobtaintheirenergyfrom oromnivorous i.ebirdsofpreybigcatsfoxessnakes
primaryconsumers
byscavenging
PRIMARYCONSUMER anorganismthatfeedsonprimary producers organismscapableofcreatingsimplecarbohydrates
producersTheyareusuallyherbivoresthatfeedon suchasglucosefromgaseouscarbondioxideThisprocessof
autotrophicplantswhichproducetheirownfoodthrough producingorganicmoleculesfrominorganiccarbonsourcesis
photosynthesis calledprimaryproductiononlandmostproducersareplants
ProducersareanykindofgreenplantTheymaketheirfood
DEcomposers areorganismsthatbreakdowndeadordecaying foodbytakingsui.nlightandusingtheenergytomakesugar
organismstheycarryoutdecomposition aprocesspossible
byonly theplantusesthissugarglucosetomakethingslike
certainkingdomssuchasfungiandbacteria interrestrialeco woodleavesroots bark
systems
beetletypeofShredderthateats digestsdetrius
aearthworm
millipede
amushroomtypeoffungithatgrowsoutofthe
groundorthedeadmaterialitsfeedingoff
Fungiarethemaindecomposersinmanyecosystemsparticularly
inforestsoneoftheirmainfunctionsistohelpreleasenitrogen
phosphorousfromdeaddecayingmatter