Ch.3.1: Productivity, Trophic Levels, and Food Chains

list the levels in an ecosystem from smallest to largest

individual, population, community, ecosystem, biome, biosphere

Population

group of the same species in the same place and time

genetic biodiversity

variation in a population

what is the importance of genetic biodiversity?

allows for evolution and survival of the fittest

Habitat

where a population lives

habitat examples

ocean, digestive system of a termite

how are habitats specialized for species?

specific for survival, water, temperature, and soil quality

Community

different populations in a habitat

Ecosystem

living and non living parts of the environment, biotic includes the recently dead material

non living parts of an ecosystem examples

water, soil, and atmosphere

Biomes

specific ecosystem types in different parts of the world

biome examples

tropical rainforests: amazon, congo, indonesia

biosphere

all the biomes of Earth

What factors make each biome distinct

climate, vegetation, animals

what is the main abiotic factor in determining a biome?

climate- temperature and rainfall

how much of Earth’s surface do terrestrial biomes make up?

27%

how much of Earth’s surface do aquatic marine biomes take up?

71%

how much of Earth’s surface do aquatic freshwater biomes make up?

2%

Ecotone

where the characteristics of two biomes blend

Trophic levels

feeding levels of organisms in an ecosystem

what are the organisms in the 1st trophic level called?

producers/ autotrophs

1st trophic level characteristics 

make their food from the environment

what are the two processes done by the first trophic level?

photosynthesis and chemosynthesis

explain photosynthesis in the 1st trophic level

uses sun’s energy to produce sugars

what is the byproduct of photosynthesis?

O2

list organism examples that do photosynthesis as producers

plants, algae, bacteria, and phytoplankton

Chemosynthesis

uses energy from inorganic molecules

what inorganic molecules can be used as energy in chemosynthesis?

H2S, CH4, N2, NH4+

what organisms do chemosynthesis?

specialized bacteria

2nd-6th or 7th trophic levels are also called what?

consumers/ heterotrophs

consumers characteristics

have to eat other organisms

what does primary, secondary, tertiary consumer etc. refer to?

how far from the producer level the consumer is

Omnivores

consumers that eat producers and consumers

Detritivores

feed primarily on detritus

detritus

remains of other organisms

detritivores examples

earthworms, catfish, mites, vultures

Decomposers

consumers that release nutrients from plant and animal remains into soil, water, or air as they obtain nutrients and energy from the remains

what do decomposers help to do for the ecosystem?

cycle nutrients

what does aerobic respiration use, and what for

uses oxygen to breakdown organic molecules, releases energy for use

what organic molecule is often broken down in aerobic and anaerobic respiration?

glucose

what organisms do aerobic respiration?

producers, consumers, decomposers

what are the end products of aerobic respiration?

CO2 and H2O

what is Anaerobic Respiration also known as?

Fermentation

explain Anaerobic respiration

releases energy from organic molecules in the absence of oxygen

what organisms do anaerobic respiration?

some decomposers

list the end products of anaerobic respiration

methane gas, ethyl alcohol, acetic acid, hydrogen sulfide

explain Flow of energy pathway

one way, starts as the sun, flows through living organisms, and leaves Earth as heat

Cycling of Nutrients

passes between biotic to abiotic parts of the ecosystem, constantly being reused

Flow of energy and cycling of nutrients processes allow for what?

law of the conservation of matter and the first and second law of thermodynamics

Law of the Conservation of Matter

matter can not be created nor destroyed

What does the law of conservation of matter apply to?

biochemical cycles, recycling of waste materials, pollution

First Law of Thermodynamics

energy cannot be created nor destroyed

what does the first law of thermodynamics apply to?

food webs, system inputs and outputs, greenhouse effect

Second Law of Thermodynamics

energy is lost as heat as it is transferred because change from a higher to lower energy form is inefficient

what does the second law of thermodynamics apply to?

ecological efficiency, energy production

Gross Primary production

the amount of sunlight converted into chemical energy found in producers

What is important about gross primary production for an ecosystem?

the ecosystem’s energy starting point

explain Net primary Production in terms of the producer

how much energy is left available in the producer after using energy for their own needs

explain Net Primary Production in terms of the consumer

energy that is available for consumers

explain the NPP in the open ocean

it’s low, but because of its size produces 24.4% of Earth’s NPP

explain NPP in tropical rain forest

it’s large, but covers 3.3% of the earth, produces 22% of Earth’s NPP

Food chain

sequence of organisms from producer through consumer

what does the Food chain show?

how energy and nutrients flow through a system

Food web

shows the different trophic levels of each organism, connecting food chains

Biomass

weight of the organic matter in a trophic level

aside from matter weight, what does biomass include?

chemical energy that can be transferred between trophic levels

Ecological Efficiency

percentage of energy transferred between trophic levels

between what percentages is the ecological efficiency

2%-40%

what is the ecological efficiency of bird and mammals?

2-3%

why is the ecological efficiency of birds and mammals so low?

most of energy is used by  high metabolism making them endotherms

what is the ecological efficiency of ectotherms?

10% or higher

what is the highest ecological efficiency that insects can have?

40% energy

what does ecological efficiency take into account?

energy lost to cellular respiration, material lost as feces, and material not eaten

how much energy from photosynthesis reaches the carnivore in a food chain?

just 1%

Why do top predators tend to be smaller in numbers of the ecosystem than the prey?

less usable energy is available the further away from the producers

Predators tend to be larger in size, so____

the amount of biomass is also concentrated in a few animals

How would a vegetarian diet affect the environment?

would take less land to feed humans, which means more land would be available for habitats

In the pyramid of production, a lot of energy escapes as what?

heat