TOPIC 1 - INTRODUCTION TO ECOSYSTEM

ECOSYSTEM

a community of living organisms that interact with each other and with their non-living environment in a specific area. these interactions form a system that allows energy and nutrients to flow and be recycled

INDIVIDUAL

POPULATION

COMMUNITY

ECOSYSTEM

BIOME

BIOSPHERE

[enumerate] levels of ecosystem organization

INDIVIDUAL

a single organism of a species

POPULATION

a group of individuals of the same species living in the same area

COMMUNITY

all the different populations that live and interact in the same area

ECOSYSTEM

a community of living organisms and their nonliving environment interacting together

BIOME

a large region characterized by specific climate, plants, and animals

BIOSPHERE

the global sum of all ecosystems; the part of earth where life exists

SUN

the main source of energy for almost all ecosystems

ENERGY

it enters the ecosystem when produces absorb sunlight and convert it into chemical energy through photosynthesis

PRODUCERS

also called autotrophs, they create food using sunlight, foundation of all food chains

CONSUMERS

they get energy by eating other organisms

DECOMPOSERS

they break down dead plants and animals, returning nutrients to the soil

EATING

energy is transferred from one level to the next by ______

TROPHIC LEVELS

these show an organism's position int he food chain based on what it eats and who eats it

HERBIVORES

organisms that eat producers (plants)

CARNIVORES

organisms that only eat meat, help control prey populations, maintain balance in ecosystems, and are often top predators.

OMNIVORES

organisms that eats plants and other animals, helps connect multiple levels in the food chain

10%

what is the percentage of the total energy that moves from one trophic level to the next?

FOOD CHAIN

a linear sequence of organisms through which energy and nutrients flow in an ecosystem showing who eats whom, starting from a producer and moving up to various consumers, ending with decomposers

FOOD WEB

a complex network of interconnected food chains that shows how energy flows through multiple organisms in an ecosystem

PRIMARY CONSUMERS

organisms that eat producers and are typically herbivores. they obtain energy by consuming other organisms, rather than producing their own food like plants

SECONDARY CONSUMERS

organisms that eat primary consumers, which are typically herbivores.

AUTOTROPHS

organisms that produce their own food using energy from sunlight or inorganic chemicals

PHOTOSYNTHESIS

in this process, autotrophs use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to produce glucose and oxygen

HETEROTROPHS

organisms that cannot make their own food and must eat other organisms to get energy. they get nutrients by feeding on other organisms, and they use cellular respiration to release energy from the food they eat

BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES

these are natural processes that recycle nutrients in various chemical forms from the environment to organisms and then back to the environment. these cycles involve biological, geological, and chemical processes, and include key elements such as carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and water.

SUSTAIN LIFE

MAINTAIN BALANCE

SUPPORT ENERGY FLOW

IMPROVE SOIL FERTILITY

REGULATE CLIMATE

[enumerate] why are biogeochemical cycles important

CARBON CYCLE

this is the process through which carbon atoms move between the atmosphere, biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere. it involves both biological and physical processes, such as photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition, and combustion

PHOTOSYNTHESIS

RESPIRATION

DECOMPOSITION

COMBUSTION

CARBON STORAGE

OCEAN EXCHANGE

[enumerate] CARBON CYCLE PROCESSES

PHOTOSYNTHESIS

plants, algae, and some bacteria absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and use it to make glucose through this process

RESPIRATION

organisms release carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere as they break down glucose for energy

DECOMPOSITION

when plants and animals die, decomposers break down their bodies, releasing carbon into the soil and atmosphere

COMBUSTION

the burning of fossil fuels and biomass releases large amounts of CO2 into atmosphere

CARBON STORAGE

some carbon is stored long-term in fossil fuels, limestone rocks, and deep ocean sediments

OCEAN EXCHANGE

oceans absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. marine organisms also use carbon to form shells and skeletons

NITROGEN CYCLE

the natural process by which nitrogen is converted into different chemical forms as it moves between the atmosphere, soil, water, and living organisms

NITROGEN FIXATION

NITRIFICATION

ASSIMILATION

AMMONIFICATION

DENITRIFICATION

[enumerate] NITROGEN CYCLE PROCESSES

NITROGEN FIXATION

nitrogen gas from the atmosphere is converted into ammonia by nitrogen-fixing bacteria or by lightning

NITRIFICATION

ammonia is converted into nitrites and then into nitrates by nitrifying bacteria. nitrates are the form most plants absorb through their roots

ASSIMILATION

plants take up nitrates from the soil and use them to build proteins and other organic compounds. animals then obtain nitrogen by eating plants or other animals

AMMONIFICATION

When plants and animals die or excrete waste, decomposer bacteria convert organic nitrogen back into ammonia.

DENITRIFICATION

Denitrifying bacteria convert nitrates back into nitrogen gas (N₂), which returns to the atmosphere, completing the cycle.

PHOSPHORUS CYCLE

the process by which phosphorus moves through the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere.

WEATHERING OF ROCKS

ABSORPTION BY PLANTS

CONSUMPTION BY ANIMALS

DECOMPOSITION

SEDIMENTATION

GEOLOGIC UPLIFT

[enumerate] PHOSPHORUS CYLCE PROCESSES

PHOSPHORUS

unlike carbon and nitrogen, it does not have a gaseous form under normal conditions and is not found in the atmosphere; it cycles much more slowly and mainly through soil, water, and living things

WEATHERING OF ROCKS

Phosphate minerals in rocks are broken down by weathering, releasing inorganic phosphate into the soil and water.

ABSORPTION BY PLANTS

Plants absorb phosphate ions from the soil through their roots and use them to build DNA, RNA, ATP (energy molecules), and cell membranes.

CONSUMPTION BY ANIMALS

Animals obtain phosphorus by eating plants or plant-eating animals. It becomes part of their bones, teeth, and body tissues.

DECOMPOSITION

When plants and animals die or excrete waste, decomposers return phosphorus to the soil or water as organic phosphate.

SEDIMENTATION

In aquatic environments, excess phosphate can settle and become part of sediments. Over time, these can form new phosphate rocks through geological processes.

GEOLOGIC UPLIFT

Over millions of years, tectonic forces can lift sedimentary rocks containing phosphate to the Earth's surface, restarting the cycle.

HYDROLOGIC CYCLE

also known as the water cycle, is the continuous movement of water through the earth's atmosphere, surface, and underground systems.

EVAPORATION

TRANSPIRATION

CONDENSATION

PRECIPITATION

INFILTRATION

RUNOFF

[enumerate] HYDROLOGIC CYCLE PROCESSES

EVAPORATION

Water from oceans, lakes, rivers, and soil turns into water vapor due to the sun's heat and rises into the atmosphere.

TRANSPIRATION

Plants release water vapor into the air from their leaves, combining with evaporation in a process called evapotranspiration.

CONDENSATION

Water vapor cools and changes back into liquid droplets, forming clouds.

PRECIPITATION

When cloud droplets combine and become too heavy, they fall to Earth as rain, snow, sleet, or hail.

INFILTRATION

Some of the water seeps into the ground, replenishing underground aquifers and groundwater supplies.

RUNOFF

Water that doesn't infiltrate the soil flows over land surfaces into rivers, lakes, and oceans, restarting the cycle.

SULFUR CYCLE

the natural process by which sulfur moves through the atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere

SULFUR

an essential element of life, used in proteins and enzymes, but in excess, it can contribute to environmental problems like acid rain.

WEATHERING OF ROCKS

ABSORPTION BY PLANTS

CONSUMPTION BY ANIMALS

DECOMPOSITION

VOLCANIC ACTIVITY AND GEYSERS

ATMOSPHERIC REACTION

[enumerate] SULFUR CYCLE PROCESSES

WEATHERING OF ROCKS

Sulfur stored in rocks and minerals (as sulfates) is released into the soil and water through weathering over time.

ABSORPTION BY PLANTS

Plants absorb sulfate ions from the soil and incorporate sulfur into essential amino acids and proteins.

CONSUMPTION BY ANIMALS

Animals obtain sulfur by consuming plants and use it to build body proteins and other molecules.

DECOMPOSITION

When organisms die or excrete waste, decomposers break down organic sulfur compounds, releasing them back into the soil or water as hydrogen sulfide or sulfate.

VOLCANIC ACTIVITY AND GEYSERS

Volcanic eruptions and geothermal vents release sulfur gases (mainly sulfur dioxide) into the atmosphere.

ATMOSPHERIC REACTION

sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere can react with water vapor to form sulfuric acid, which falls to earth as acid rain