ECOSYSTEMS AND GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY broad section x

energy flows

solar energy (photosynthesis) flows through all trophic levels !0% transfered - limits food chains to 4-5 levels

nutrient cycles

carbon nitrogen phosphorus and water cycles - decomposers are critical recyclers - human activity has disrupted all major cycles

dynamic equilibrium

maintain stability thru negative feedback loops

greater biodiversity = greater resileince

disturbace to recovery

services provided by ecosystems

provisioning services, regulating services, cultural and heritage services, supporting services, intrinsic value, genetic diversity

vunerability

susceptablity to damage - influenced by location, extent, biodiversity, genetic diversity and ecological integrity

recislience

ability to absorb disturbance and reorgainse while maintaing the same structure and function

ecological integrity

the degree to which an ecosystem retains its natural biodiversity, processes and functions - unaltered by human activity

biocapacity

the capacity of an ecosystem to produce biological materials and absorb waste generated by humans

shifting baselines

each generation percieves the degraded enviromenatl conditions they ecountered as ‘normal’, progressivley lowering expectations as ecosystems decline

tipping points

thresholds beyond which ecosystem change becomes self