succession topic and nitrogen cycle

Community

All different species that live in one area and interact with each other

why is energy transfer in ecosystem not 100% (at producer)

Sunlight wrong wavelength

Sunlight misses plant

Sunlight miss photosynthetic parts

Sunlight reflected

Why is energy in ecosystem not 100% (producer to consumers)

Some parts inedible

Some indigestible

Excretory losses

Lost as heat to environment through respiration

Nitrogen fixation

Nitrogen gas made to nitrogen containing compounds by nitrogen fixing bacteria

Either free living or mutualistic

Nitrification

Ammonium to nitrite (NO2-) then to nitrate (NO3-)

Ammonification

Production of ammonia from nitrogen containing compounds

Denitrification

In anaerobic respiration

Nitrates to nitrogen gas

Impact of nitrogen containing fertilisers

Reduced species diversity- favours fast growing grasses

Leaching

Eutrophication- nitrates enter lake and causes algae to grow at the top

Ecosystem

All living organisms found in one area combined with non living aspects of their environment

Can vary from large to small

Habitat

Place where an organism lives within an ecosystem

Niche

Role of a species within its habitat consisting of both its biotic interactions and abiotic interactions

Carrying capacity

Maximum size of population an ecosystem can support

Intraspecific competition

Between organisms of the same species

Interspecific

Between organisms of different species

Mark release recapture

A sample of species is captured marked then released back into the same area they were caught

After a certain period of time another sample is captured and the number of marked organisms are counted

Assumptions made by mark release recapture

Marked individuals distribute evenly

No migration

Few births or deaths

Method of marking doesn’t affect survival

Mark doesn’t come off

Primary succession

Where an area previously devoid of life is colonised by a community of organisms

Process of primary succession

Pioneer species can survive harsh conditions and colonise the area

They change abiotic factors which allows more complex organisms

Climax community

Final stage of succession where ecosystem is balanced and stable

Reached when soil is rich enough to support large trees and the environment is no longer changing

Conservation

Protection and management of species and habitats in order to maintain biodiversity