AP Bio U3: Chapter 42

conservation of mass

matter neither created nor destroyed, elements are recycled

primary producers are (continue down trophic lvl)

autotrophs using photosynthesis which are eaten by primary consumers (herbivors) —> 2nd consumers (carnivors) —> 3rd consumers

assimilation

the process where organisms absorb inorganic nutrients from their environment and convert them into organic biomolecules

detritivore

multicellular animals that eat dead organims and break it down (increase surface area for chemical breakdown)

decomposer

microorganism that chemically breaks down organic matter into inorganic nutrients

detritus

nonliving organic material

GPP → what does it stand for?

gross primary production

GPP what does it mean?

all the light energy producers conver into chemical energy and that enters the ecosystem

NPP → what does it stand for?

Net primary production

NPP → what does it mean?

energy available to consumers after primary producers

Limiting Nutrient def

the element that must be added for production to increase

common limiting nutrients

phosphorus and nitrogen

eutrophication

when a nutrient status of an ecosystem changes from nutrient-poor to nutrient rich

plant adaptation for getting nutrients:

nitrogen fixing bacteria in legumes, mysorrhizal fungi, released enzymes

secondary net production

the amount of chemical energy in consumers food that is converted to new biomass

what is considered secondary production?

growth & reproduction

what is not considered secondary production?

feces, energy used in cellular respiration

Net Secondary Production =

Total Energy - (cellular respiration energy + feces energy)

production efficiency def

efficiency of energy tranformed into net secondary production (new growth and biomss)

what is assimilation of primary production again?

total amount of energy inside body (no feces)

production effciency equation

(Net secondary production / Assimilation of primary production) * 100

why do birds and mammals have lower production effciency

more energy used in keeping warm (endotherms)

trophic energy

about 10% passes to next level (around 0.1% of og energy by tertiary consumers)

the energy transfer shrinkage follows the same pattern as

biomass pyramids

how is decomposition growth controlled/rate increased?

temperature, moisture, nutrient availability

main reservoir of nitrogen

atmosphere

local cycles involve

metals (phosphorus, potassium calcium)

global cycles involve

gases (carbon, oxygen, sulfer, nitrogen)

dentrification

convert nitrates into N2 gas

nitrogen fixation

process of converting atomosphereic nitrogen gas into ammonia liquid (taken up by plants)

what does nitrogen fixation?

bacteria in the nodes of legumes

ammonification

breakdown of organic compouds into ammonia -→ this returns organic nitrogen into soil and available for plants

nitrification

ammonium oxidized into nitrates —> plants prefer it in nitrate form

bioremediation

using organims to detoxify an area

flow nitrogen through nitrification and denitrification

ammonia oxidized to nitrite, nitrite reduced to gas form

biological augmentation (adding)

using organism to add missing materials