2.2 Communities and Ecosystems

Ecosystem

ommunity of interdependent organisms and the physical environment they interact with

community

group of populations living and interacting with each other in a common habitat.

What do producers do

convert inorganic compounds into food

chemosynthesis

he process by which food is made by bacteria or other living things using chemicals as the energy source

Decomposers

absorb and metabolize waste and dead matter on a molecular level then release it as inorganic chemicals

Pyramid of numbers

pyramid of biomass

graphical representation of the amount of biomass at each trophic level

How is biomass mesaured

g m^–2 (grams per meter squared)

Pyramid of Biomass

How is biomass measures?

Dry weight

What are some disadvantages of biomass of numbers?

Unethical, seasonal variation, different caloric values

pyramid of productivity

turnover of biomass at each trophic level

What are the units for products of productivity

J m^-2 yr^-1.

pyramid of productivity

Pyramids of productivity are always ____ shaped

pyramid

What are some disadvantages of pyramids of productivity?

difficult