Ecosystems Study Guide

BIO112

Define what an ecosystem is

All biotic and abiotic factors in a certain area

What are the two main factors that affect ecosystems?

How energy flows between ecosystems (ie. Feeding relationships between organisms) as well as how nutrients flow between organisms and the abiotic environment (such as soil or water)

Explain what a food web is.  What is being transferred in food webs?

A diagram that shows how energy and nutrients flow in an ecosystem mixing simplified food chains.

Why are plants (primary producers) so important to food chains/webs?

They are the only organisms that can use sunlight for energy/biomass

Carbon sink for each cycle:

Carbon: Ocean, Phosphorus: Rocks/soil, Nitrogen: Atmosphere

Define eutrophication.

Prescence of excess nutrients in a body of water

Give specific examples of what can cause eutrophication?

Habitat degredation or fertilizer runoff

The following nutrients are often limited in ecosystems:

Nitrogen and phosphorus