Conservation of Matter & Energy in Ecosystems: Cycles, Photosynthesis, and Food Webs

What does the conservation of matter and energy state?

Neither matter nor energy can be created or destroyed; they must be transferred.

How is carbon cycled in an ecosystem?

Carbon is taken in by plants as CO2 during photosynthesis and transformed into glucose (C6H12O6), cycling from the atmosphere to living organisms.

What role do plants play in nutrient cycling?

Plants absorb nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen from the soil and return them through decomposition and animal waste.

How do living organisms obtain energy?

Living organisms gain energy by consuming food and releasing energy stored in molecules.

What is photosynthesis?

Photosynthesis is the process of converting carbon dioxide into glucose, occurring in chloroplasts of green plants.

What are the starting and ending products of photosynthesis?

Starting products: carbon dioxide and sunlight; Ending products: glucose and oxygen.

Why is photosynthesis important for carbon cycling?

It traps carbon from the atmosphere into glucose, helping to offset climate change.

What is respiration?

Respiration is the process of turning glucose into ATP (energy) in both plants and animals.

What are the starting and ending products of respiration?

Starting products: glucose and oxygen; Ending products: ATP (energy) and carbon dioxide.

How does respiration relate to carbon cycling?

Respiration produces carbon dioxide, which is released into the atmosphere and can be used again by plants for photosynthesis.

What is glucose?

Glucose is a carbon-containing sugar created during photosynthesis.

How is glucose important to energy cycling?

Glucose is used for energy production (ATP) and is essential for growth and biomass in plants and animals.

What happens to glucose in energy production?

Glucose is broken down to produce ATP, which is used for energy in living organisms.

How does glucose contribute to biomass?

Glucose forms cell walls in plants, contributing to biomass and carbon sequestration.

What is a calorie?

A calorie is a unit of energy that measures the amount of energy provided by food.

Why is tracking carbon, nutrients, and energy beneficial?

Tracking these elements helps understand ecosystem function and health, indicating imbalances that could affect plant and animal life.

What can an excess of nutrients lead to in an ecosystem?

It can cause overgrowth of certain organisms, reducing biodiversity and disrupting food chains.

How do trees sequester carbon?

Trees lock carbon into their biomass as they grow, storing it long-term in their cell walls made of cellulose.

What is the relationship between glucose and carbon cycling?

Glucose contains carbon, which is locked away during photosynthesis and released during respiration.

What is the significance of glucose in nutrient cycling?

Glucose is crucial for energy transfer between organisms and for plant growth, which affects nutrient availability in the soil.

How do you determine which object has more energy between 80 Calories and 300 Calories?

The object with 300 Calories has more energy because 300 is greater than 80.

What is the difference between a calorie and a kilocalorie?

A Calorie (with a capital C) is a kilocalorie, which is equivalent to 1000 calories (lowercase c).

How can you test for the number of calories in an object?

You could burn the food, as burning releases heat, which is a form of energy.

What is the relationship between calories and energy cycling?

Calories measure energy, and energy cycling shows how this energy moves through the ecosystem.

What is a food chain?

A series of steps in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten, such as grass → mouse → hawk.

What is a food web?

A network of feeding relationships that shows all the interactions between organisms in an ecosystem.

What happens to populations if owls are removed from the ecosystem?

Populations of mice and frogs would initially increase, leading to potential decreases in grass and grasshopper populations due to overgrazing.

What happens if grasshoppers are removed from the ecosystem?

Grass populations may increase, while frog and bird populations may decrease due to loss of food sources.

What are some examples of trophic levels?

Producers (e.g., grass), primary consumers (e.g., deer), secondary consumers (e.g., wolves), and tertiary consumers (e.g., owls).

What is the role of producers in energy cycling?

Producers create energy through photosynthesis, making it available to themselves and other organisms.

What is a consumer?

An organism that eats other organisms for energy.

What is a primary consumer?

An organism that eats producers, such as herbivores like deer.

What is a secondary consumer?

An organism that eats primary consumers, such as carnivores like wolves.

How does an organism gain energy?

By producing it via photosynthesis or by eating other organisms that produced energy.

What happens to most of the energy an organism gains?

Most energy is used for cellular respiration or lost as waste and heat.

What percentage of energy typically gets passed on to the next trophic level?

Generally, about 10% of energy is passed on, though it can range from 5% to 15%.

What is the impact of a predator on its prey population?

Predators can negatively impact prey populations by reducing their numbers.

What is the significance of arrows in a food web?

Arrows indicate the direction of energy transfer, pointing to the organism gaining energy.

What is an example of an indirect impact in a food web?

If a predator negatively impacts its prey, it can have an indirect positive impact on the prey's food source.

What is the role of energy transfer in an ecosystem?

Energy transfer is essential for maintaining the balance of populations and the flow of energy through the ecosystem.

How do herbivores affect plant populations?

Herbivores can decrease plant populations by consuming them, which can lead to changes in the ecosystem.

What is the effect of removing a top predator from an ecosystem?

Removing a top predator can lead to an increase in herbivore populations, which may overconsume vegetation.

What is the relationship between energy cycling and ecosystem health?

Healthy energy cycling supports biodiversity and stability within ecosystems.

What happens to energy as it moves through trophic levels?

Energy decreases as it moves up trophic levels due to loss in metabolic processes and heat.