Bio 171 Lecture 9: Ecosystem Ecology I: Producer diversity, primary productivity, and energy flow

Above-Ground Biomass

The total mass of living plant material above the soil.

Example: Trees, leaves, and stems in a forest contribute to above-ground biomass.

Angiosperm

A flowering plant that produces seeds inside fruits.

Example: Apple trees and roses are angiosperms.

ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate)

The energy-carrying molecule used by cells.

Example: Your muscles use ATP for movement.

Chemoautotroph

An organism that makes its own food using chemical energy instead of sunlight.

Example: Deep-sea bacteria that use sulfur compounds near hydrothermal vents.

Chemoheterotroph

An organism that gets energy by consuming other organisms.

Example: Humans and most animals are chemoheterotrophs.

Cellular Respiration

The process cells use to convert glucose and oxygen into ATP (energy).

Example: Your body breaks down food to produce energy through cellular respiration.

Decomposer

Organisms that break down dead matter and recycle nutrients.

Example: Fungi and bacteria decompose fallen leaves in a forest

Ecosystem

A community of living organisms interacting with their environment.

Example: Fungi and bacteria decompose fallen leaves in a forest

Eutrophication

Excess nutrients in water, leading to oxygen depletion and dead zones.

Example: Fertilizer runoff causes algae blooms in lakes, harming fish.

Food Web

A network of interconnected food chains in an ecosystem.

Example: In an ocean food web, small fish eat plankton, and sharks eat the fish.

Freshwater

Water that has low salt content, like lakes and rivers.

Example: The Great Lakes are a major freshwater system.

Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)

The total energy produced by photosynthesis in an ecosystem.

Example: A rainforest has high GPP because its plants produce a lot of energy.

Gymnosperm

A plant that produces seeds without flowers, usually in cones.

Example: Pine trees and fir trees are gymnosperms.

Inorganic

Substances that do not contain carbon-hydrogen (C-H) bonds.

Example: Water (H₂O) and minerals like salt (NaCl) are inorganic

Limiting Nutrient

A nutrient that controls the growth of organisms due to its scarcity.

Example: Nitrogen is a limiting nutrient in many plant ecosystems

Marine

Related to saltwater environments, like oceans and seas.

Example: Coral reefs are marine ecosystems

Net Primary Productivity (NPP)

The energy left after plants use some for their own respiration, available to herbivores.

Example: Forests with high NPP grow quickly and support many animals

Organic

Substances containing carbon-hydrogen (C-H) bonds, often from living things.

Example: Glucose (C₆H₁₂O₆) and proteins are organic molecules.

Phloem

The tissue in vascular plants that transports sugars from leaves to other parts.

Example: Phloem moves sugars from leaves to roots in a tree.

Photoautotroph

An organism that makes its own food using sunlight.

Example: Plants and algae are photoautotrophs.

Photosynthesis

The process by which plants use sunlight to make food (glucose).

Example: Sunflowers use photosynthesis to grow.

Primary Consumer

An organism that eats plants (herbivore).

Example: A rabbit eating grass is a primary consumer.

Primary Producer

An organism that makes its own food and provides energy for the food chain.

Example: Phytoplankton in the ocean are primary producers

Primary Productivity

The rate at which plants produce energy through photosynthesis.

Example: Tropical rainforests have the highest primary productivity on land

Secondary Consumer

An organism that eats primary consumers (carnivore or omnivore).

Example: A frog eating insects is a secondary consumer.

Seed Plant

A plant that reproduces using seeds rather than spores.

Example: Oak trees and wheat are seed plants

Terrestrial

Relating to land-based environments.

Example: Forests, grasslands, and deserts are terrestrial ecosystems.

Tertiary Consumer

A predator that eats secondary consumers.

Example: A hawk eating a snake is a tertiary consumer

Trophic Level

A position in the food chain based on energy flow.

Example: Grass is at the first trophic level (producer), while lions are at the fourth (top predator).

Trophic (Energy) Pyramid

A diagram showing energy loss at each trophic level.

Example: A pyramid with plants at the base, herbivores in the middle, and carnivores at the top.

Vascular Plant

A plant with specialized tissues (xylem and phloem) for transporting water and nutrients.

Example: Ferns, flowers, and trees are vascular plants.

Vascular Tissue

The specialized plant tissue that moves water, nutrients, and sugars.

Example: Xylem and phloem are vascular tissues.

Xylem

The tissue in vascular plants that transports water from roots to leaves.

Example: Xylem helps move water up a tall tree like a redwood.