lesson 22 - ecosystems capture energy and cycle chemicals

Abiotic

non living

Biotic

Living

Nutrient Cycling

producers and consumers involved, nutrients are cycled between abiotic and biotic components

Evaporation

water turning into a gas

Transpiration

plants release water into atmosphere

Condensation

formation of clouds

Percipitation

rain or snow

Aquifer

permeable underground layer of rock sand and gravel where water is found

Lower Layer of Ground Water

can only be accessed by wells

Photosynthesis

Plants fix CO2 to synthesize organic compounds

Decomposition

breaks down organic matter, releasing CO2

Nitrification

Conversion of ammonium (NH₄⁺) or ammonia (NH₃) into nitrates (NO₃^–)

Nitrogen Fixation

Conversion of atmospheric nitrogen (N₂) into ammonia (NH₃) by prokaryotic organisms

Denitrification

Conversion of nitrates (NO₃^–) to nitrogen gas (N₂), returning nitrogen to the atmosphere

Phosphorus cycle

released by rock weathering, absorbed by plants, and passed through food chains

What happens to excess Phosphorus?

it is washed away into streams

First Law of Thermodynamics

energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed

Second Law of Thermodynamics

energy is lost as heat and is unusable by organisms

Primary producer example

grass

Primary Consumer example

grasshopper

Secondary Consumer example

snake

Tertiary Consumer example

hawk

decomposer example

fungi

Bottom-up Effect

primary productivity impacts food chain