Ecosystems and Global Ecology

Ecosystem ecology

includes all the nonliving and living components interacting in the same area.

Cellular respiration

transfers energy into organic molecules to ATP.

Photosynthesis

stores energy in sunlight into chemical energy.

Autotroph

self feeding

Heterotroph

primary consumers

Secondary consumers

eat primary consumers.

Decomposers

they break down organic molecules releasing the nutrients back into the ecosystem.

Primary productivity

a measure of the amount of carbon sequesters (kg/m²-year)

Nutrient limitation

the open ocean is far from land and lacks nutrients.

Trophic efficiency

a generalization of how much energy is transferred up each trophic level.

Biomagnification

toxic substances become increasingly concentrated within living organisms as they move up each step of the food chain.

Trophic cascade

a change at one trophic level cascades down to affect organisms at lower trophic levels.