(Gateway): Community Level Systems

Cycling of Materials on Earth

Cycling of Materials on Earth

Atoms cycle between compounds in an ecosystem, moving between biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) components.

Nitrogen Cycle

Process where proteins from animals break down into amino acids, used by plants after decomposition.

Importance of Microorganisms

Microorganisms aid in decomposition, returning minerals and nutrients to the environment.

Carbon Cycle

Describes how carbon moves between living organisms and the environment through processes like photosynthesis and respiration.

Water Cycle

Essential for life, involving processes like evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.

Rate of Decomposition

Speed at which dead matter breaks down, influenced by factors like temperature, water content, and oxygen availability.

Composting

Organic compost enhances soil quality through decomposition by bacteria, fungi, and worms.

Abiotic Factors

Non-living elements like light intensity, temperature, moisture levels, and soil pH affecting organisms in ecosystems.

Biotic Factors

Living elements like food availability, predators, and competition influencing organism communities in ecosystems.

Interdependence within a Community

Organisms rely on each other for survival, seen in predator-prey cycles, mutualistic relationships, and parasitism.

Fleas

Parasitic insects that reside on the skin of other animals, feeding on their blood and weakening the host.

Tapeworms

Parasitic worms that live in the intestines of other animals, absorbing nutrients and causing weight loss, diarrhea, and vomiting in the host.

Trophic Levels

The hierarchical levels in a food chain or web, with producers at the base and successive levels of consumers.

Food Web

The interconnected network of multiple food chains within an ecosystem.

Producers

Organisms, like plants or algae, that can perform photosynthesis and form the base of a food chain by producing biomass.

Consumers

Organisms that rely on consuming other organisms for energy since they cannot produce their own food.

Biomass

Organic material derived from living organisms, representing the total mass of living matter at each trophic level.

Pyramids of Biomass

Diagrams illustrating the amount of biomass present at each trophic level in a food chain, typically showing a decrease in biomass from lower to higher levels.

Transfer of Biomass

The movement of biomass from one trophic level to another in a food chain, with only about 10% being transferred efficiently.

Efficiency of Biomass Transfer

The percentage of biomass transferred from one trophic level to the next, typically around 10% in a healthy ecosystem.