Ecosystems part 1

what are ecosystems

the system formed by interactions between living organisms and the physical environment

what are biotic factors

living components of ecosystems

what are some examples of biotic factors

plants, animals, microbes, fungi

what are abiotic factors

non-living components of ecosystems

what are examples of abiotic factors

temperature, sunlights, water, soil, rocks, chemical elements…

what is ecosystem ecology

the study of nutrient and energy flow within an ecosystem and the production of biomass

how does every flow in ecosystem ecology

unidirectionally

how is energy used

captured by primal producers and transferred to consumers, with heat loss occurring between transfer stages

what does biomass production require

30-50 nutrients

what are macronutrients

carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and potassium

what does carbon form

the backbone of the macromolecules of life

what are examples of macromolecules

carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins

what does carbon cycles do on land

there are carbon cycles between organisms and the atmosphere

what does photosynthesis do

uptake CO2

what does respiration do

release CO2

what must CO2 do

diffuse into the surface water before uptake can occur

what happens to carbon that is removed from the cycle

the carbon is stored

what does this stored carbon do

form fossil fuels within the ground

in what organisms does mass die-offs occur

anaerobic sediments

what is this picture showing

a carbon map of Canada

what is a carbon map of Canada

the total terrestrial carbon storage in Canada

what does a darker color on the carbon map mean

more stored carbon

what area of terrestrial ecosystems do the carbon map of Canada show

above ground and to a depth of 2 meters

why is it important to locate high-carbon region

it allows for more targeted conservation measures

what are nature-based climate solutions (NbCS)

actions like protected and conserved areas, and active management of landscapes that help maintain or enhance carbon storage

how do NbCS help high-carbon regions

they help ensure that globally significant carbon remains stores in nature

besides keeping carbon stored, what I another benefit of NbCS

they increase the possibility of additional carbon absorption in the future

why is nitrogen needed by living organisms

needed for proteins, nucleic acid, and chlorophyll

where is most nitrogen found

most in atmospheric and some in rocks

what is most atmospheric nitrogen

gaseous N2

what can gaseous N2 cannot be used by

most plants/animals

what is nitrogen fixation N2 → NH3/NH4+ dependant on

bacteria like Rhizobium living within plants an cyanobacteria elsewhere

what is nitrification: NH3/NH4+ to NO2- and NO3- dependent on

separate bacterial species

what is assimilation

transformation of inorganic nitrogen to organic nitrogen by organisms

what do these assimilation plants and animals rely on

plants rely on there roots, animals rely on plants

what is Ammonification

transformation of organic nitrogen back into inorganic nitrogen

what is decomposition driven by (ammonification)

bacteria and fungi

what’s the most common route for nitrogen to enter soil

ammonification

what is denitrification

NO3- is transformed to NH3

what is denitrification driven by

anaerobic bacteria, returned to the atmosphere

what is phos phosphorus needed for

growth, DNA, and energetic action (ATP)

what does phosphorous cycling originate from

eroding rocks/crusts, cannot rely on gaseous movement

what does plant roots absorb

Ionic phosphates

what do herbivores it

the plants

what do carnivores eat

the herbivores

where does decomposition return to

soil what doe

what does aquatic systems receive

run-off, excess forms sedimentary rocks and return as crust

what is water

an essential element and transports nutrients between compartments

what happened in the 1960’s, and the Aral Sea

the society started a massive irrigation plan for farming in nearby desserts

what is the 4th largest lake in the world is now partially viewed as

aralkum dessert

what is the salinity rate in the Aral Sea

10ppt to >92ppt

what was water from the Aral Sea fed by

precipitation and snowmelt

what are some characteristics of water

solvent for chemical reaction, elimination of wastes, gas exchange, reproduction, support (hydrostatic skeletons, plants/inverts), locomotion, greenhouse gas (water vapour), and continuous compartment within the body

what does availability affect

the distribution of life

what is an example of how availability affects the distribution of life

timberline- alpine trees stop growing at the point where they can’t get enough water to offset water loss from transpiration

what does water cohesion allow it to do

stick to itself and support transport processes

how does high surface tension benefit ecosystems

it allows small organisms (e.g., insects)to move across the surface of water

how does water move upward in soil and plants

though cohesion and adhesion (capillary action)

what is water considered a universal solvent

it dissolves many substances, allowing nutrients and pollutants to move through ecosystems

what does waters low viscosity help with

it allows water to flow and be pumped easily

how does water help transport nutrients and pollutants

by dissolving them and carrying them through ecosystems, organisms, and waterways

Why is water’s high heat capacity important?

It absorbs and carries heat, helping regulate temperature in organisms and environments.

What does water’s high heat of vaporization allow?

Efficient cooling (e.g., sweating, evaporation from surfaces).

What happens to water when it freezes?

it expands

Why does ice float?

Because frozen water is less dense than liquid water.

Why do bodies of water freeze from the top down?

Ice forms on the surface first, insulating the water below and protecting aquatic life.

what does water availability affect

distributions of organisms

what is grass availablity influenced by

rainfall in the previous months

what does water baffalo denisty depend on

grass availability

what does the spade foot Toad in Arizona Desert do in the dry season

burrow underground in drip-line of plants for moisture

what does the spade foot Toad in Arizona Desert do in the rainy season

escape burrows and mate

how do tadpoles develop

fast and slow (developmental plasticity)

what is the water cycle

primarily physical (not chemical) cycle driven by solar energy

what are some things that occur in the water cycle

evaporation and evapotranspiration, and precipitation

where does evaporation occur primarily

over oceans

what does evapotranspiration encompass

encompasses all water encompassing all water entering the atmosphere

who does evapotranspiration encompass all water entrain the atmosphere

• evaporation from soil/lakes

• transpiration from plant leaves

  • ~ 90% of all water entering the atmosphere over landmass has transpired from plant leaves

where does precipitation occur

what atmospheric water condenses, distributed by winds

how much water is held in the bodies of organisms or is frozen in soil

around 2%

where does the rest of the cycle come from

bodies pf water to the atmosphere and back

what is this photo showing

the water cycle

what are aquifers

porous underground deposit that holds groundwater below (and sometimes above) surface by boundary layer

what are some characteristics of confined aquifers

impermeable, bound by bedrock

what are some characteristics of unconfined aquifers

permeable, bound by clay

what is the water layer

saturated upper layer of aquifer

how long can water remain on aquifers

days to 10 000 years

what happens if a aquifer is overused

the aquifer will be depleted

what happens if an aquifer is depleted

it must be recharged by precipitation

how many Canadians use aquifers for their sole freshwater use

30% of Canadiens

what is contamination

chemical contamination, agricultural runoff (heavy rain), drilling, landfills, accidental spills…

what are forest ecosystems

characterized by trees (sugar maple, eastern hemlock), classified by climate (tropical, temperate, or boreal)

what is an example of a forest ecosystem

acadian forest

what is an ecotone

boundary between two ecosystems, here between boreal and temperate forests

what is grasslands

characterized grasses (prairie, savannahs, and steppes), trees sparse, semi-arid, may be in warm or cold climates

what is an example of grasslands

prairies and savannahs.

what is a dessert ecosystem

low precipitation (<25cm per year), from tropics to arctics, generally windy, vegetation sparse

what is a tundra ecosystem

arctic and alpine, snow-covered, windswept, treeless, dry (less rain than most desserts), the soil may be frozen year-round (permafrost)

what is freshwater ecosystems

stationary water (ponds) or flowing (streams and rivers) also bogs and lakes and swamps

what is a marine ecosystem

saltwater, the most abundant types of ecosystems in the word (ocean floor to surface, intertidal estuaries, salt marsh, swamps, mangroves and coral reefs)

what is an example of a marine ecosystem

the great Barrier Reef, estuaries, or coral reefs.