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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: A coral reef ecosystem includes fish, coral, and ocean water.
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.