2.1-2.3 Notes

2.1-2.3 are the sectiosn that we completed the mesocosm packet for!

Bioaccumulation: The build up of POP’s within an organism or trophic level. Make sure to remember that it’s within an individual or a specific level, not the system!

Biomagnification: The increase in concentration of POP’s along a food chain. With each step up the trophic level, the POP’s concentration increases and magnifies.

Productivity:

Gross: the total amount of something made as a result of an activity.

Net: the amount adter some deductions are made, like taxes, insurance, or cost of production.

Primary: in ecological productivity, this refers to plants. Think of how plants are the first ones in food chains, so they’re the primary origins of the productivity within the food chain (Producers also have the highest productivty levels).

Secondary: in ecological productivity, refers to animals. Think of secondary consumers! They eat the primary producers, aka, the primary production sources, making them secondary production sources.

Gross Primary Productivity (GPP): total gain in energy (or biomass) per unit area per unit time by plants. This refers to the energy fixed through photosynthesis.

Net Primary Production (NPP): Total gain in energy (or biomass) per unit time by green plants after allowing for losses due to respiration.

NPP = GPP - Respiration

Gross Secondary Productivity (GSP): Total energy (or biomass) taken in by consumers/animals.

GSP = Food eaten - fecal loss

Net Secondary Productivity (NSP): Total gain in energy (or biomass) per unit area per unit time by consumers after allowing for losses to respiration.

NSP = GSP - Respiration

Eutriphication: when lakes, estuaries, and coastal waters recieve influxes of nutrients which cause an excess growth in plants and phytoplankton.

Dead Zone: in both oceans and freshwater sources, occurs when there is not enough oxygen available to sustain life.