Ecology: Ecosystems

Where are we?

Big Questions: How are ecosystems structured? How do ecosystems function?

What determines climate?

Seasonality

The tilt of the earth

Opposite in northern and southern hemispheres.

Global Circulation Uneven heating of Earth’s surface contributes to uneven

Uneven heating of the ocean

Surface Features

A Biome Tour

Terrestrial

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Aquatic

The three types of aquatic biomes are:

Light

Zonation

Lakes undergo a

Ecosystems Obey Physical Laws

Laws of Conservation -

Life

- Energy

- Matter

Producers –

Decomposers –

Consumers -

Limiting Factors -

Primary Production

Gross Primary Productivity:

Net Primary Productivity:

Nutrients

Soil

Energy Transfer

Energy transfer between trophic levels is a

An average of

In this example,

- of solar energy

- of ecosystem

Nutrient Cycles

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Make sure you can …

… explain the effects of all aspects of Earth’s processes and features that determine climate.

… describe the characteristics of the terrestrial and aquatic biomesand explain why the occur where they occur.

… explain how ecosystems can function while adhering to physical laws.

… describe the effects of limiting factors on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and provide examples.

… explain how energy is transferred in an ecosystem and the consequences of that transfer for the structure of the ecosystem.

… diagram all nutrient cycles discussed and explain their biological significance.

Ecosystem Objectives:

1. What are the major factors (characteristics) that determine the terrestrial ecosystem that exists in a particular location?

2. What are the major factors that determine the marine ecosystem that exists in a particular location?

3. How does the first law of thermodynamics effect the movement of matter and energy through an ecosystem?

4. Explain what limiting factors are.

5. How do limiting factors influence the productivity of an ecosystem?

6. Explain the “10% rule”, how it affects the trophic structure of the ecosystem, and why it is a bit of an oversimplification.

7. Explain what all nutrient cycles have in common.

8. Provide examples of how biotic and abiotic factors affect organism behavior, community interactions, and ecosystem structure. Utilize the following examples in your responses:

A. Sunlight

B. Symbiosis (mutualism, commensalism, parasitism)

C. Predator–prey relationships

D. Water and nutrient availability, temperature, salinity, pH

E. Availability of nesting materials and sites

F. Food chains and food webs

G. Species diversity

H. Population density

I. Algal blooms (eutrophication)