Characteristics and Components of an Ecosystem
AICE EM: Biosphere Key Content 1 Or everything I should
remember from Biology class!!!
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What are the major abiotic and biotic factors, which drive and influence the distribution of different ecosystems?
• The biotic and abiotic factors which control the distribution of the world’s major biomes as listed in the notes for guidance.– A survey of the global system followed by a study
of the distribution of the following biomes: tropical rain forest, monsoon rain forest, tropical savannah, desert, temperate deciduous and high latitude tundra.
Fig. 3-3, p. 52
Stepped Art
Smallest unit of a chemical element that exhibits its chemical propertiesAtom
Molecule Chemical combination of two or more atoms of the same or different elements
CellThe fundamental structural and functional unit of life
Organism An individual living being
Population A group of individuals of the same species living in a particular place
Community Populations of different species living in a particular place, and potentially interacting with each other
Ecosystem A community of different species interacting with one another and with theirnonliving environment of matter and energy
Parts of the earth's air, water, and soil where life is found
Biosphere
Habitats
• Place where organism lives.– Small (termite intestine)– Large (ocean)
• Includes abiotic & biotic features• “Natural address”
BIOMES
• Biomes are major areas where interactions between abiotic & biotic factors occur. They are groups of similar ecosystems characterized by precipitation, and temperature ranges, soil properties, plant communities, and animal communities.
Natural Capital: Generalized Map of the Earth’s Current Climate Zones
Fig. 7-6, p. 144
Moist air rises, cools, and releases moisture as rainPolar cap
Arctic tundraEvergreen coniferous forest60°Temperate deciduous forest and grassland
30°Desert
Tropical deciduous forest
Equator 0° Tropical rain forest
30° Desert
60°
Temperate deciduous forest and grassland
Tropical deciduous forest
Polar cap
The Earth’s Major Biomes
Latitude
Tropical Forest Deciduous Forest Coniferous Forest
Tundra (herbs, lichens, mosses)
Polar ice and snow
Biome Location Based on Altitude & Latitude
Fig. 7-9, p. 147
ElevationMountain ice and snowTundra (herbs, lichens, mosses)Coniferous Forest
Deciduous Forest
Tropical Forest
Stepped Art
Major Biomes along the 39th Parallel in the U.S.
Fig. 7-10, p. 147
Cold Polar
TundraSubpolar
TemperateConiferous forest
Desert
Deciduous forest
GrasslandChaparral Tropical
Hot
DesertWet Rain forest Savanna
Tropical seasonal forest
Dry
Scrubland
Fig. 7-11, p. 149
Stepped Art
Climatogram
Your Responsibilities• Research information
pertaining to: – Temperature range:– Precipitation range:– Soil properties:– Plants:– Animals:– Other details about the
biome:
• Refer to slide 2 for a list of required biomes.
• Also look up the human impacts on Terrestrial Ecosystems (K 2)
• Next slides discuss Aquatic Systems
– Research influence of human activity on marine ecosystems: including coastal waters, oceans, and coral reefs.
Fig. 8-5, p. 166
Low tideCoastal Zone
Open SeaDepth in meters
High tideSun
Sea level
50Estuarine Zone Euphotic Zone
100
Phot
osyn
thes
is
Continental shelf 200
Bathyal Zone 500
1,000
Twili
ght
1,500
Water temperature drops rapidly between the euphotic zone and the abyssal zone in an area called the thermocline .
Abyssal Zone
2,000
3,000
4,000
Dar
knes
s
5,000
10,000
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
0
Water temperature (°C)
Fig. 8-15, p. 175
Sunlight
Painted turtle
Blue-winged teal
Green frog
Muskrat
Pond snailLittoral zone Plankton
Limnetic zoneProfundal zoneDiving
beetle Benthic zone
Northern pike
Yellow perchBloodworms
Fig. 8-17, p. 176
LakeGlacierRain and
snowRapids
WaterfallTributary
Flood plainOxbow lake
Salt marsh
Delta Deposited sediment
Source ZoneOcean
Transition Zone
WaterSediment
Floodplain Zone
What are the main components and characteristics of ecosystems and how are they structured?
• The characteristics of ecosystems in terms of their biotic and abiotic components (soil, temperature, rainfall, photosynthesis, net primary productivity, succession, biomass, biodiversity, trophic levels, food chains and webs, habitats and niches).
• The interaction of these components to be illustrated through relative size of the flows and stores of nutrients between vegetation, litter and soil.
Range of Tolerance
Fig. 3-10, p. 58
Feworganisms
Feworganisms
Noorganisms
Noorganisms
Lower limitof tolerance
Higher limitof tolerance
Abundance of organisms
Zone ofintolerance
Zone ofphysiological
stress
Optimum range
Temperature
Zone ofintolerance
Zone ofphysiological
stress
Low High
Popu
latio
n si
ze
NICHES: the role you fill
• Trophic level– Producer / autotroph– Consumer / heterotroph
• Herbivore, carnivore/omnivore, 3° consumer, decomposer
• What do you provide/do for ecosystem/habitat– Pollinator– Provide shelter– Nutrient cycler– Trap soil– Absorb nutrients
Fig. 4-11, p. 91
Num
ber o
f ind
ivid
uals
Specialist specieswith a narrow niche
Resource use
Region ofniche overlap
Nichebreadth
Nicheseparation
Generalist specieswith a broad niche
Fig. 4-13, p. 93
Black skimmerseizes small fishat water surfaceBlack skimmerseizes small fishat water surface
Brown pelican divesfor fish, which itlocates from the air
Avocet sweeps billthrough mud andsurface water in searchof small crustaceans,insects, and seeds
Dowitcher probesdeeply into mud insearch of snails,marine worms, andsmall crustaceans Herring gull
is a tirelessscavenger
Ruddy turnstonesearches undershells and pebblesfor smallinvertebrates
Flamingo feeds on minute organisms in mud
Scaup and other diving ducks feed on mollusks, crustaceans, and aquatic vegetation
Louisiana heron wades into water to seize small fish
Oystercatcher feeds on clams, mussels, and other shellfish into which it pries its narrow beak
Knot (sandpiper)picks up wormsand small crustaceansleft by receding tide
Piping plover feeds on insects and tinycrustaceans on sandy beaches
Energy
• Photosynthesis• Net Primary Production• Biomass• Energy Diagrams
– Food chain– Food Web– Energy Pyramid
• 10 % Rule
6CO2 + 6H2O → C6H12O6 + 6O2
Draw a picture representing the
molecules. Use colored pencils for each
element. Translate this chemical formula into a sentence using words.
Primary productivity is the amount of photosynthesis / time.
NPP: Amount of biomass produced minus amount of
energy lost to cellular respiration
Photosynthesis
• 6 CO2 + 6 H20 → C6H12O6 + 6 O2
• Is two separate reactions– 1st Light reaction
• Chlorophyl is located in thylakoid membranes• Light energy splits H20 and enters a photosystem,
located in thylakoid membranes• Electrons move along photosystem• Oxygen is byproduct• 2 H20 → 4 H+ + 4e- + O2
Photosynthesis
– 2nd reaction• Calvin Cycle (or alternative pathways)• Carbon fixation – CO2 is “fixed” into an organic
molecule like C6H12O6
• Uses the H+ & energy from first reaction• Occurs in stroma
– Rate of photosynthesis is dependant on light intensity, level of CO2, and temperature.
Fig. 7-16, p. 155
Blue and gold macaw
Harpy eagle
Ocelot
Squirrel monkeys
Climbing monstera palm
KatydidSlaty-tailed trogon
Green tree snake
Tree frog
Ants
Bacteria Bromeliad
Fungi
Producer to primary consumer
Primary to secondary consumer
Secondary to higher-level consumer
All producers and consumers to decomposers
Fig. 3-13, p. 62
Heat Heat
Heat
Heat Heat
Heat
Heat
Solarenergy
Tertiaryconsumers
(top carnivores)
First TrophicLevel
Second TrophicLevel
Third TrophicLevel
Fourth TrophicLevel
Producers(plants)
Primaryconsumers
(herbivores)
Secondaryconsumers(carnivores)
Decomposers and detritus feeders
Flow of energy is __________ system and can be represented by a ____________Flow of matter is a __________ system and can be represented by a _____________?
Word bank: closed, cyclical flowchart, open, straight line flow chart
Fig. 3-15, p. 63
10
Heat
Heat
Heat
Heat
HeatDecomposers
Tertiaryconsumers(human)
Secondaryconsumers(perch)
Primaryconsumers(zooplankton)
Producers(phytoplankton)
Usable energy availableat each trophic level
(in kilocalories)
1,000
10,000
100
Nutrient Cycles
• Water• Carbon• Nitrogen• Phosphorus• Sulfur
Fig. 3-17, p. 66
Transpirationfrom plants
Evaporationfrom land
Precipitationto land
Precipitationto ocean
Evaporationfrom ocean
Condensation Condensation
Infiltrationand percolationinto aquifer
Surfacerunoff
Surface runoffRunoff
Globalwarming
Reduced recharge ofaquifers and floodingfrom covering land withcrops and buildings
Aquiferdepletion fromoverpumping
Increasedfloodingfrom wetlanddestruction
Pointsourcepollution
Groundwatermovement (slow)
Lakes andreservoirs
Ice andsnow
Ocean
Processes
Processes affected by humans
Reservoir
Pathway affected by humans
Natural pathway
Fig. 3-18, p. 68
Pathway affected by humans
Diffusion
Transportation
Deforestation
Respiration
Respiration
Decomposition
Forest fires
Compaction
Burningfossil fuels
Photosynthesis
Animals(consumers)
Plants(producers)
Marine food websProducers, consumers,decomposers
Carbonin plants
(producers)
Carbonin fossil fuels
Carbon dioxidedissolved in ocean
Carbonin limestone ordolomite sediments
Carbonin animals
(consumers)
Processes
Reservoir
Natural pathway
Carbon dioxidein atmosphere
Fig. 3-19, p. 69
Decomposition
Nitrogenloss to deepocean sediments
Processes
Reservoir
Pathway affected by humans
Natural pathway
Nitrogenin atmosphere
Nitrogenin oceansediments Ammonia
in soil
Nitratein soil
Nitrogenin plants
(producers)
Nitrogenin animals
(consumers)Volcanicactivity
ElectricalstormsNitrogen oxides
from burning fueland using inorganicfertilizers
Nitratesfrom fertilizer
runoff anddecomposition
Nitrificationby bacteria
Denitrificationby bacteria
Uptake by plants
Bacteria
Fig. 3-21, p. 71
Processes
Reservoir
Pathway affected by humans
Natural pathway
Phosphatesin mining waste
Phosphatesin sewage
Animals(consumers)
Bacteria
Plants(producers)
Phosphatesin fertilizer
Phosphatedissolved inwater
Phosphatein shallowocean sediments Phosphate
in deep oceansediments
Oceanfood webs
Phosphatein rock(fossil bones,guano)
Seabirds
Platetectonics
Erosion
Runoff
Runoff Runoff
Fig. 3-22, p. 72
Processes
Reservoir
Pathway affected by humans
Natural pathway
Dimethylsulfide
a bacteriabyproduct
Sulfurin oceansediments
Sulfurin soil, rock
and fossil fuels
Sulfurin plants
(producers)
Sulfurin animals
(consumers)
Sulfur dioxidein atmosphere
DecayDecay
Uptakeby plants
Mining andextraction
Sulfuric acidand Sulfate
deposited asacid rain
Smelting Burningcoal
Refiningfossil fuels
Natural Capital: Major Components of the Earth’s Biodiversity
Species Diversity: Variety, Abundance of Species in a Particular Place
Species diversity• Species richness• Species evenness
Diversity varies with geographical location• Most species-rich communities• Tropical rain forests• Coral reefs• Ocean bottom zone• Large tropical lakes
Variations in Species Richness and Species Evenness
Relationships• Predator/prey
– Can cause coevolution• Symbiosis
– Commensalism– Mutualism– Parasitism
• Competition– Drives evolution
Fig. 5-11, p. 111
Bioticpotential
Popu
latio
n si
ze
Time (t)
Carrying capacity (K)
Environmentalresistance
Population stabilizes
Exponentialgrowth
Population curves
Fig. 5-12, p. 111
1925
Num
ber o
f she
ep (m
illio
ns)
.5
1.0
1.5
2.0 Populationovershootscarryingcapacity
Carrying capacity
Population recoversand stabilizes
Exponentialgrowth
Populationruns out ofresourcesand crashes
18251800 1850 1875 1900
Year
Population Cycles for the Snowshoe Hare and Canada Lynx
Fig. 5-16, p. 116
Time
Exposedrocks
Lichens andmosses
Small herbsand shrubs
Heath mat
Jack pine,black spruce,and aspen
Balsam fir,paper birch, andwhite spruceforest community
Primary Succession
Fig. 5-17, p. 117
Time
Annualweeds
Perennialweeds andgrasses
Shrubs andsmall pineseedlings
Young pine forestwith developing understory of oak and hickory trees
Mature oak and hickory forest
Secondary Succession
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