Energy Flow Lab

primary productivity

Biomass

kcal= calories:measurement of

energy

amount of living tissue at a particular trophic level

total amount of energy available in an ecosystem

Draw a food chain with 4 organisms.

Draw a food web with at least 10 organisms.

Questions to think about...

What are the similarities and differences between food chains and food webs?

Why are they important in an ecosystem?

Food Chains and Food Webs tell us:

1) how organisms relate to one another (what eats what)

2) how energy flows through living systems

Ecology Essential Themes:1. Human impact on the environment2. All organisms relate to one another3. Energy flows through living systems4. Living systems move towards order/balance or death (homeostasis in the ecosystem)5. Biodiversity is important6. The role of material cycles in an ecosystem

Energy Pyramid

Terms you need to know:

Abiotic vs. Biotic FactorsAutotrophsHeterotrophsProducerConsumerOmnivoreHerbivoreCarnivorePredator PreyParasiteEnergy Pyramid

Biosphere

Biomes

Ecosystems

Communities

Populations

Organism

Habitat

Niche

Organization of the Environment:Living Systems move towards order or death. The movement towards order is ecological succession.

factors:Carrying CapacityCompetitionNicheBiodiversityHuman Impact

Biodiversity is an assessment of how healthy an ecosytem is. The more diverse species live in an ecosystem is, the healthier it is.

Human Impact on the EnvironmentWhen you disrupt the ecosystem, negative consequences result:

ex: taking out deer population will effect the plant population and the predators that feed on the deer

ex: introducing a new species in an environment can take food and mates away from the original species that live there

ex: deforestation or pesticides can kill plant life and therefore disrupt energy flow/ amt of biomass produced.

Negative Impact:

Population GrowthGlobal WarmingOzone DepletionExtinction of SpeciesDisrupted EcosystemsPesticide UseWaste Disposal

Positive Impact:

TechnologyEnvironment LawWaste Disposal-Recycling

4 Relationships between organisms called Symbiosis

1. Mutualism

2. Parasitism

3. Commensalism

4. Saprophytism

Remember how abiotic and biotic factors influence ecosystems....

Abiotic factors such as water, carbon, and nitrogen cycles allow for ecosystems to move towards order/balance!

Material Cycles: replenishing resources (homeostasis in an ecosystem). These cycles are how ecosystems move towards order!

This is how the biosphere balances itself!

Water Cycle

In - Rain and melted ice (precipitation)

Out- Evaporation

In humans- sweat

Oceans/Lakes- evaporate

Plant- Transpiration from leaves

Carbon Cycle- Carbon is a key component of living things

In - atmosphere, cellular respiration, decomposition (fossil fuels, exhaling)

Out- Used to make living things, Photosynthesis

Use up more carbon by making more plants....

make it worse by cutting down plants...Deforestation- too much carbon in the atmosphere

nitrogen Cycle- Nitrogen is used to make amino acids, which form proteins. (Proteins are essential to life)

In - atmosphere, decomposition. waste products, dead matter

Out- atomosphere, autotrophs

Bacteria are essential to this cycle.

Nitrification- certain bacteria can convert atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia in soil, others convert them into nitrates or nitrities, which can be used by producers.

Denitrification- bacteria convert nitrates into atmospheric nitrogen.

Questions:

How do organisms relate to one another in an ecosystem?

How do ecosystems move towards order or homeostasis?

How does energy flow through ecosystems?

Why is biodiversity important?

What are ways that humans impact the environment?

How does the water, nitrogen, and carbon cycle play a role in an ecosystem?