This document provides an overview of key biogeochemical cycles and energy flow within ecosystems. It discusses:
1) Biogeochemical cycles like the carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur cycles which are important for understanding how elements move through ecosystems. These cycles are impacted by human activities like burning fossil fuels.
2) The laws of thermodynamics and how energy is conserved as it is transferred and degraded within ecosystems. Energy for life on Earth comes primarily from the sun through photosynthesis by plants.
3) How energy and matter move through trophic levels in a food chain from primary producers to various consumer levels, becoming less efficient at higher trophic levels. This efficiency impacts the structure and productivity of
This document provides an overview of key biogeochemical cycles and energy flow within ecosystems. It discusses:
1) Biogeochemical cycles like the carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur cycles which are important for understanding how elements move through ecosystems. These cycles are impacted by human activities like burning fossil fuels.
2) The laws of thermodynamics and how energy is conserved as it is transferred and degraded within ecosystems. Energy for life on Earth comes primarily from the sun through photosynthesis by plants.
3) How energy and matter move through trophic levels in a food chain from primary producers to various consumer levels, becoming less efficient at higher trophic levels. This efficiency impacts the structure and productivity of
This document provides an overview of key biogeochemical cycles and energy flow within ecosystems. It discusses:
1) Biogeochemical cycles like the carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur cycles which are important for understanding how elements move through ecosystems. These cycles are impacted by human activities like burning fossil fuels.
2) The laws of thermodynamics and how energy is conserved as it is transferred and degraded within ecosystems. Energy for life on Earth comes primarily from the sun through photosynthesis by plants.
3) How energy and matter move through trophic levels in a food chain from primary producers to various consumer levels, becoming less efficient at higher trophic levels. This efficiency impacts the structure and productivity of
This document provides an overview of key biogeochemical cycles and energy flow within ecosystems. It discusses:
1) Biogeochemical cycles like the carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur cycles which are important for understanding how elements move through ecosystems. These cycles are impacted by human activities like burning fossil fuels.
2) The laws of thermodynamics and how energy is conserved as it is transferred and degraded within ecosystems. Energy for life on Earth comes primarily from the sun through photosynthesis by plants.
3) How energy and matter move through trophic levels in a food chain from primary producers to various consumer levels, becoming less efficient at higher trophic levels. This efficiency impacts the structure and productivity of
Matter and Energy Systems Important to unerstan t!e systems nature of ecosystems A set of things so related as to form a whole "efinition from Webster#s $e% Worl &ictionary' (iogeoc!emical cycles) Eart! is a close system for materials *arbon cycle organic c!emistry is base on compouns containing carbon atoms bioorganic compouns) lipis, carbo!yrates, proteins, nucleic acis inorganic carbon in *+2 in air an issolve in %ater, carbonate materials organic carbon in plants an animals, fossil fuels transfers to organic form t!roug! p!otosynt!esis transfers to inorganic form t!roug! o,iation) respiration an combustion natural cycle, but !umans affect rates of transfer $itrogen cycle nitrogen gas is about -./ of t!e atmosp!ere some plants an bacteria can c!ange inorganic nitrogen to organic forms organic nitrogen neee for proteins an ot!er bioorganic compouns ot!er bacteria cycle nitrogen back to inorganic forms ma0or !uman impacts on nitrogen cycle fertili1ers containing nitrogen nitrogen o,ies "$+2' are sie effect of combustion using air $+2 are important contributor to aci rain 3!osp!orus *ycle small amounts of p!osp!orus are neee in living tissues often t!e compoun limiting t!e rate of biological gro%t! e,cess p!osp!orus often leas to eutrop!ication cycle oes not inclue atmosp!eric p!ase t!is makes cycle very slo%, on geological time scale Sulfur *ycle sulfur neee in small 4uantities for life most sulfur in rocks an %ater comple, cycle because sulfur !as many c!emical forms !umans release lots of sulfur to t!e atmosp!ere by burning fossil fuels sulfur cycle may !elp regulate eart!s climate 3!ytoplankton release imet!ylsulfie "&5S' +t!er (iogeoc!emical cycles) every element t!at s!o%s up in living tissue !as a cycle Energy for 6ife) Eart! is an open system for energy Important on t%o levels iniviual nee energy to survive in t!is case, survive means maintaining an orere state global bot! of t!ese %it!in ecosystems 7!ermoynamics, t!e stuy of converting energy bet%een its various forms e,ample) potential energy can become kinetic energy "energy of motion' ball rolling o%n !ill energy in gasoline moves car First 6a%) energy is conservenot create or estroye t!e amount of energy in a system is its enthalpy Secon 6a%) all energy transfers go from a !ig!er 4uality form to a lo%er 4uality form !ig!er 4uality forms !ave more ability to o useful %ork 2 n 6a% also means t!at systems go from more orere to more ranom states Entropy is t!e measure of isorer 2 n 6a% says t!at entropy is al%ays increasing W!ere oes energy for life on eart! come from8 5ostly from t!e sun 9 little from inorganic c!emical reactions an geot!ermal e,ample) eep ocean tube %orms 3!otosynt!esis Sunlig!t on green plants "%it! available inorganic materials' yiels sugars sugars store energy, irectly or %!en converte to organic tissues 3!otosynt!etic *ycle : *+2 ; : <2+ ; solar energy = *:<12+: ; : +2 t!is sugar is glucose re4uires t!e presence of c!lorop!yll in green plants >espiration %!en t!ere is a nee to use t!e energy store by p!otosynt!esis *:<12+: ; : +2 = : <2+ ; : *+2 ; energy energy to o t!ings plants pump sap or gro% trunks animals gro% tissue, !unt, run a%ay (iological 3rouctivity 3rimary proucers p!otosynt!esi1e foo buils biomass fees ot!er creatures 3rimary an seconary consumers consumers of primary or ot!er seconary consumers escribe by foo %ebs 7rop!ic levels first) primary proucers secon) primary consumers "!erbivores' t!ir) seconary consumers "carnivores' fourt!) tertiary consumers "top carnivores' Efficiency eff "in /' = "energy out ? energy in' , 100 for organisms eff = biomass mae ? %!at you eat efficiency levels "appro,imate' green plants) 1 @ 3 / microorganisms) A0 / invertibrates) 10 @ A0 / vertibrates) up to 10 / manage farm) 10 / in nature) 1 / %olves) 0B01 / energy pyramis efficiency levels multiply t!roug! trop!ic levels important because of C%!ere %e eat on t!e foo c!ainD