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  • Ecosystem, GPP, NPP: Energy Flow Through Ecosystems

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    1) Ecosystems involve energy flowing from producers to consumers through trophic levels, with efficiency decreasing at each level. Producers include autotrophs like plants that produce organic materials from inorganic sources using photosynthesis or chemosynthesis. (2) Gross primary productivity (GPP) is the total energy converted to organic molecules by producers, while net primary productivity (NPP) is the energy incorporated into new plant biomass after respiration. (3) Only a small fraction (less than 5%) of sunlight energy is captured and utilized by producers, and around 40% of that energy is passed to the next trophic level, explaining why food chains rarely extend beyond 4-5 levels.

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    1) Ecosystems involve energy flowing from producers to consumers through trophic levels, with efficiency decreasing at each level. Producers include autotrophs like plants that produce organic materials from inorganic sources using photosynthesis or chemosynthesis. (2) Gross primary productivity (GPP) is the total energy converted to organic molecules by producers, while net primary productivity (NPP) is the energy incorporated into new plant biomass after respiration. (3) Only a small fraction (less than 5%) of sunlight energy is captured and utilized by producers, and around 40% of that energy is passed to the next trophic level, explaining why food chains rarely extend beyond 4-5 levels.

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    31 views3 pages

    Ecosystem, GPP, NPP: Energy Flow Through Ecosystems

    Uploaded by

    alwfan
    1) Ecosystems involve energy flowing from producers to consumers through trophic levels, with efficiency decreasing at each level. Producers include autotrophs like plants that produce organic materials from inorganic sources using photosynthesis or chemosynthesis. (2) Gross primary productivity (GPP) is the total energy converted to organic molecules by producers, while net primary productivity (NPP) is the energy incorporated into new plant biomass after respiration. (3) Only a small fraction (less than 5%) of sunlight energy is captured and utilized by producers, and around 40% of that energy is passed to the next trophic level, explaining why food chains rarely extend beyond 4-5 levels.

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    Ecosystem, GPP, NPP

    Energy Flow through Ecosystems Class Notes Producer: autotroph, self sufficient/feeding Organic: contain carbon (except for CO2) Autotroph: organisms that can synthesise the organic materials needed from inorganic sources. Includes all green plants. Heterotroph: Organisms that take in 'ready made' organic materials made by other organisms. Food chain: a pathway of energy from one organism to another. Producer (1 trophic level) Primary consumer (2
    nd st

    trophic level)
    rd

    Secondary consumer (3 trophic level) Tertiary consumer (4 trophic level) Quaternary consumer (5 trophic level) Chemosynthetic autotrophy: they use chemical energy to produce the organic molecules that they need. Usually live deep in the oceans. Primary productivity: the rate at which energy is incorporated into organic molecules in an organism. Biosphere: the inhabited areas of the planet. Habitat: area which an organism lives, with distinct conditions. Population: the number of individuals of a species living in an area at a given time. Community: the various populations sharing a habitat/ecosystem makes up the community (includes plants). Niche: the conceptual position a species has in the habitat. If more then one species tries to occupy this niche, they will compete. How efficiently is is energy conserved?
    th th

    The productivity/biodiversity of an ecosystem will depend on how much energy is caught by the producers and passed onto the subsequent trophic levels. Energy entering a trophic level must equal the amount used or lost by that trophic level. Energy loss between trophic levels explains why food chains and food webs rarely have more then 4/5 trophic levels. 40% of energy from sun can be used by plants, energy transfer decreases as you move up the trophic levels. Plants are inefficient at absorbing light. Less then 5% of total light energy is captured by plants out of 1x10^6 kJm^-2y. The plant is green as it as the plant reflects green light. The plant mainly absorbs red and blue wavelengths of light. Limiting factors: Temperature Light intensity CO2 concentration When a process is affected by more then one limiting factor its rate is determined by the factor that is furthest away from the optimum level. Gross Primary Productivity: This is what a plant gets. The total rate at which energy is converted into organic molecules by an ecosystem. Net Primary Productivity: The rate at which energy is incorporated to new plant biomass from organic materials. NPP = GPP - Respiration. Ecosystems are areas that are self sustaining. Due to niches, competition between species should not occur. Interspecific: between species. Intraspecific: within a species. Biotic: Living factors. Abiotic: Non living factors.

    Biotic factors are density dependent, the effects are relative to the size of the area available. Anthropogenic factors: human factors such as building.

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