Autotroph
- aka ..
- definition and example
also known as producer
- organisms that can form food from simple inorganic substances - eg carbon dioxide
Biomass
- definition
- how is it expressed
the amount of mass of living matter within a given unit of environmental area, expressed in terms of living or dry weight per unit area
Cell repiration
a series of metabolic processes that take place within a cell in which biochemical energy is produced from organic substances and stored as energy carriers (ATP) for use in the energy-requiring activities of the cell
Chemical energy
energy released or absorbed by a substance in the formation of a chemical compound, during a chemical reaction
Ecosystem
a system that includes all biotic factors in an area as well as its abiotic factors functioning together as a unit
Biotic
Living organisms
Abiotic
Non-living
Energy flow
the movement of energy around an ecosystem by biotic and abiotic means
First consumer
- example
the name given to an organism that feeds on the producers in the food chain
eg - a goat as it eats grass
Food chain
a feeding hierarchy in which organisms in an ecosystem are grouped into trophic (nutritional) levels and are shown in a succession to represent the flow of food energy and the feeding relationships between them
Heterotroph
An organism that obtains carbon by feeding on the organic material present in other organisms, living or dead
Light energy
the energy produced or given off directly from the sun causing the growth of plants and the existence of most life forms
Photosynthesis
the process in green plants and certain other organisms by which carbohydrates are synthesized from carbon dioxide and water using light as an energy source
Producer
- aka
aka autotroph
- organisms that can form food from simple inorganic substances - eg carbon dioxide
Pyramids of energy
a graphical model to show how the energy flows through a food chain
- how the amount of energy is decreasing and becoming less available for organisms as it enters each trophic level, and how much of the energy in the ecosystem is lost to the atmosphere as heat
Secondary consumer
An organism that feeds on primary consumers
Trophic level
The position in a food chain occupied by a group of organisms with similar feeding modes
energy flow
- what happens at each stage
#NAME?
process of energy flow
1. energy comes from sunlight
2. autotrophs capture sunlight
3. energy flows through the trophic level/stages in food chain
4. energy transfer between stages is approc 10%
5. energy is lost due to material not consumed
6. energy passes to decomposers/detritovers/sapotrophs in dead organic matter
7. heat energy is lost through cell respiratio
nutrients recycled
- nutrients is recycled in the ecosystem
1. nutrients from weathering of rocks enter ecosystem
2. nutrients recycled from decomposition of dead organisms
3. nutrients move through (foor chain) by digestion of other organisms
4. nutrients absorbed by producers / plants / roots
5. nutrients lost by leaching.sedimentation (e.g shells sinking to sea bed)
pyramids of energy
- what does it show
- what units is it measured in
- shows the flow of energy between trophic levels
- measured in units of energy per unit area per unit time - KJ m-2 y-1
how much is lost between trophic level?
- why? (four)
about 90% between levels
- not ingested (eaten)
- not digested
- excreted
- lost as heat from respiration
Different levels
- names and how much energy each have
Producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, tertiary consumers
P - 1000 KJ m-2 y-1
Pc - 100 KJ m-2 y-1
Sc - 10 KJ m-2 y-1
Tc - 1 KJ m-2 y-1
Where does the energy go?
Energy from lower trophic level
-> gross energy intake
-> Digested Energy
-> Assimilated energy
-->Urinary waster
--> rested energy
--> activity
--> growth
--> reproduction
------> HEAT
Where does it start - the energy come from
why are producers the base?
THE SUN
- producers are the base of the energy pyramid because their energy comes direst from the sun
how much of the energy producers make for they use for themselves?
- what happens to the energy that is not used?
90%
- the 10% can be passed on to organisms that cannot make their own energy
Primary consumers
- how much energy do they run on? from where?
- how much of the energy is used? for what?
- what does some of the energy do?
- how much is left?
HERBIVORES
- exist on 10% of the energy that producers acquire
- 90% is used by the consumer
- some of the energy moves into the atmosphere as heat
- 10% is left for the next consumer
Secondary consumer
- how much or herbivores energy
- how much do they use
- what is given to the next consumer
CARNIVORES
- live on 10% of the herbivores energy intake
- 90% is used on themselves or lost as heat
-- 10% given to next consumer
What does the ecological pyramid show
- 3
-- energy and support
#NAME?
What are the three types of ecological pyramids
1. Pyramid of numbers
2. Pyramid of Biomass
3. Pyramid of energy
What does the pyramid of numbers show
#NAME?
What does the pyramids of biomass show
- unit ?
- does the 10% rule apply?
- shows the total mass of living tissue at each level
- unit = mass per unit area ( g/M2)
- YES
Pyramid of energy
- what does it show?
#NAME?
Abiotic
Non-living