Ecosystem Ecology

Essential Questions:

Why are big fierce animals rare? (Explained in terms of energy flow in ecosystems)

Compare and contrast respiration and photosynthesis and explain the role of each in ecosystems

What is the difference between a food chain and food web?

How do you quanitify ecosystem productivity?

How does carbon move through the biosphere and how do humans help move it around?

How does Nitrogen move through ecosystems?

Why is nitrogen a limiting factor for plant growth?

How do human actions interact with each of the biochemical cycles?

How do you distinguish between ecosystem resistence and resiliance?

Vocabulary:

Energy flow

producers (autotrophs), consumers ((heterotrophs), decomposers, scavengers, detritivores, trophic levels, trophic pyramid, food chain, food web, GPP (gross primary productivity, NPP (net primary productivity)

First and second laws of thermodynamics

Biochemical cycles

Nitrogen cycle

fixation, assimilation, ammonification, nitrification, denitrification

leaching, ammonia, nitrite , nitrate, nitrous oxide, atmospheric nitrogen, protein, limiting factor, algal bloom, eutrophication, dead zones

hydrologic cycle

evaporation, condensation, precipitation, infiltration, run-off, transpiration, watershed,

Carbon cycle

carbon sinks , combustion, respiration, photosynthesis, decay, diffusion, burial, cement manufacturing, burning fossil fuels

Phosphorus cycle

excretion, decomposition, weathering, phosphate fertilizer

Sulfur cycle

Sulfur dioxide, acid rain, volcanism

Disturbances

Restoration Ecology, Resilience, Resistance, intermediate disturbance hypothesis

Assignment:

Nitrogen cycle poster 

Bio-fuels essay

Answers to end of module questions in chapter 3 of the textbook:

Module 6 - Energy

Module 7 - Matter

Module 8 - Disturbance