GEOG1710 1st Edition Lecture 13 Outline of Previous Lecture I Capital II Ecosystem Services III Biosphere Outline of Current Lecture I II III IV V Ecosystem Processes Ecosystems Organized Ecosystems in a Food Chain Carbon Cycle Nitrogen Cycle Current Lecture Ecosystem Processes What factors affect ecosystem processes Inputs losses to the ecosystem and transfers flux from part of the ecosystem to another There are five controls o Parent material o Climate o Topography o Vegetation o Time All affect ecosystem processes Parent Material Rocks that give rise to soils affect soil properties Parent material determines how fast rock weathers Determines minerals in the soil These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor s lecture GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes not as a substitute Climate Governs the distribution of ecosystems can be classified by temperature and precipitation Vegetation Soil organic matter the part created by plants through photosynthesis Plant parts leaves roots branches Decomposers consumers bacteria worms animals Topography Elevation Slope orientation Shape Slope angle and position Time Glaciers When it was formed How Ecosystems Organized Biome ecosystem habitat community population species Species group of individuals capable of breeding Population collection of organisms of same species Community collection of interacting population of organisms Habitat type of environment an organism resides in and is adapted to Ecosystems are made up of food chains Producers consumers and decomposers Living plans are at the base of those food chains Plants primary producers Essential biotic component Plants turn sunlight into food Respiration Plants take energy to recover loss of carbon Transpiration Loss of water form leaves Gross Primary Production GPP Carbon production from photosynthesis by all organisms in an ecosystem Net Primary Production Gross primary production respiration by ecosystem measured as carbon produced per m2 yr If GPP respiration then ecosystem accumulate carbon in organic matter Carbon is removed from the atmosphere E g growing forest If GPP respiration then ecosystems don t accumulate carbon in organic matter Carbon is released to the atmosphere E g dying forest Net Primary Production NPP net amount of carbon of food production can get eaten and passed up the food chain Always less energy available at the net link Bioaccumulation As NPP gets passes up the food chain toxins that get eaten can accumulate Carbon Cycle Stored in four major pools reservoirs o Rocks sediments o Oceans o Biomass and soil o Atmosphere Carbon moves among these reservoirs flux This is the carbon cycle Carbon is taken up atmosphere land and ocean o Photosynthesis plants and phytoplankton and diffusion into out of ocean Carbon is lost land and ocean atmosphere o Plants plankton respire o Animals eat plants and respire o Plants plankton die and decompose o Fire fossil fuels burning Carbon is buried land and ocean sediments rocks o Burial on land and deep ocean Carbon moves o In rivers to the ocean where it can get buried Plants need nutrients o Nitrogen o Phosphorus o Potassium o All are limited supply in soil o These limit plant growth Nitrogen is important 78 of atmosphere Nitrogen unavailable salt water Limits plant growth Nitrogen Cycle A lot of nitrogen gas in atmosphere can t be used Some organisms can convert nitrogen into forms they can use Once in ecosystem its recycled Taken up from soil incorporated into plants deposited to soil in litter decomposed respired back to the atmosphere Made nitrogen available Fertilizer production Cultivating crops that fix nitrogen Burning fossil fuels Golf Coast Dead Zone Excess nitrogen causes algae blooms Depletes oxygen and kills fish red tides
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