Ecosystems

• Dynamic Ecosystems


  Ecosystems that experience fluctuating population sizes and changing abiotic factors, such as temperature and rainfall.
• Biomes


  Large-scale collections of ecosystems that share similar climate and habitat characteristics.
• Food Webs


  Illustrations that depict the interconnectedness of all the food chains in an ecosystem, showing the flow of energy and matter between organisms.
• Food Chain Pyramids


  Hierarchical representations of energy flow in an ecosystem, with primary producers at the base and top-level consumers at the apex.
• Pyramids of Biomass


  Pyramids that use the total biomass of each trophic level to represent the energy flow in an ecosystem.
• Dry Biomass


  Biomass that has had its water content removed, allowing for the measurement of the organic molecules that store energy.
• Pyramids of Energy


  Pyramids that represent the flow of energy in an ecosystem, taking into account the number and size of organisms at each trophic level.
• Bomb Calorimeter


  A device used to measure the energy content of food by burning a sample and measuring the resulting temperature increase in the surrounding water.
• Energy and Ecosystems


  In ecosystems, matter is recycled, while energy flows through the system, entering as sunlight and exiting as heat.
• Energy Efficiency


  The efficiency of energy transfer from one trophic level to the next, calculated as the percentage of energy transferred to the next level compared to the energy available in the previous level.
• Energy Loss from Ecosystem

  Not all energy from a trophic level is passed on to the next level. Energy is lost through processes such as respiration, heat production, and dead tissue.
• Factors Affecting Energy Transfer

  The efficiency of energy transfer varies based on factors such as digestion, energy requirements, surface area to volume ratio, environmental temperatures, and activity levels.
• Pyramids of Number


  Illustrations that show the decrease in available energy as trophic levels increase, limiting the number of trophic levels in a food chain.
• Productivity


  The rate at which energy passes through each trophic level in a given area and time period.
• Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)


  The rate at which plants convert light energy into chemical energy through photosynthesis.
• Net Primary Productivity (NPP)


  Gross Primary Productivity minus the energy lost through plant respiration, representing the energy available to herbivores.
• Secondary Productivity


  The energy obtained by consumers through the consumption of other organisms, which is less efficient than the energy obtained from primary producers.
• Alternative Sources of Nutrition

  Consuming primary consumers instead of secondary or tertiary consumers as a strategy to reduce energy loss in the food chain.
• Improving Primary Productivity in Plants

  Methods such as optimizing warmth and light intensity, early planting, irrigation, fertilization, crop rotation, nitrogen-fixing crops, and pest control to enhance the rate at which plants convert light energy into chemical energy.
• Improving Secondary Productivity in Animals

  Methods such as selective breeding, use of antibiotics, confinement, and maintaining warmth to enhance the energy acquisition and utilization by animals.
• Succession


  The process of changes in species composition and physical environment over time in an ecosystem.
• Primary succession


  The type of succession that occurs in an area where no plants have grown before, such as on bare rock or after a volcanic eruption.
• Secondary succession


  The type of succession that occurs in an area where there has been a previous population of plants, such as after a forest fire or clear-cutting.
• Seres


  A series of stages in succession, representing the different communities of organisms that develop over time.
• Pioneer species


  The first species to colonize an area during primary succession, often characterized by their ability to tolerate harsh conditions.
• Climax community


  The stable and mature community of plants and animals that is the final stage of succession in an ecosystem.
• Sand dune succession


  The specific type of succession that occurs in sand dunes, where plants gradually colonize and stabilize the shifting sand.
• Marram grass


  A pioneer species in sand dune succession, known for its ability to trap and stabilize sand with its extensive root system.
• Mosses


  Low-growing pioneer species that provide microhabitats for other organisms and help retain moisture in the early stages of succession.
• Ferns


  Plants that play a role in stage 2 of succession by casting shade and breaking up rock with their root systems, creating more favorable conditions for other plants.
• Shrubs


  Larger plants that establish in later stages of succession, causing changes in soil conditions and light availability for other species.
• Interspecific competition


  Competition between different plant species for resources such as sunlight, water, and nutrients.
• Grasses/herbaceous plants


  Plants that typically grow in stage 3 of primary succession, characterized by their ability to quickly establish and reproduce in open areas.
• Small trees


  Plants that typically grow in stage 4 of primary succession, starting to form a closed canopy and providing shade for other species.
• Deciduous woodland


  The climax community in the UK, characterized by a mix of broadleaf trees that shed their leaves seasonally.
• Pond succession


  The type of succession that occurs in ponds, where the water body gradually fills in and transitions to a terrestrial ecosystem.
• Deflected succession


  A type of succession that does not reach a climax community due to human activity or limiting factors.
• Plagioclimax


  A deflected succession caused by human activity or limiting factors, resulting in a stable but altered community that is different from the natural climax community.
• Nitrogen Cycle


  The process by which nitrogen is cycled through the ecosystem, involving nitrogen fixation, nitrification, and denitrification
• Nitrogen Fixation


  The conversion of nitrogen gas (N2) into ammonia (NH3) or nitrate ions (NO3-), performed by certain microbes, lightning, or through the Haber process