Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Ecosystems and Restoration Ecology (Physical laws govern energy flow and…
Ecosystems and Restoration Ecology
Physical laws govern energy flow and chemical cycling in ecosystems
The first law of thermodynamics states that energy cannot be created or destroyed but only transformed or transferred
The second law of thermodynamics states that every exchange of energy increases the entropy of the universe
According to the law of conservation of mass, matter, like energy, cannot be created or destroyed
Autotrophs, the primary producers of the ecosystem, ultimately support all other organisms
Herbivores that eat primary producers are called primary consumers. Carnivores that eat herbivores are called secondary consumers. Carnivores that eat other carnivores are called tertiary consumers.
Detritivores, or decomposers, are heterotrophs that get energy from detritus, nonliving organic material such as the remains of dead organisms, feces, fallen leaves, and wood
Energy and other limiting factors control primary production in ecosystems
In most ecosystems, the amount of light energy converted to chemical energy by autotrophs in a given time period is the ecosystem’s primary production
The total primary production in an ecosystem is known as gross primary production (GPP), the amount of light energy converted to chemical energy by photosynthesis per unit time
Net primary production (NPP) is equal to gross primary production minus the energy used by the primary producers for autotrophic respiration
Net ecosystem production (NEP) is a measure of the total biomass accumulation over time
A limiting nutrient is an element that must be added for production to increase in a particular area
This process, called eutrophication, has a wide range of ecological impacts, including the loss of many fish species
Energy transfer between trophic levels is typically only 10% efficient
The amount of chemical energy in consumers’ food that is converted to their own new biomass during a given time period is called the secondary production of an ecosystem.
Production efficiency is the percentage of food energy that is not used for respiration
Trophic efficiency is the percentage of production transferred from one trophic level to the next
Phytoplankton have a short turnover time, with a small standing crop biomass compared to production
Biological and geochemical processes cycle nutrients and water in ecosystems
There are two general categories of biogeochemical cycles: global and local
The rates at which nutrients cycle in different ecosystems are extremely variable as a result of variable rates of decomposition
The water cycle is important because water is essential to all organisms, and its availability influences the rates of ecosystem processes
The carbon cycle is important because organic molecules have a carbon framework
The nitrogen cycle is important because nitrogen is a component of amino acids, proteins, and nucleic acids
The phosphorus cycle is important because phosphorus is a component of nucleic acids, phospholipids, and ATP and other energy-storing molecules.
Restoration ecology restores degraded ecosystems to a more natural state
Because animals aid critical ecosystem services, including pollination, seed dispersal, and herbivory, restoration ecologists sometimes help wildlife reach and use restored ecosystems
Ecosystems can recover naturally from most disturbances, although recovery may take centuries
The use of organisms to detoxify polluted ecosystems is known as bioremediation
While bioremediation is a strategy for removing harmful substances from an ecosystem, biological augmentation uses organisms to add essential materials to a degraded ecosystem