1. Environmental Systems and
Ecosystem Ecology

2. Ecosystem Ecology Examines Interactions Between the Living and Non-Living World
A particular location on Earth distinguished by its particular mix of interacting biotic and abiotic components.
A community of organisms and their nonliving (abiotic) environment.

3. Ecosystem Boundaries
Some ecosystems, such as a caves and lakes have very distinctive boundaries. However, in most ecosystems it is difficult to determine where one ecosystems stops and the next begins.

4. Ecosystem Processes
Even though it is helpful to distinguish between two different ecosystems, ecosystems interact with other ecosystems.

5. Energy Flows through Ecosystems

6. Photosynthesis and Respiration
Producers (autotrophs) are able to use the suns energy to produce usable energy through the process called photosynthesis.

8. Photosynthesis and Respiration
Cellular respiration is the process by which organisms gain energy (ATP) from consuming organic molecules such as glucose (C6H12O6)

9. Trophic Levels, Food Chains, and Food Webs
Consumers (heterotrophs)- obtain energy by consuming other organisms.
Primary Consumers (herbivores)- consume producers.
Secondary Consumers (carnivores)- obtain their energy by eating primary consumers.
Tertiary Consumers (carnivores)- eat secondary consumers.

11. Food Chain- The sequence of consumption from producers through tertiary consumers.
Food Web- A more realistic type of food chain that takes into account the complexity of nature.

13. Ecosystem Productivity
Gross primary productivity (GPP)- Is the assimilation of energy into biomass by autotrophs (Product of photosynthesis)
Portion of this biomass is used by the autotrophs for their own metabolism by cellular respiration.

14. Ecosystem Productivity
Net primary productivity (NPP)- The energy/biomass that remains after respiration (R) and is available by heterotrophs/consumers in that ecosystem
NPP = GPP – R

15. Matter cycles through the biosphere
Biogeochemical cycles- The movement of matter within and between ecosystems involving biological, geologic and chemical processes.

16. The Hydrologic Cycle
The movement of water through the biosphere.

18. The Hydrologic Cycle
Transpiration- The process where plants release water from their leaves into the atmosphere.
Evapotranspiration- The combined amount of evaporation and transpiration.
Runoff- When water moves across the land surface into streams and rivers, eventually reaching the ocean.

19. The Carbon Cycle

20. Carbon Cycle
Large amounts of CO2 exchanged between atmosphere and ocean (balanced)
Enters foodwebs via photosynthesis by algae
Combine with calcium ions in water to form Calcium carbonate (limestone) forms sediment in bottom of ocean
Organic carbon – not decomposed – fossil fuels

21. Carbon Cycle
Human Impacts: Anthropogenic combustion of fossil fuels → Greenhouse Effect

22. Carbon Cycle Human Impacts: Tree Harvesting
Large amounts of Carbon stored in the wood of the trees
Cutting and burning – increases CO2 in atmosphere
Decreases Biodiversity

23. The Nitrogen Cycle Nitrogen is an important component of:
Amino acids which make up PROTEINS
Component in nitrogenous bases of DNA and RNA (A,T,C, G)

24. The Nitrogen Cycle Mnemonic – FixNAAD ANPAN PROCESS PRODUCT
Fix – N Fixation
Ammonium (NH3 →NH4+)
Nitrification
Nitrates (NO2- → NO3-)
Assimilation
Proteins
Ammonification
Denitrification
Nitrogen gas (N2)

25. The Nitrogen Cycle

26. The Nitrogen Cycle Human Impacts: ANTHROPOGENIC
Nitrogen based fertilizers can cause environmental problems:
Enters Surface Waters
Enters Ground Water
Air Pollutant
Production, Transportation, Application

27. The Nitrogen Cycle Fertilizers enter Surface Waters:
Nitrates (NO3-) repel negatively charged soil molecules → promotes LEECHING of nitrogen out of soil
Increases Algal blooms
Promotes eutrophication
Dissolved oxygen depletion from decomposing bacteria
Prevents sunlight from reaching submerged plants

28. The Nitrogen Cycle

29. The Nitrogen Cycle Results in Nitrate contamination of drinking water
Fertilizers enter ground water:
Results in Nitrate contamination of drinking water
“Blue Baby Syndrome” (affects infants under 6 months of age)
aka Methemoglobinemia
The nitrate reacts with hemoglobin to form methemoglobin, which does not carry oxygen.
the baby is suffocated

30. The Nitrogen Cycle Bacterial Decomposition of Fertilizer:
NO3- → N2O → N2
Produces gas Nitrous Oxide (N2O)
(aka laughing gas)
NOT A LAUGHING MATTER THOUGH:
N2O gas increases global warming
N2O deplete ozone layer in atmosphere

31. The Nitrogen Cycle
Production, Transportation, and Application of Fertilizers:
Consumes fossil fuels – producing CO2 which increases global warming
Increases habitat destruction during extraction of fossil fuels

32. The Nitrogen Cycle
Increased Fertilizers can affect biodiversity in ecosystems:
Plants that are adapted to low Nitrogen levels may be replaced by species that are adapted to living in soils with higher Nitrogen levels
Lead to change in plant species in an ecosystem

33. The Phosphorus Cycle

34. The Phosphorus Cycle
Phosphorus is major component of DNA, RNA, and ATP
Limiting nutrient to plants (second to Nitrogen) on land and in water:
On land – major source weathering of rocks
In water – Not very soluble in water, most forms sediment at bottom of ocean
Humans mine Phosphorus and add it as component in fertilizers
NO ATMOSPHERIC FORM

35. The Phosphorus Cycle Excess Phosphorus PO4 -3
binds to positively charged minerals found in soil…does not leech out with water
Very little Phosphorus available in aquatic ecosystems
Causes Algal blooms
Decomposition leads to depletion of dissolved oxygen (hypoxic conditions)

36. The Phosphorus Cycle Increased Phosphorus:
can also alter plant communities
Ex: Florida Everglades
Cattails have replaced sawgrass
Animals dependent on sawgrass are no longer favored in this ecosystem

37. The Phosphorus Cycle Two major sources of Phosphorus in Waterways:
Fertilizers – runoff
Detergents – discharge water from washing machines
Due to Ecologic Dead Zones, Manufacturers stopped added phosphates to
Laundry Detergents – 1994
Dishwashing Detergents

38. Systems
A system is a set of interacting components connected in such a way that a change in one part affects one or more other parts of the system

39. A large system may contain many smaller systems within it.
The boundaries of a system may be defined by the researchers point of view.
The largest system that environmental science considers is Earth.

40. Systems Analysis
Why is it important for environmental scientists to study whole systems rather than focusing on individual plants, animals, or abiotic components within a system?
Studying systems allows scientists about complex relationships between organisms and their environment, but most importantly they can predict how changes in one part of the system will change the entire system.

41. Earth is a single interconnected system
The story about the Gulf of Mexico’s “Dead Zone” shows how systems (Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico) are interconnected

42. Open system- exchanges of matter or energy occur across system boundaries.
Closed system- matter and energy exchanges across system boundaries do not occur.

43. System analysis shows how matter cycles and energy flows in the environment Earth is an open system with respect to energy. Solar radiation enters Earth’s atmosphere, and heat and reflected light leave it. Earth is essentially a closed system when it comes to matter. Due to Earth’s magnetic field only an insignificant amount of material enters and leaves the Earth system.

44. steady states
Steady state- in a system, when input equals output it is said to be in a steady state.

45. steady states
Negative feedback loops- when a system responds to change by returning to its original state, or at least by decreasing the rate at which the change is occurring.
Positive feedback loops- when a system responds to change by increasing the rate at which the change is occurring.

47. Ecosystems Provide Valuable Services
Intrinsic Value – Value independent of any benefit to humans. Ex: Moral value of an animal’s life. Can not be quantified.
Instrumental Value – Provide goods and services that humans could not live without. Can be quantified, as it holds economic value to humans.

48. Instrumental Values of Ecosystems
Provisions- Goods that humans can use directly. Ex: lumber, food crops, medicinal plants, etc.
Regulating services- The service provided by natural systems that helps regulate environmental conditions. Ex: Tropical Rainforest and Oceans – absorb excess CO2.
Support services- The support services that natural ecosystems provide such as pollination, natural filters and pest control.
Cultural services- Ecosystems provide cultural or aesthetic benefits to many people.
Resilience- Resilience of an ecosystem ensures that it will continue to provide benefits to humans. This greatly depends on species diversity.

49. Ecosystems respond to disturbance
Disturbance- An event caused by physical, chemical or biological agents that results in changes in population size or community composition.
Ex: Fire

50. Resistance versus Resilience
Resistance- A measure of how much a disturbance can affect its flows of energy and matter.
Resilience- The rate at which an ecosystem returns to its original state after a disturbance.
Restoration ecology- A new scientific discipline that is interested in restoring damaged ecosystems
Example: Florida Everglades – Restore water flow and nutrient inputs to historic levels to restore functions of this ecosystem. .

51. The Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis
The intermediate disturbance hypothesis- states that ecosystems experiencing intermediate levels of disturbance are more diverse than those with high or low disturbance levels.