ECOSYSTEMS AND ENERGY CHAPTER 2 P.52-60

ENERGY  THE ABILITY TO DO WORK OR CAUSE CHANGE

TYPES OF ENERGY 1. POTENTIAL  STORED ENERGY (BEFORE THE PITCHER RELEASES THE BALL) 2. KINETIC  ENERGY OF MOTION (THE PITCHED BALL) 3. CHEMICAL  FROM ORGANIC MOLECULES, NUTRIENTS (PHOTOSYNTHESIS, CHEMOSYNTHESIS) 4. FREE  ENERGY NEEDED FOR A CELL TO WORK (SUCH AS FROM ATP) *EAT FOOD  GLUCOSE  ATP*

ORGANISMS THAT NEED ENERGY AUTOTROPHS MAKE THEIR OWN FOOD SUCH AS PLANTS USING LIGHT FOR PHOTOSYNTHESIS ARE CALLED PHOTOAUTOTROPHS ENERGY USING CHEMICALS (CHEMOSYNTHESIS) SUCH AS BACTERIA ARE CALLEDCHEMOAUTOTROPHS HETEROTROPHS CANNOT MAKE THEIR OWN FOOD AND MUST OBTAIN IT SUCH AS ANIMALS, FUNGI AND MOST BACTERIA **BOTH AUTOTROPHS AND HETEROTROPHS USE CELLULAR RESPIRATION IN ORDER TO RELEASE ENERGY FOR CELLS TO STAY ALIVE (GLUCOSE  ATP) **BOTH STORE ENERGY (CHEMICAL ENERGY) AND USE SOME OF IT TO DO WORK (FREE ENERGY)

ECOSYSTEM STRUCTURE 1. PRODUCERS (AUTOTROPHS SUCH AS PLANTS) 2. CONSUMERS (HETEROTROPHS SUCH AS HERBIVORES, CARNIVORES, OMNIVORES) 3. DECOMPOSERS (HETEROTROPHS SUCH AS BACTERIA, FUNGI) *THESE BREAKDOWN AND RECYCLE MATTER FOR NUTRIENTS*

FOOD CHAINS SHOW ENERGY FLOW BASED UPON WHAT ORGANISMS EAT EXAMPLE: GRASS  RABBIT  SNAKE  HAWK

TROPHIC LEVELS PRODUCER  USUALLY PLANTS CONSUMER  PRIMARY/1 ST ORDER CONSUMER  SECONDARY/2 ND ORDER CONSUMER  TERTIARY/3 RD ORDER CONSUMER  QUATERNARY/4 TH ORDER

FOOD WEBS MADE UP OF MANY FOOD CHAINS SHOWS THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN THE MEMBERS OF AN ECOSYSTEM  FOR ENERGY AND NUTRIENTS FROM PRODUCERS TO CONSUMERS (BOTTOM TO TOP)

2 LAWS OF THERMODYNAMICS P.57-60

2 LAWS OF THERMODYNAMICS 1.ENERGY CANNOT BE CREATED OR DESTROYED BUT CAN CHANGE FORM (LAW OF CONSERVATION OF ENERGY) 2.SYSTEMS TEND TO CHANGE IN A WAY THAT INCREASES DISORDER (ENTROPY) OF THE SYSTEM AND ITS SURROUNDINGS – FREE ENERGY INCREASES, ENTROPY DECREASES – FREE ENERGY DECREASES, ENTROPY INCREASES *ORGANISMS OVERCOME THIS TENDENCY FOR INCREASED ENTROPY BY OBTAINING ENERGY

PYRAMIDS OF ENERGY, BIOMASS, AND NUMBERS AT THE BASE OF EACH ARE THE PRODUCERS FOLLOWED BY THE CONSUMERS AS YOU GO FROM THE BOTTOM TO THE TOP, ALL 3 DECREASE

Levels of Organization Biosphere  Ecosystem  Community  Population  Organism

Biosphere Broadest, most inclusive level Thin volume of Earth and its atmosphere that supports all life 20km (13mi) thick 8-10 km (5-6mi) deep into oceans Comparable to skin only of ENTIRE apple

Ecosystems Includes all organisms and the non-living environment found in a particular place Ex: Pond – Living Fish, aquatic plants, algae, bacteria, etc – Nonliving Water, sunlight, rocks

Community All interacting organisms living in an area Look at how species interact How interactions influence nature of community Ex: Pond – How fish interact with plants, algae, bacteria

Populations Includes all members of a species that live in one place at one time Ex: Pond – Rainbow trout of THAT SPECIFIC POND

Organism Simplest level Look at behavioral adaptations that allow organism to overcome obstacles Ex: Pond – One specific rainbow trout