1. Visualizing Physical Geography Copyright © 2008 John Wiley and Sons Publishers Inc. Chapter 16 Biogeographic Processes Visualizing Physical Geography by Alan Strahler and Zeeya Merali

2. Visualizing Physical Geography Copyright © 2008 John Wiley and Sons Publishers Inc. Energy and Matter Flow in Ecosystems Biogeography: the study of the distribution patterns of organisms over space and time and of the processes that produced these patterns Ecosystem: group of organisms and the environment with which they interact

3. Abiotic and Autotrophs Abiotic Mineral salts Water Rocks Autotrophs-plants Photosynthesis Plants take up energy from sun,carbon dioxide, and water Plants produce cellulose and oxygen.

4. Heterotrophs and Decomposers Heterotrophs- Eating other plants and animals. Also known as consumers. Carnivore Herbivore Omnivore Decomposers Feed on dead plant and animal remains Return minerals and nutrients to soil. Examples?

5. Heat First Trophic Level Second Trophic Level Third Trophic Level Fourth Trophic Level Solar energy Producers (plants) Primary consumers (herbivores) Tertiary consumers (top carnivores) Secondary consumers (carnivores) Detritvores (decomposers and detritus feeders)

6. Heat 10 100 1,000 10,000 Usable energy Available at Each tropic level (in kilocalories) Producers (phytoplankton) Primary consumers (zooplankton) Secondary consumers (perch) Tertiary consumers (human) Decomposers 90% of energy lost through respiration at each trophic level.

7. Producer to primary consumer Primary to secondary consumer Secondary to higher-level consumer All producers and consumers to decomposers Fungi Bacteria Golden eagle Prairie dog Blue stem grass Blue stem grass Coyote Grasshopper sparrow Grasshopper sparrow Pronghorn antelope Prairie coneflower Prairie coneflower Food chain Food web

8. Visualizing Physical Geography Copyright © 2008 John Wiley and Sons Publishers Inc. Energy and Matter Flow in Ecosystems Gross photosynthesis: total amount of carbohydrate produced by photosynthesis Net photosynthesis: amount of the carbohydrate remaining after respiration has broken down the carbohydrate for energy Net photosynthesis=Gross photosynthesis - Respiration

9. Visualizing Physical Geography Copyright © 2008 John Wiley and Sons Publishers Inc. Energy and Matter Flow in Ecosystems Net Primary Production Net primary production: annual yield of useful energy produced by the ecosystem, in grams/square meter/year Biomass: dry weight of living organic matter in an ecosystem within a designated surface area (grams/square meter or metric tons/hectare

10. Visualizing Physical Geography Copyright © 2008 John Wiley and Sons Publishers Inc. Energy and Matter Flow in Ecosystems The Carbon Cycle Carbon cycle: biogeochemical cycle in which carbon moves through the biosphere

11. Visualizing Physical Geography Copyright © 2008 John Wiley and Sons Publishers Inc. Energy and Matter Flow in Ecosystems The Nitrogen Cycle

12. Visualizing Physical Geography Copyright © 2008 John Wiley and Sons Publishers Inc. Ecological Biogeography Disturbance Disturbance includes: fire, flood volcanic eruption, storm waves, high winds Fire benefits: Cleans out understory Exposes mineral soil, fertilizes it with ash Many plant species adapted to germinating after fire Pines reproduce Grasslands maintained

13. Fig. 11-10, p. 304 sucession

14. Biomes One of Earth’s major terrestrial ecosystems, classified by the vegetation types that dominate the plant communities within the ecosystem. Tundra Tropical Rainforest Desert Coniferous Forest Deciduous Forest Mediterranean Schrubland Tropical Savanna Grasslands Mid-Latitude Grasslands