Class Notes: Environmental Science
Lecture 9: Ecosystems and Energy Flow
Date: August 24, 2024
Professor: Dr. Sarah Martinez
1. Review of Last Lecture
Biomes and Climate: Discussed different biomes such as tropical rainforests,
deserts, and tundras, and how climate influences the distribution of these biomes.
Ecological Niches: Explored the concept of ecological niches and how species
coexist by occupying different niches.
2. Introduction to Ecosystems
Definition: An ecosystem is a community of living organisms (biotic components)
interacting with their physical environment (abiotic components) in a given area.
Components of an Ecosystem:
Biotic Components: Include producers (plants), consumers (animals), and decomposers
(bacteria, fungi).
Abiotic Components: Include sunlight, air, water, soil, and nutrients.
Ecosystem Structure:
Trophic Levels: Represent the position of organisms in the food chain:
Producers (Autotrophs): Convert solar energy into chemical energy through
photosynthesis.
Primary Consumers (Herbivores): Feed on producers.
Secondary Consumers (Carnivores): Feed on primary consumers.
Tertiary Consumers: Top predators that feed on secondary consumers.
Decomposers: Break down dead organic matter, returning nutrients to the soil.
3. Energy Flow in Ecosystems
Laws of Thermodynamics:
First Law (Conservation of Energy): Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only
transformed from one form to another.
Second Law (Entropy): When energy is transformed, some energy is lost as heat,
increasing the disorder (entropy) of the system.
Energy Flow:
Unidirectional Flow: Energy flows through an ecosystem in one direction—from the
sun to producers and then through various trophic levels.
Energy Loss: At each trophic level, energy is lost as heat due to metabolic
processes. Only about 10% of the energy is transferred to the next trophic level
(10% Rule).
Food Chains vs. Food Webs:
Food Chain: A linear sequence of who eats whom in an ecosystem.
Food Web: A more complex network of interconnected food chains that better
represents the feeding relationships in an ecosystem.
4. Primary Productivity
Gross Primary Productivity (GPP): The total amount of solar energy captured by
producers through photosynthesis in a given area and time.
Net Primary Productivity (NPP): The energy that remains after producers use some of
the GPP for respiration. NPP represents the energy available to consumers:
𝑁
𝑃
𝑃
𝐺
=
𝑃
𝑃
𝑅
−
NPP=GPP−R
𝑅
where
R is the energy used for respiration.
Factors Affecting Productivity:
Light Availability: More light increases photosynthesis and productivity.
Nutrient Availability: Nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus are essential for
plant growth.
Water Availability: Adequate water supply is crucial for photosynthesis and plant
health.
5. Nutrient Cycles
The Carbon Cycle:
Carbon moves through the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere.
Key processes include photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition, and combustion of
fossil fuels.
Human Impact: Increased carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels contribute to
global warming.
The Nitrogen Cycle:
Nitrogen is essential for proteins and DNA.
Key processes include nitrogen fixation (by bacteria), nitrification, assimilation,
ammonification, and denitrification.
Human Impact: Excessive use of nitrogen fertilizers leads to runoff, causing
eutrophication in aquatic ecosystems.
The Water Cycle:
Involves processes such as evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation,
and infiltration.
Human Impact: Altered by deforestation, urbanization, and climate change, leading
to changes in water availability.
6. Ecosystem Services
Provisioning Services: Products obtained from ecosystems, such as food, water, and
medicine.
Regulating Services: Benefits obtained from the regulation of ecosystem processes,
including climate regulation, flood control, and disease regulation.
Cultural Services: Non-material benefits people obtain from ecosystems, such as
recreation, aesthetic enjoyment, and spiritual enrichment.
Supporting Services: Services necessary for the production of all other ecosystem
services, including nutrient cycling, soil formation, and primary productivity.
7. Conclusion and Next Steps
Next Lecture: Biodiversity and its importance in maintaining ecosystem stability
and function.
Homework: Case study analysis on the impact of deforestation on the carbon and
water cycles.
