IB BI

1. Ecosystem Properties

2. Ecological Hierarchies
• Biosphere
• Biome
• Ecosystem
• Community
• Population
• Organism
• Tissue
• Cell
• Molecules

3. Definitions
• Biosphere - The entire portion of the globe
that can support life, including the
atmosphere, oceans, terrestrial surface and
belowground
• Biome – The largest easily recognized
subsection of the biosphere, based upon
climate

4. Definitions
• Ecosystem – A region where plants,
animals and microbes can interact with each
other and their environment.
• Community – A region where plants,
animals and microbes can interact with each
other.
• Population – An interbreeding group of
organisms

5. Ecosystem Emergent Properties
• All “systems” are made up of components.
Once those components are assembled into
the system, they take on new properties,
those of the “system”.
• E.g., bridge over South Canadian River
• E.g., living system

6. Ecosystem Emergent Properties
• What are the emergent properties of a living
system, e.g., you?
• You are composed of carbon, nitrogen,
hydrogen, oxygen, etc., but you are so much
more than bags of elements flopping around
• As a living entity you:
• Respire
• Irritable
• Capable of reproduction

7. Ecosystem Emergent Properties
• So, as a “system” ecosystems also have
emergent properties
• Nutrient cycling
• Energy flow

8. Energy in Ecosystems
• Energy Movement
follows 1st and 2nd
laws of
thermodynamics
– Energy can’t be
created or destroyed
– Any transfers of
energy are not 100%
efficient

9. Energy flow

10. Energy Flow Calories
Solar Energy 1,000,000
1%
Producers 10,000
10%
Herbivores 1,000
10%
Carnivores Consumers 100
10%
Top Carnivore 10

11. Energy Flow
Solar Energy
1%
Producers
10%
Herbivores Food Chain
10%
Carnivores Consumers
10%
Top Carnivore

12. Energy Flow
Solar Energy
1%
Producers Trophic Level
10%
Herbivores
10%
Carnivores Consumers
10%
Top Carnivore

13. Any Questions?

14. Nutrient Cycling
• There are two major types of nutrient cycles
– Gaseous – Most of the nutrient is stored in the
atmosphere
– Sedimentary – Most of the nutrient is stored in
the sediments or soils

15. So what nutrients do we need?
• Macro-nutrients are needed in large
quantities
• Na,Cl, C, H, O, P, K, I, N, S, Ca, Fe, Mg
• Micro-nutrients are also essential, but are
needed in only small amounts
• Mo, B, Cl, Mn, Cu, Zn

16. Gaseous Nutrient Cycle
The carbon cycle
CO2 Respiration
(photosynthesis)
plant
Decomposers
herbivore
carnivore top carnivore

17. Sedimentary Nutrient Cycle
Example: The Phosphorus Cycle
e
r plant herbivores carnivores
o
s P in soil decomposers
i (weathering)
o
n P in rock (apatite)

18. So what nutrients do we need?
• Macro-nutrients are needed in large
quantities
• Na,Cl, C, H, O, P, K, I, N, S, Ca, Fe, Mg
• Micro-nutrients are also essential, but are
needed in only small amounts
• Mo, B, Cl, Mn, Cu, Zn
• The elements in blue have gaseous cycles

20. Quick Quiz on Ecosystems
• What’s the definition of an ecosystem?
• An area where plants, animals and microbes
interact with each other and the
environment
• So why do you need an ecosystem for
– Energy Flow?
– Nutrient Cycling?
• Does energy ever cycle?

21. NO-O-O!

22. Take out a clean piece of paper
• A practice quiz
• List two types of symbiotic relationships

23. Quiz, continued
• Competition between organisms of
different species is known as:
a. Intraspecific interactions
b. Intraspecific competition
c. Interspecific interactions
d. Interspecific competition

24. Quiz, continued
• If you went up a tall mountain, how many
meters increase in elevation would you
have to go up to see the same change in
vegetation structure that you would see if
you went north 30 degrees latitude?
a. 1800 m
b. 4000 m
c. 400 m
d. 100 m

25. Quiz, continued
• Which biome has the greatest number of
species?
• Which biome produces most of the wood
pulp used for paper in the U.S.?

26. Quiz, continued
• In which grassland ecosystem would you
expect to find the greatest number of
species and why?
a. Undisturbed tall grass prairie
b. Wheat field
c. Corn field
d. Heavily grazed tall grass prairie