Ecosystems

?
  • Created by: Orianne
  • Created on: 09-05-13 11:12
Losses at Producer Level
Not all light hits Photosynthesising areas, only certain wavelengths of light are absorbed, some sunlight is reflected, some energy is lost as carbohydrates formed in photosynthesis.
1 of 9
Losses at Consumer Level
Not all producer is consumed, not all organic molecules from the producer are absorbed, some energy is lost as heat within the digestive system
2 of 9
Why no more than four or five trophic levels?
After four or five trophic levels there are not sufficent amounts of energy to support an organism so far removed from the producer.
3 of 9
Primary Productivity
is the rate at which plants convert light energy to chemical energy.
4 of 9
Gross Primary Productivity
is the total quantity of energy transferred by plants from sunlight to tissue.
5 of 9
Net Primary Productivity
is the energy that is left as chemical energy after plants have supplied their own needs.
6 of 9
Measuring energy efficiency
Determine food chain, measure population size, calculate mean dry mass of a single organism (KIill and dry) Measure the energy content per gram of dry mass by burning in calorimeter
7 of 9
Intensive Farming
growing many in a small area. HIGH INPUTS such as fertilisers, pesticides, water etc HIGH OUTPUTS such as yields higher, better quality. Animals are kept inside and in controlled conditions so less energy is lost to the environment.
8 of 9
Monocultures
growing one species in one area. All light falling on that area is available to that species, weeds are killed so no competition for light, insects are killed so no diversion of energy flow. Therefore increasing photosynthetic efficiency.
9 of 9

Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Not all producer is consumed, not all organic molecules from the producer are absorbed, some energy is lost as heat within the digestive system

Back

Losses at Consumer Level

Card 3

Front

After four or five trophic levels there are not sufficent amounts of energy to support an organism so far removed from the producer.

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

is the rate at which plants convert light energy to chemical energy.

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

is the total quantity of energy transferred by plants from sunlight to tissue.

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
View more cards

Comments

No comments have yet been made

Similar Biology resources:

See all Biology resources »See all Ecology, ecosystems and environmental biology resources »