Ecosystems

Basic feature of ecosystems

1. interactions of 2. energy flow
organisms with
one another and
with the
3. material cycling
environment

self-sustaining stable dynamic

 3. Material cycling
energy flows in one way materials are cycled in
different forms

energy transfer

biotic community

energy energy transfer

loss

physical environment
energy loss
Carbon
Ø an essential element in organic compounds
Ø can be found in atmosphere, oceans and rocks

carbon cycle

the process by which carbon is cycled between

organisms and the environment
The carbon cycle

carbon dioxide in
the atmosphere
6
burning of 1 4
fossil fuels photosynthesis respiration
respiration
respiration
2
feeding 3
organic waste 1 carbon dioxide
and dead bodies dissolved in water
photosynthesis
5 decomposers
4 respiration
fossil fuels 7

limestone
Removing CO2 from the environment
carbon dioxide in
the atmosphere

CO2 is taken up by
producers during
_________________
1
Removing CO2 from the environment
carbon dioxide in
the atmosphere

fixed into ______

compounds
1
Transfer of carbon along food chains
carbon dioxide in
the atmosphere

2
feeding
Transfer of carbon along food chains
Ø carbon is transferred along the food chain

consumer

___________

producer
Transfer of carbon along food chains
carbon dioxide in
the atmosphere

3
organic waste
and dead bodies

1
Transfer of carbon along food chains
Ø _______________ and _______________ of organisms
become food for ______________________

decomposer

decomposed by

organic waste
Releasing CO2 to the environment
carbon dioxide in
the atmosphere

4
respiration
respiration
respiration

decomposers
4 respiration
Releasing CO2 to the environment
Ø ____________ of producers and consumers breaks
down organic compounds and releases ____________

CO2

respiration
producer
consumer
Releasing CO2 to the environment
carbon dioxide in
the atmosphere

organic waste
and dead bodies
5 decomposers

release carbon dioxide

during decomposition
Releasing CO2 to the environment
carbon dioxide in
the atmosphere

organic waste
and dead bodies

fossil fuels
Releasing CO2 to the environment
Ø plants and animals that died and buried underground
may turn into _____________ over millions of years

e.g. coal
Releasing CO2 to the environment
carbon dioxide in
the atmosphere
6
burning of
fossil fuels

organic waste
and dead bodies

fossil fuels
Releasing CO2 to the environment
carbon dioxide in
the atmosphere

carbon dioxide
dissolved in
water

limestone
Releasing CO2 to the environment
Ø shells of some marine organisms are made up of
calcium carbonate

form limestone when these marine organisms die

and sink to the seabed

carbon dioxide is released when

_________________
Releasing CO2 to the environment
Ø limestone may also become uplifted to the land by
Earth movements

carbon dioxide is released

when _____________ occurs
Nitrogen
Ø an essential element for making ________, _________
_____ and other nitrogenous compounds in organisms
amino group

H R nitrogenous base
O
N C C
H H OH

amino acid nucleotide

The nitrogen cycle
Ø the process by which nitrogen is cycled between
organisms and the environment
 The nitrogen cycle
diffusion
nitrogen in the
atmosphere
diffusion 3 lightning
nitrogen oxides
dissolved in
rain water
1 feeding

nitrogen fixing bacteria

in root nodules organic waste and 5 taken up by plants
4 dead bodies
nitrogen
in soil air free-living nitrogen 2 decomposers
fixing bacteria decomposers
nitrifying nitrifying
ammonium ammonium bacteria bacteria
compounds compounds nitrites nitrates
in bacteria in soil 6 denitrifying bacteria
Transfer of nitrogen along food chains

1 feeding

nitrogen in the form of _______

_________ is transferred along
the food through _________
Adding nitrogen to the soil

organic waste and

dead bodies
2 decomposers
nitrifying nitrifying
ammonium bacteria bacteria
compounds in nitrites nitrates
soil
Adding nitrogen to the soil
Decomposition
Ø the conversion of nitrogen to __________ compounds
by decomposers

organic waste and ammonium

dead bodies by _______________ compounds (in soil)
and _________
Adding nitrogen to the soil
Nitrification
Ø the conversion of ammonium compounds to
___________

ammonium nitrites nitrates

compounds (NO2-) (NO3-)
(in soil) by _______ (in soil) by _______ (in soil)
bacteria bacteria
Adding nitrogen to the soil
nitrogen in the
atmosphere
3 lightning
nitrogen oxides
dissolved in rain
water

nitrates
Adding nitrogen to the soil
Lightning
Ø Causes nitrogen in the atmosphere to combine with
___________

dissolving
nitrogen lightning nitrogen in rain nitrates
(in atmosphere) oxides (in soil)
 Adding nitrogen to the soil

nitrogen in the
atmosphere

nitrogen fixing bacteria

in root nodules
nitrogen 4
free-living nitrogen
in soil air nitrifying nitrifying
fixing bacteria decomposers bacteria bacteria
ammonium ammonium
compounds compounds nitrites nitrates
in bacteria in soil
Adding nitrogen to the soil
Nitrogen fixation
Ø the conversion of nitrogen gas to ammonium
compounds

ammonium
nitrogen
compounds
(in soil gas) by _____________
(in bacteria)
________ bacteria
Nitrogen fixing bacteria
Ø free-living in soil or live in
the ________________ of
___________________
Ø supply nitrogenous
compounds to the plants

root nodules
Nitrogen fixing bacteria
Ø when the bacteria die, the ammonium compounds
present in them are released and converted into
nitrates by nitrification

ammonium decomposition ammonium nitrification

compounds compounds nitrates
(in bacteria) by putrefying (in soil) by nitrifying (in soil)
bacteria and bacteria
fungi
Removing nitrogen from the soil

producers take up 5 taken up by plants

nitrates from the soil to
make proteins and other
nitrogenous compounds
nitrates
 Removing nitrogen from the soil
diffusion
nitrogen in the
atmosphere

nitrogen
in soil air

nitrates
6 denitrifying bacteria
Removing nitrogen from the soil
Denitrification
• the conversion of nitrates to ______________ under
______________ conditions

nitrates nitrogen
(in soil) by _____________ (in atmosphere)
bacteria
Summary
Producers
Role in carbon cycle and
Role in energy flow
nitrogen cycle
Ø capture light energy Ø take up inorganic
and convert it to carbon and nitrogen
chemical energy that from the environment
is stored in organic and incorporate them
compounds through into organic
the process of compounds in their
photosynthesis bodies
Producers
Role in carbon cycle and
Role in energy flow
nitrogen cycle
Ø capture light energy Ø return carbon to the
and convert it to environment in the
chemical energy that form of carbon
is stored in organic dioxide through
compounds through respiration
the process of
photosynthesis
Consumers
Role in carbon cycle and
Role in energy flow
nitrogen cycle
Ø transfer chemical Ø transfer carbon and
energy in the form of nitrogen in organic
food along food compounds along
chains through food chains through
feeding feeding
Consumers
Role in carbon cycle and
Role in energy flow
nitrogen cycle
Ø transfer chemical Ø return carbon to the
energy in the form of environment in the
food along food form of carbon
chains through dioxide through
feeding respiration
Decompers
Role in carbon cycle and
Role in energy flow
nitrogen cycle
Ø break down dead Ø return carbon and
organic matter, nitrogen in the form of
releasing energy in inorganic compounds
the form of heat (e.g. CO2, nitrates) by
during respiration breaking down the
organic waste and dead
bodies of organisms