1. Chapter 55 Ecology By: Payton Albert & Hannah Eiland

2. Laws of Thermodynamics The first law of thermodynamics states that energy cannot be created or destroyed only transformed. –Energy Cycle –Solar radiation  conservation  lost by organisms through heat. The second law of thermodynamics states that every exchange of energy increases the entropy* of the universe. *thermodynamic quantity representing the unavailability of a systems thermal energy for conversion into mechanical work.

3. Thermodynamics in Ecosystems Law One

4. Thermodynamics in Ecosystems Cont. Law two: In an ecosystem, energy conversions are not completely efficient, and some energy is always lost as heat. (EX: “Perfect Machine”)

5. Energy and Nutrients in the Ecosystem Energy flows through an ecosystem, nutrients cycle with in an ecosystem. –Energy comes from the sun, plants photosynthesize, herbivores eat the plants, carnivores eat the herbivores, and scavengers eat the carnivores. The energy will never make it back to the sun. –Nutrients instead cycle back from the scavenger to the soil.

6. Limitation of Primary Consumers in an aquatic ecosystem Light- The first meter of water restricts half of the solar radiation from traveling any farther. Nutrients- Nutrients are usually in a higher concentration closer to the bottom of the ocean and less concentrated at the top where no light is. Primary Consumers: Algae (closer to the surface), Chemosynthetic Bacteria (Closer to the bottom).

7. Trophic Levels Example of how the percent of energy lessens as the consumers are higher up in the food chain

8. Difference Between Primary and Secondary Production Primary Production is the amount of light converted to chemical energy by autotrophs in an ecosystem during a given time period. Secondary Production is the amount of chemical energy in consumers’ food that is converted to their own new biomass during a given time period.

9. Difference between production efficiency and trophic efficiency Production efficiency is the fraction of energy store in food that is not used for respiration. Trophic Efficiency is the percent of production transferred from one trophic level to the next.

10. Toxic Compounds Biomagnification is the build up of substances such as a toxic chemical in the tissues of organisms at successively higher levels in a food chain. As a result biomagnification organisms at the top of the food chain generally suffer greater harm from a persistent toxin or pollutant than those at lower levels

11. Links http://www.thefreedictionary.com/bioaccumulatio nhttp://www.thefreedictionary.com/bioaccumulatio n http://en.allexperts.com/q/Ecology- 3198/2009/8/Energy-flow-nutrient-cycles.htmhttp://en.allexperts.com/q/Ecology- 3198/2009/8/Energy-flow-nutrient-cycles.htm http://bio1903.nicerweb.com/Locked/media/ch09 /energy.htmlhttp://bio1903.nicerweb.com/Locked/media/ch09 /energy.html http://staffweb.psdschools.org/shunter/Bioweb/E cology/Energy%20Flow%20in%20Ecosystems.p dfhttp://staffweb.psdschools.org/shunter/Bioweb/E cology/Energy%20Flow%20in%20Ecosystems.p df