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Trophic dynamics
energy flow in marine ecosystems, food webs/chains
19
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Undergraduate 2
11/15/2012

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Cards

Term
"trophic" meaning
Definition
nutrition
Term
trophic dynamics
Definition
the study of the nutritional interconnections among organisms within an ecosystem
Term
trophic level
Definition

the position of an organism within the trophic dynamics

  1. autotrophs 
  2. herbivores 
  3. carnivores 
  4. decomposers
Term
ecosystem
Definition
includes living organisms (biotic community) and the environment
Term
producers
Definition

convert solar energy into chemical energy

(mainly photosynthesis)

Term
consumers
Definition

eat other organisms

  • herbivores
  • carnivores
  • omnivores
  • bacteriovores
Term
decomposers
Definition
break down dead organisms or waste products
Term
hard body grazers
Definition
  • sexual
  • consume specific particle size ranges
  • roving bands (pack, bloom)

ex: krill/zooplankton/copepods

Term
____ is constantly recycled in the ecosystem, but ____ gradually dissipates as heat and is lost
Definition
nutrients, energy
Term
algae-supported biotic community
Definition
  • energy has unidirectional flow (it does not cycle)
  • mechanical energy dissipates when swimming
Term
food chain
Definition
  • primary producer
  • herbivore
  • 1+ carnivores
  • more energy efficient than a food web
Term
food web
Definition
branching network of many consumers
consumers more likely to survive with alternative food sources
Term
energy pyramid
Definition

 

the graphic representation of a food chain in terms of the energy contained at each trophic level

  • top: tertiary carnivores 
  • secondary carnivores
  • primary carnivores
  • herbivores
  • bottom: plants

 

Term
population size is dependent upon?
Definition
food supply
Term
how the energy pyramid works
Definition
  • as you move up in the pyramid, the amount of energy available to you goes down
  • with each energy transfer you lose about 90% of energy and gain 10% of the energy
  • therefore there are way more plants in the ocean than there are tertiary carnivores
    • reason: it takes way more energy to make a tertiary carnivore than it does to make a plant because at each energy transfer you lose 90% of the usable energy
Term
soft body grazers
Definition

Krill/zooplankton/copepods

asexual

consumes all particle sizes

bloom/bust

Term
grazers
Definition
  • follow phytoplankton blooms
  • two kinds: hard bodies and soft bodies 
  • "cows of the sea"
Term
Negative aspects of a food web
Definition
  • everyone tries to eat you
  • energy at the top of a food web has decreased a lot
  • you therefore have to eat more to get the same amount of energy the bottom levels get
Term
nutrient cycle
Definition

nutrients cycled from one chemical form to another

aka biogeochemical cycling

examples:

  • nutrients fixed by producers and passed onto consumers
  • some nutrients released into sea water by decomposers
  • nutrients that are recycled through upwelling
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