Bell Ringer – AP Practice 1) Reasons that the population size of an exotic

species often grows rapidly when the species is introduced in a new environment include which of the following?i. The exotic species is resistant to pesticides

ii. There is a large, underutilized food source in the

new environmentnew environment

iii. The exotic species has few natural predators in the

new environment

a) i only b) ii only

c) i and iii only d) ii and iii only

e) i, ii and iii

2) Which answer below explains a trophic

cascade from the food chain?

a) The frog acquires energy from eating

grasshoppers

b) The population of snakes is dependent

upon the population of frogs as a food source

c) The population of grasshoppers is related to c) The population of grasshoppers is related to

the population of hawks

d) Based upon the 10%

rule, the hawk will only

get 0.01% of the original

amount of energy.

3) A keystone species…

a) Has the largest population abundance

b) Has the largest habitat

c) Has a large influence upon energy movement

in an ecosystem

d) Forms the base trophic level

e) A and C

4) An aquifer is …

a) The entire area of land from which water

drains

b) The uppermost portion of an underground

water source

c) An underground source of water found in a

sponge-like layer of rock and soilsponge-like layer of rock and soil

d) All the water found on the surface of the

earth, including salt water

e) All the life found on earth

Bottle Ecosystem

Day 1

Objectives – Day 1

• Cut all bottles to size and label

• Prepare the aquatic chamber

Biogeochemical Cycles

pgs 186-198

Biogeochemical Cycles

• All nutrients move through ecosystems by various processes, known collectively as biogeochemical cycles.

• The most important biogeochemical cycles include:

– Hydrologic cycle– Hydrologic cycle

– Carbon cycle

– Nitrogen cycle

– Phosphorus Cycle

The Hydrologic Cycle

• Water is vital to life on earth and is involved in

nearly every ecosystem and biogeochemical

cycle.

• The Hydrologic Cycle describes how water

moves through an ecosystem.moves through an ecosystem.

• The movement of water is dependent upon

chemical changes which allow it to be either a

solid, liquid or gas.

Evaporation and Transpiration

• Most water on earth is found within reservoirs

(such as the ocean).

• Liquid water moves from these reservoirs into

the atmosphere (in gaseous form) through the

process of evaporation.

Evaporation and Transpiration

• Evaporation rates are increased with

- high temperatures

- high winds

- greater exposure (cleared areas)

Evaporation and Transpiration

• Water also enters the atmosphere through the

process of transpiration – the release of water

vapor by plants through their leaves.

Precipitation and Runoff

• Water vapor in the atmosphere condenses to

form clouds – eventually coming back to earth

in the form of precipitation.

Precipitation and Runoff

• Some precipitation is taken up by plants or

used by animals, but much of it flows as

runoff into streams, rivers, etc. – eventually

reaching the ocean again.

Groundwater

• Water from aquifers reenters the hydrologic

cycle as humans extract water for drinking or

as water tables rise to the surface, allowing

water to be evaporated or to runoff into larger

sources.

Illustrate a simple example of the Hydrologic Cycle

(label evaporation, transpiration, precipitation,

runoff and aquifers)

Bell Ringer

1) In the diagram of the water cycle below,

“A” is _______,

“B” is ________,

“C” is ________,

and “E” is ______

Bell Ringer

2) In the water cycle diagram, “F” is representing

a ____________, while “D” is representing

an ____________

Bell Ringer – AP Practice 3) All of the following are heterotrophs except…

a) Vultureb) Bacteriac) Mossd) Humane) Mushroom

4) Which of the following trophic levels has the most 4) Which of the following trophic levels has the most biomass?a) Producerb) Primary consumerc) Secondary consumerd) Decomposere) Tertiary consumer

Bottle Ecosystem

Day 2

More Biogeochemical Cycles

The Phosphorus Cycle

• Phosphorus is an important nutrient, making

up a key component of cell membranes and

found in such important molecules as DNA,

RNA, ATP and ADP.

The Phosphorus Cycle

• Although phosphorus is required for life

processes, this nutrient is found mostly

outside the body: in rocks, soil and the ocean.

The Phosphorus Cycle

• Unlike the other biogeochemical cycles (water,

nitrogen and carbon), this cycle has no

appreciable atmospheric component.

• The only time phosphorus enters the

atmosphere is if the wind carries the nutrients atmosphere is if the wind carries the nutrients

from one area to another.

Step 1: Weathering

• The vast majority of the earth’s phosphorus is

in the form of rock and is released by

weathering.

• Phosphate ions (PO43-) are

released by weathering released by weathering

and enter water systems.

Step 2: Dissolving

• Phosphate ions that enter lakes or oceans

settle to the bottom to form sediment – the

precursor to more rock.

Lack of Phosphorus

• Because most phosphorus is found in rock,

there is very little environmental

concentrations available to organisms.

• This explains why phosphorus

is frequently a limiting factoris frequently a limiting factor

for plant growth (and why it

is included in most fertilizers).

Step 3: Phosphorus in Living Things

• Plants take up phosphorus through their roots only when phosphates are dissolved in water.

• Primary consumers acquire phosphorus from water and plants, passing it on to secondary and tertiary consumers.

• Phosphorus is passed out of living things • Phosphorus is passed out of living things through the excretion of waste – decomposers break down the waste, returning the phosphorus to the soil.

Step 3: Phosphorus in Living Things

Human Affects on the Phosphorus Cycle

• Humans influence the P-cycle by:

– Mining for phosphorus from rocks

– Applying phosphorus to lawns, crops in fertilizers

– Wastewater is rich in phosphates

– Most detergents are high in phosphates

• Excess phosphates entering waterways can

lead to eutrophication, altering aquatic

ecosystems.

Make a Sketch of the P – Cycle

Bell Ringer 1) The biggest reservoir of phosphorus is…

a) The ocean

b) Within rocks

c) Within plants

d) The atmosphere

e) Within cells e) Within cells

2) Which answer below does NOT add

phosphorus to the atmosphere?

a) The use of detergents

b) Human wastewater

c) Mining

d) Weathering

e) Photosynthesis e) Photosynthesis

3) Starting at a plant, put the steps of the

hydrologic cycle in the correct order:

Precipitation, transpiration, condensation,

runoff

4) In your own words, describe the edge effect.

Bottle Ecosystem

Day 3

More Biogeochemical Cycles

The Carbon Cycle

• All living things on earth are carbon-based;

this element can be found in carbohydrates,

fats and proteins.

• Carbon can be found all around us – from

fossil fuels to DNA to plastic. fossil fuels to DNA to plastic.

Step 1 - Photosynthesis

• Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is used by

plants to create sugar (glucose) through the

process of photosynthesis.

Step 2 – Respiration

• Cellular respiration is used by all organisms

(including autotrophs) to create ATP from

sugar. This process releases carbon dioxide

back into the atmosphere.

Photo and Resp• Photosynthesis and Respiration make their

own cycle – each producing products that the

other process needs to begin.

Carbon Storage • Some carbon used by organisms is stored

within that organism, incorporated into its

tissues.

• Plants take in much carbon dioxide for

photosynthesis – making autotrophs a major

carbon reservoir. carbon reservoir.

Carbon Storage • Some carbon used by organisms is stored

within that organism, incorporated into its tissues.

• Plants take in much carbon dioxide for photosynthesis – making autotrophs a major carbon reservoir. carbon reservoir.

• Because carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, it is even more important that major tracts of trees and plants remain undisturbed as they have the capability of deflating the effects of global warming.

Carbon Storage • Sedimentary rock is the largest carbon

reservoir on earth.

• As organisms die, they become sediments

which, over long periods of heat and pressure,

can be transformed into carbon containing

rock (such as coal and limestone). rock (such as coal and limestone).

Carbon Storage • Carbon molecules in the atmosphere spend a

relatively short time there; carbon molecules

trapped in rock may reside there for millions

of years.

• The burning of carbon-containing rocks (such

as coal) re-releases this carbon into the as coal) re-releases this carbon into the

atmosphere.

Carbon Storage • Oceans represent the second biggest carbon

reservoir.

• Oceans absorb carbon-containing compounds

from the atmosphere, from terrestrial runoff

and from the waste of marine life.

The Human Effect • An increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

has accelerated global climate change.

• Human actions can remove carbon from

reservoirs, forcing it to accumulate in the

atmosphere. These actions include:

– The burning of fossil fuels (coal, gasoline, etc.)– The burning of fossil fuels (coal, gasoline, etc.)

– Removing vegetation/forests which taken in and store

carbon dioxide.