Transcript Ecosystem Ecology.ppt

System Ecology
Nana Ivana Hrastnik
9.3.2015
Intro
 Ecology is broad and diverese field of study.
 The basic distinctions in ecology is considered
between AUTECOLOGY and SYNECOLOGY.
 Ecosystem ecology maintains that it's always possible
to convert species numbers into biomass or nutrient
mass.
History
 Through of history of systems concepts, the
two dominant and competing ecological
paradigmas were:
 the organismic views
 the individualistic views.
 The main ecosystem and related concepts:
The oldest concept
The youngest concept
Microcosm
Broadening of the biocoenosis concept
Ecoid
Unholistic
Okologisches system
Still being used to avoid argument
Holocoen
Holistic, biologistic
Ecosystem
Antiholistic, physicalist
Biosystem
Stressing functional organization
Bioinert body
Biogeochemical
Biochore
Landscape ecological
Landschaft
Holistic
Defining an Ecosystem
 An ecosystem is a bounded system.
 The main features of the ecosystem, energy, flow and
nutrient biogeochemical cycling, comprise the major
areas of ecosystem ecology research.
Energy Flow in Ecosystems
 An ecosystem is an open system  energy and matter input from outside
 Every ecosystem must have a system boundary
 Energy flow begins: solar radiation in primary producers
 Secondary production: refers to the energetic availability of the heterotrophic
organisms
 Plants provide the essential base for all ecological food webs
 Energy resources flowing through the ecosystem
are necessary to maintain all growth
and development activities.
 Early stage energy availability
is generally used for growth,
while later energy surplus is used
for maintenance or reproduction
Biofeochemical Cycles
Atomic composition for the first 5 elements
Biosphere
Hydrosphere
Atmosphere
Lithosphere
H
49%
H
65%
N
78%
O
62%
O
24%
O
33%
O
21%
Si
22%
C
24%
Cl
<0,4%
Ar
<1%
Al
6,5%
N
<0,1%
Na
<0,3%
C
<0,05%
H
3%
Ca
<0,1%
Mg
<0,05%
Ne
0,002%
Na
2,6%
Ecosystem Studies
 Experiments:
 microcosm
 mesocosm
Human Influence on Ecosystem
 Humans have changed ecosystems more rapidly and
extensively over the last 50 years than in any
comparable period of time in human history!!
 Four primary ecosystem services needed by humans:
 supporting
 provisioning
 regulating
 cultural
Summary
 Ecosystem ecology deals with:
 functioning at the system level of the ecological
community with its abiotic environment, primarily in
terms of the energy flow
 nutrient cycling.
 Research
in ecosystem
understanding of:
ecology
 processes
 functions necessary to sustain life
has
given
Questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
What is the difference between autecology and synecology?
What are the main ecosystem and related concepts?
How does energy flow in ecosystem begin?
Which elements have been the most employed in living
organisms?
5. Why do we use ecosystem ecology?
Answers
1. What is the difference between autecology and synecology?
Autecology is the ecological study of an individual organism and
populations and subecology is study of ecological study of relationship
among the organisms and populations – it’s a study of whole planet.
2. What are the main ecosystem and related concepts (4)?
The main ecosystems are: 1) biochore – landscape ecological,
2) ecosystem - antiholistic, 3) microcosm – biocoenosis concept,
4) bioinert body – biogeochemical.
3. How does energy flow in ecosystem begin?
It begins with the solar radiation by photosynthetic proccesses.
4. Which elements have been the most employed in living organisms?
H, C, O, N, P, Mg, K, Si.
5. Why do we use ecosystem ecology?
We use it for understanding of the processes and functions necessary to
sustain life.