2.2 Energy and biomass in ecosystemsIB Environmental Systems and Societies SL: Flashcards
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State the first law of thermodynamics.
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- State the first law of thermodynamics.
- Energy can be transformed from one form to another but cannot be created or destroyed.
- State the second law of thermodynamics.
- Energy transformations are inefficient; some energy is dispersed as heat.
- What energy change does photosynthesis carry out?
- Light energy to chemical energy in glucose.
- What happens to some of the energy released in respiration?
- It is transformed to heat.
- Who forms the first trophic level?
- Producers (autotrophs).
- Define gross productivity.
- The total gain in biomass by an organism.
- Define net productivity and write the equation.
- The biomass remaining after respiration losses: NP = GP − R.
- Why are food chains short?
- Energy and organic matter are lost at each trophic level, so too little remains to support more levels.
- How is the biomass of a trophic level measured?
- By collecting samples and drying them to find dry mass.
- What do ecological pyramids represent?
- Relative numbers, biomass or energy of trophic levels.
- Give three non-biodegradable pollutants.
- PCBs, DDT and mercury.
- Distinguish bioaccumulation from biomagnification.
- Bioaccumulation is build-up in one organism; biomagnification is the rise in concentration along trophic levels.
- How do microplastics affect pollutant transmission?
- They absorb non-biodegradable pollutants, increasing their transmission in the food chain.
- Name four human activities that alter energy and matter flows.
- Burning fossil fuels, deforestation, urbanisation and agriculture.
Written by the Exaim team, led by Shaun Daswani (Head of Upper Secondary, Improve ME Institute; MSc Financial Mathematics, Imperial College London; BSc, UCL) and Jason Daswani (operational lead, Improve ME Institute; LSE).