Production and Life Textbook HW read p 214
Production and Life
Textbook HW read p 214 -221 Answer the following questions 1. Why is Detritus important ? 2. Explain Nutrient Regeneration? 3. How is primary production measured? 4. What types of bacteria perform nitrogen fixation? 5. What is a tertiary consumer?
Homework • The Oceans Primary Productivity • Study questions 1 -14 • Page 4 -13
Productivity Definitions
Primary Productivity • The rate of carbon fixation under a square meter of sea surface in a unit of time • Which means how much glucose is made in a set area during a set time.
What is Carbon Fixing Mean? ? ? Carbon is “fixed” (built into an organic molecule) through the process of photosynthesis Carbon is added to hydrogen and oxygen to produce C 6 H 12 O 6 aka_ glucose
Photosynthesis • Fixes carbon into glucose using the energy of sunlight • 6 CO 2 + 6 H 2 O + sunlight C 6 H 12 O 6 + 6 O 2
Chemosynthesis • Fixes carbon into glucose using energy from chemical compounds found at hydrothermal vents (especially hydrogen sulfide) • Base of food chain that doesn’t require sunlight
Respiration • The breakdown of glucose in the presence of oxygen to release Energy for life processes • C 6 H 12 O 6 + 6 O 2 6 CO 2 + 6 H 2 O + energy
• Gross primary productivity – total primary production (carbon fixed) • Net primary productivity – amount of primary production minus the amount used by respiration = amount available to support other trophic levels Trophic level ------ a feeding level
Biomass and Standing Crop • Biomass = the organic matter that is produced…Many times expressed as a weight • Standing crop = the total amount of plant biomass present in a given volume of water at a given instant • This helps us determine how much life can the area support –Remember Carrying Capacity?
Figure 14. 1
Figure 14. 4 Water column stability = less nutrients therefore less BIOMASS Note: Plenty of solar energy little nutrients – tropical location
How to measure primary productivity
Plankton Net • A fine mesh net used to collect samples of microscope Plankton Make a Plankton Net – 20 points
Plankton Net in Tow Plankton net is towed in water. Volume of water is calculated Plankton is collected in tube and is counted. How do they count it? Amount of plankton found in one ml or cc is compared with volume of water
Measure standing crop • 3 ways – Filtration of cells – plankton tow – Chlorophyll extraction – Chlorophyll fluorescence – satellite imagery • Drawbacks – Patchy distribution
Satellite Imagery One way to measure productivity Measures chlorophyll concentration per square meter of sea surface Only measures top meter of water Limited because blue light penetrates 100 m. That means ONLY 1% of possible water column production is measured
Production is highest off of the land masses …WHY?
What time of year is this in NY?
Compensation depth • Depth where the rate of respiration = the rate of photosynthesis • Net productivity will be ZERO
Figure 14. 8
Compensation depth decreases with phytoplankton growth More Production! Result = reservoir of nutrients below compensation depth
The area in the water column where production equals consumption 1. Biomass 2. Standing Crop 3. Compensation depth 4. Photosynthesis
The total amount of plant biomass present in a given volume of water at a given instant 1. Biomass 2. Standing Crop 3. Compensation Depth 4. Water Column Stability
More Productivity in the Nertic Zones is a result of 1. 2. 3. 4. Nutrient Runoff More Light Less Bacteria Less Light
At Compensation Depth Net Productivity will be 1. 2. 3. 4. 90% 1% 0
What percentage of water column productivity is measured in Satellite Imaging 1. 2. 3. 4. 100% 99% 1% 0%
Carbon fixing results in the production of 1. 2. 3. 4. Carbon Dioxide Methane Glucose Nitrates
Fastest Responders (in seconds) 3. 89 5. 09 6. 8 9. 93 Francesca Gonzales Jane Newman Shqiprie Dreshaj Jessica Colantuono 10. 25 Christian Caja
Factors that affect primary productivity • Light • Nutrient availability • Water column stability
Nutrients are brought by • Runoff (from land) OR • WITHIN THE WATER COLUMN THROUGH: • Upwelling (bottom water wells up as surface water moves away) • Overturn (denser sinks, less dense rises) • Mixing (wind stirs up water column)
How to access deep nutrient reservoir • Overturn – But strong winds may mix plankton too deep for photosynthesis • Upwelling – Ekman spiral – Divergence zones
Nutrient cycling returns nutrients to the food chain
Nutrients Nitrogen Amino acids Proteins Phosphate NRG molecules Phosphate Cell membrane Nucleic acids Tests – e. g. Silica dioxide diatoms Silica Iron Affects nutrient uptake Nitrate, nitrite, ammonia
Generalized cycle Available Nutrients Decomposition Producers Consumers
Nitrogen cycle (Again) Bacteria heavily involved Ammonia nitrite nitrate for use by producers N 2 fixed for use by producers
Phosphate Cycling
Nitrogen Cycling
Limiting Nutrient The nutrient that runs out first and will limit growth Usually Nitrogen “N” N and P occur in similar concentrations, but producers need more N In Our fish tanks no fish = no nitrates = no algae
Redfield Ratio The elemental composition of marine organic matter (dead and living) is fairly constant. The ratios of carbon to nitrogen to phosphorus remaines the same from coastal (Neritic) to open ocean (Oceanic) regions. C : N : P = 106 : 16: 1 Carbon: Nitrogen : Phosphorus (This is molar ratio. )
Nutrient Profile versus distance from shore nutrients more less shore open ocean
Nutrient Profile versus water depth Surface M nutrients
Eutrophication Excess nutrients (N and P) from fertilizers, sewage, etc. , cause bloom in producers. As nutrients are depleted, bloom dies all at once. Massive decomposition depletes oxygen fish kills
Alive, healthy and Diverse Dead- Algae covered
Productivity in the World
What controls productivity by latitude? • Polar – light limits – 6 months of light or darkness • Mid latitudes – light and nutrients limit as they vary over the year • Tropics/ subtropics – nutrients limit
Figure 14. 3 Peak points of both Nutrients and Solar energy = Peak Production
Figure 14. 2
Figure 14. 10
High latitudes (near poles) • Very productive in summer • Long day length in summer • Weak, constant sun plus fresh water layer at surface plankton held above compensation depth
Figure 14. 2
Middle latitudes • Spring sun plus overturn from winter/spring storms/winds plus slightly stratified water column spring bloom • Mid summer heat stratifies water column nutrient depletion • Autumn sun weakens, stratification weakens, late summer storms replenish euphotic zone with nutrients
Figure 14. 2
Mid Latitude Nutrient Light availability by season Stratification of water column in summer
Low Latitudes (tropics / subtropics) • Not very productive, except locally (productivity reef based>phytoplankton based • Consistent sun year round • Upwelling and overturn not very common, and very localized
Figure 14. 2
As you move from the Neritic to Oceanic Zones 1. Nutrients Increase 2. Nutrients decrease 3. Nutrients remain the same
The three elements in the Redfield ratio are 1. Carbon Hydrogen Oxygen 2. Carbon Hydrogen and Phosphorus 3. Carbon Nitrogen and Hydrogen 4. Carbon Nitrogen and Phosphorus
The nutrient which runs out first and will limit growth 1. 2. 3. 4. Growth Nutrient Running Nutrient Standard Nutrient Limiting Nutrient
The limiting Nutrient for most primary producers is 1. 2. 3. 4. Nitrogen Phosphorus Iron Carbon
Which is NOT a factor that would affect primary productivity 1. Light 2. Nutrients 3. Water Column Stability 4. Fish population
Which factor most limits Polar productivity 1. 2. 3. 4. Nutrients Light Water Column Stability Temperature
Which factor limits productivity in the tropic regions? 1. 2. 3. 4. Light Water Stability Nutrients Temperature
Fastest Responders (in seconds) 0 0 Participant 1 Participant 2 Participant 3 Participant 4 0 Participant 5
Marine Food Chain • A review of the food chain, food web and food pyramid • Review of flow of energy and related terms
Food chain terms • Autotroph – Photoautotroph- makes food using light – Chemotroph – makes food using chemical compounds • Heterotroph – gets energy from other organisms • Producer – makes its own food (Autotroph) • Consumer – consumes producers or other consumers • Herbivore- consumes plant matter • Carnivore – consumes meats
• Food chains and food webs show trophic (feeding) relationships between members of a community • Arrows show flow of energy Food or Prey Consumer
Food Chain
Food Web
More connections means more stability Very important reason to maintain biodiversity More food choices if one runs out the organism has others and a better chance to survive
Food Web
Figure 14 p. 385
Food Pyramid
Pyramid of Numbers
Pyramid of Biomass
• The amount of energy transferred at each step in a food chain averages about 10% less lost in very productive environments where little energy expended to get food
Figure 14. 13
- Slides: 83