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In ecology, trophic dynamics is the system of trophic levels (Greek trophē, food), which describe the position that an organism occupies in a food chain - what it eats, and what eats it. Ecology (from Greek grc οἶκος oikos, "house(hold" and grc -λογία -logia) is the scientific study of Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Food chains, also called food networks and/or trophic networks, describe the feeding relationships between species within an Ecosystem.

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Energy economy

An arctic food web. Each arrow represents a step-up in trophic level.
An arctic food web. The Arctic is the Region around the Earth 's North Pole, opposite the Antarctic region around the South Pole. Each arrow represents a step-up in trophic level.

Ecologists study the energy economies of natural systems. This is a list of ecologists, in alphabetical order by surname Energy economics is a broad scientific subject area which includes topics related to supply and use of Energy in societies. Foundation species (also known as primary producers) harvest an energy source such as sunlight and turn it into biomass. A foundation species is a dominant Primary producer in an ecosystem both in terms of abundance and influence Sunlight, in the broad sense is the total spectrum of the Electromagnetic radiation given off by the Sun. Biomass refers to living and recently dead Biological material that can be used as fuel or for industrial production This biomass is consumed by other organisms (primary consumers), which are in turn consumed by others. Each link in this chain of consumption is termed a trophic level. Because only a fraction of the energy used by organisms at each trophic level is converted to biomass, less energy is available at higher levels.

Most ecosystems ultimately rely upon the Sun for energy and upon photosynthetic organisms to harness that energy. An ecosystem is a natural unit consisting of all plants animals and micro-organisms( Biotic factors in an area functioning together with all of the non-living physical ( The Sun (Sol is the Star at the center of the Solar System. In Physics and other Sciences energy (from the Greek grc ἐνέργεια - Energeia, "activity operation" from grc ἐνεργός Photosynthesis is a Metabolic pathway that converts Light Energy into Chemical energy. There are only a few exceptions to this, such as chemosynthetic archaea which derive energy from the break down of sulfur rich compounds around deep sea hydrothermal vents and acid mine drainage. Chemosynthesis is the biological conversion of one or more carbon molecules (usually Carbon dioxide or Methane) and nutrients into organic matter using the Oxidation A hydrothermal vent is a Fissure in a planet's surface from which geothermally heated Water issues Acid mine drainage ( AMD) or acid rock drainage ( ARD) refers to the outflow of Acidic water from (usually abandoned Metal mines

In terrestrial ecosystems, plants such as grass are the primary producers and form the first trophic level. An ecoregion ( ecological region) sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area smaller than a "realm" or " Plants are living Organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Grass is the common word that generally describes Monocotyledonous green Plants The family Gramineae ( Poaceae) are the "true grasses" and include Next are herbivores (primary consumers) that eat the grass, such as rabbits. Herbivory is a form of Predation in which an Organism, known as a herbivore, consumes principally Autotrophs ref name=Campbell>Campbell Rabbits are small Mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world Next are carnivores (secondary consumers) that eat the rabbits, such as a bobcats. A carnivore (ˈkɑrnɪvɔər meaning 'meat eater' ( Latin carne meaning 'flesh' and vorare meaning 'to devour' is any animal with a diet consisting Rabbits are small Mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world The Bobcat ( Lynx rufus) is a North American Mammal of the cat family Felidae.

Every time there is an exchange of energy between one trophic level and another, there is quite a significant loss due to the fundamental laws of thermodynamics. In Physics, thermodynamics (from the Greek θερμη therme meaning " Heat " and δυναμις dynamis meaning " This means so many units of grass can only support a much smaller number of units of rabbits, who can only support a smaller group of bobcats, who can only support a smaller group of mountain lions. This is why trophic levels are usually portrayed as a pyramid, one that places grass on the bottom and mountain lions on top---the top is always much smaller than the bottom. An interesting face(or Trophic pyramid) is a graphical representation designed to show the Biomass or productivity at each Trophic level in a given Each level implies a loss of energy and efficiency and less life that can be supported by the sun.

There is no in principle limit to the number of levels in a trophic system, but as only a fraction of the energy of each level can be processed by the next, trophic systems with more than five levels of consumption are exceptional.

Components of ecosystems

Ecosystems have four basic components:

Producers (autotrophs) utilize energy from the sun and nutrients from the abiotic environment (carbon dioxide from the air or water, other nutrients from the soil or water) to perform photosynthesis and grow. An ecosystem is a natural unit consisting of all plants animals and micro-organisms( Biotic factors in an area functioning together with all of the non-living physical ( See also Primary production (economics Primary production is the production of Organic compounds from atmospheric or aquatic Carbon dioxide, An autotroph (from the Greek autos = self and trophe = nutrition is an Organism that produces complex Organic compounds from simple Carbon dioxide ( Chemical formula:) is a Chemical compound composed of two Oxygen Atoms covalently bonded to a single Photosynthesis is a Metabolic pathway that converts Light Energy into Chemical energy. Producers are generally green plants (those with chlorophyll). Chlorophyll is a green Pigment found in most Plants Algae and Cyanobacteria. See carbon cycle for more on carbon's role. The carbon cycle is the biogeochemical cycle by which carbon is exchanged among the Biosphere, Pedosphere, Geosphere, Hydrosphere, and

Consumers (heterotrophs) are organisms that feed on other organisms. A heterotrophs, or chemoorganotrophy ( Greek heterone = (another and trophe = nutrition is an Organism that requires

Decomposers and detritivores utilize energy from wastes or dead organisms, and so complete the cycle by returning nutrients to the soil or water, and carbon dioxide to the air and water. Decomposers (or Saprotrophs) are organisms that consume dead organisms and in doing so carry out the natural process of Decomposition. Detritivores, also known as detritus feeders or saprophages, are Heterotrophs that obtain Nutrients by consuming Detritus (decomposing WASTE is a Peer-to-peer and Friend-to-friend protocol and software application developed by Justin Frankel at Nullsoft in 2003 that features See water cycle for more on water's role. The Earth 's Water is always in movement and the water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle, describes the continuous movement of water on above

Biomass production

Primary production is generation of biomass through photosynthesis. Biomass refers to living and recently dead Biological material that can be used as fuel or for industrial production The highest producers of biomass are

Others include

while lowest producers are deserts and frozen areas (less than 200 g/m²/yr of biomass). Tropical rainforests are generally found near the Equator. They are common in Asia, Australia, Africa, South America, Central A swamp is a Wetland featuring temporary or permanent inundation of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water Algae ( sing. alga are a large and diverse group of simple typically Autotrophic organisms ranging from Unicellular to Multicellular forms Coral reefs are Aragonite structures produced by living organisms found in marine waters with little to no nutrients in the water An estuary is a semi-enclosed Coastal body of Water with one or more Rivers or Streams flowing into it and with a free connection to the open Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture A desert is a Landscape or region that receives very little precipitation. In physical Geography, tundra is an area where the Tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons

In the ocean, phytoplankton is usually the primary producer (the first level in the food chain or the first trophic level). Phytoplankton are the Autotrophic component of the Plankton community See also Primary production (economics Primary production is the production of Organic compounds from atmospheric or aquatic Carbon dioxide, Food chains, also called food networks and/or trophic networks, describe the feeding relationships between species within an Ecosystem. Phytoplankton converts inorganic carbon into protoplasm. Protoplasm is the living contents of a cell that are surrounded by a Plasma membrane.

Phytoplankton is consumed by microscopic animals called zooplankton (these are the second level in the food chain, and include larval animals (such as young fish, squid and crab/lobster - as well as adult crustaceans called copepods, and many other types). Zooplankton are the Heterotrophic (sometimes detritivorous) type of Plankton.

Zooplankton is consumed both by other, larger predatory zooplankters and by fish. (the third level in the food chain). Fish that eat zooplankton could constitute the fourth trophic level, while seals consuming the fish are the fifth. Alternatively, for example, whales may consume zooplankton directly - leading to an environment with one less trophic level.

Trophic levels are very similar on land, with plants being the first trophic level, cows eating the grass being the second, and humans eating the cows being the third.

(These examples are very simplified, but intended only as a brief description of an area which is extremely hard to scientifically quantify. )

The amount of biomass produced for a given amount of solar energy is highest at the first level. Less biomass is produced at the second level, for some energy is lost during the conversion. The more trophic levels there are, the more energy is lost.

Humans are generally primary and secondary consumers, and thus represent usually second and third trophic levels. Most humans are omnivores, which means they consume both plants and animals. Omnivores (from Latin omne all everything vorare to devour are species that eat both Plants and Animals as their primary When referring to omnivore from an ecological standpoint it means to consume from different trophic levels. Less energy is required to support vegetarian humans than omnivorous ones, for there is a significant energy loss during the conversion of grain and vegetables in animal matter. Vegetarianism is the practice of a diet that excludes Meat (including game and slaughter by-products Fish (including Shellfish and other sea This concept is generally represented using trophic pyramids. An interesting face(or Trophic pyramid) is a graphical representation designed to show the Biomass or productivity at each Trophic level in a given

Trophic levels and biodiversity

Each species in an ecosystem is affected by the other species in that ecosystem. In Biology, a species is one of the basic units of Biological classification and a Taxonomic rank. An ecosystem is a natural unit consisting of all plants animals and micro-organisms( Biotic factors in an area functioning together with all of the non-living physical ( There are very few single prey-single predator relationships. Most prey are consumed by more than one predator, and most predators have more than one prey. Their relationships are also influenced by other environmental factors. In most cases, if one species is removed from an ecosystem, other species will most likely be affected, in ways such as extinction.

Biodiversity (seen from the viewpoint of species diversity) is a major contributor to the stability of ecosystems. Biodiversity is the variation of Life forms within a given Ecosystem, Biome or for the entire Earth. When an organism can exploit a wide range of resources, a decrease in biodiversity is less likely to have an impact. However, for an organism which can only exploit a limited range of resources, a decrease in biodiversity is more likely to have a strong effect. David Tilman is an ecologist who has done a lot of work establishing the theoretical basis of this phenomenon. G David Tilman (formerly Titman born in 1949 in Aurora Illinois, is a prominent American Ecologist who earned his Ph

Reduction of habitat, hunting and fishing of some species to extinction or near extinction, and eradication of insects and pollution tend to tip the balance of biodiversity. In Biology and Ecology, extinction is the cessation of existence of a Species or group of taxa. Biodiversity is the variation of Life forms within a given Ecosystem, Biome or for the entire Earth. Similarly, in-situ conservation areas need to be carefully designed to maintain a diverse and stable environment for the threatened species to thrive. Conservation can be confused with Conversation and vice versa

For a systematic treatment of biodiversity within a trophic level, see unified neutral theory of biodiversity. The unified neutral theory of biodiversity and biogeography (here "Unified Theory" or "UNTB") is a theory and the title of a monograph by

Multitrophic interactions

Multitrophic interactions are those which involve more than two trophic levels in a food web. Food chains, also called food networks and/or trophic networks, describe the feeding relationships between species within an Ecosystem. [1][2] The term is most often applied to interactions among plants, herbivores and predators. Plants are living Organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Herbivory is a form of Predation in which an Organism, known as a herbivore, consumes principally Autotrophs ref name=Campbell>Campbell

One example of a multi-trophic interaction is a trophic cascade, in which predators benefit plants by suppressing herbivores. Trophic cascades occur when Predators in a Food chain suppress the abundance of their Prey, thereby releasing the next lower Trophic level from A simple way to show more than two trophic levels can be a pyramid, which shows the flow of energy throughout an ecosystem.

Simple names for plants in an ecosystem would be "Producer" as plants create their own food and glucose. Producers contain the most energy in an ecosystem. Every level in a food pyramid loses 90% of the energy consumed to create heat. The next level would be "Primary Consumers" which is the second trophic level. This level includes herbivores, such as mice and rabbits. The third level in an ecosystem is called "Secondary Consumers". These species can consume the two levels before it. The third level is the "Tertiary Consumers". Tertiary Consumers can eat all three levels below them. All of these levels are broken down by decomposers that return the nutrients back to the soil.

Notes

  1. ^ Price et al (1980) Interactions among three trophic levels: influence of plants on interactions between insect herbivores and natural enemies
  2. ^ Tscharntke, T. , Hawkins, B. , A. , (eds) (2002) Multitrophic Level Interactions, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

See also

This is a list of ecology topics. It relates to the Science of Ecology which is the study of the interactions between various Species and their Natural An Organism may be placed into one each of the three pairs of major nutritional groups based on their carbon energy and electron sources
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