Outline

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Outline

• Energy flow versus chemical cycles
• Carbon
• Nitrogen
• Phosphorous
• Water
• Ecosystem services

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Energy flow through ecosystems

• Only 5 of the solar energy that arrives on earth
  is captured by photosynthesis.
• The energy captured powers life.

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Trophic levels
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• Energy flow
• versus
• Biogeochemical cycles

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A generalized biogeochemical cycle
Consumers
Producers
Decomposers
Abiotic reservoir
Geological processes
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Picture of green plants
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Carbon cycle

• Carbon is the currency for energy flow!

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Carbon cycle

• Carbon is the currency for energy flow!
• Carbon cycles through the atmosphere, organisms,
  soils, and oceans
• (and rocks at very long time scales)

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Carbon cycle

• Carbon is the conduit for energy flow!
• Carbon cycles through the atmosphere, organisms,
  soils, and oceans
• (and rocks at very long time scales)
• Gaseous, mineral, organic

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Carbon cycle
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Ecosystem carbon balance

• C in ? storage C out

C in gt ? storage C out accumulating C
C in ? storage C out balanced C
C in lt ? storage C out loosing C
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Carbon stocks

• Sedimentary rocks gt deep oceans gt atmosphere
• Only a small amount in organisms and soils!

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Picture of forest canopy
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Nitrogen cycle

• N cycles through the atmosphere, organisms, soils
  and sediments

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Nitrogen cycle

• N cycles through the atmosphere, organisms, soils
  and sediments
• Organically bound N is one of the main
  constituents of organisms
• enzymes for photosynthesis, metabolism
• proteins
• building blocks of DNA...

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Nitrogen cycle

• N cycles through the atmosphere, organisms, soils
  and sediments
• Organically bound N is one of the main
  constituents of organisms
• enzymes for photosynthesis, metabolism
• proteins
• building blocks of DNA...
• Gaseous, mineral, organic

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Nitrogen cycle

• Although N2 gas makes up 72 of the atmosphere,
  few organisms can use it.
• N is the element that is most likely to limit
  plant growth

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Nitrogen cycle

• N enters system through biological fixation

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Picture of N accumulation over primary succession
Nitrogen accumulates over primary succession
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Nitrogen cycle

• N enters system through biological fixation
• If organisms can fix N, why dont they take over
  and fix enough N so that it is no longer limiting
  to plant growth?

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Why is N in short supply?

• Only a few types of organisms can do it

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Why is N in short supply?

• Only a few types of organisms can do it
• Energetically expensive to fix N

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Why is N in short supply?

• Only a few types of organisms can do it
• Energetically expensive to fix N
• Chemically expensive to fix N

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Why is N in short supply?

• Only a few types of organisms can do it
• Energetically expensive to fix N
• Chemically expensive to fix N
• N can be lost from the system
• Leaching
• Fire
• Erosion

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Picture of ocean water
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Hydrological cycle

• Water cycles through the oceans, fresh waters,
  atmosphere, and land

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Hydrological cycle

• Water cycles through the oceans, fresh
• waters, atmosphere, and land
• Gaseous phase and liquid phase

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Hydrological cycle

• Evaporation liquid to gas
• Transpiration plant transport of water from the
  soil to the atmosphere
• Precipitation gas to liquid

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Water inputs to ecosystems

• Precipitation
• THE major water input to ecosystems
• Groundwater (in some ecosystems)
• Fog deposition (in some ecosystems)

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Water balance in ecosystems

• Inputs storage outputs

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Water balance in ecosystems

• Soil is like a bucket

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Water balance in ecosystems

• Soil is like a bucket
• Inputs
• Mainly precipitation

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Water balance in ecosystems

• Soil is like a bucket
• Inputs
• Mainly precipitation
• Storage
• Plants, soil and water bodies

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Water balance in ecosystems

• Soil is like a bucket
• Inputs
• Mainly precipitation
• Storage
• Plants, soil and water bodies
• Outputs
• Evaporation
• Transpiration
• Drainage

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Hydrological cycle

• Over oceans, evaporation gtgt precipitation
• On land, evaporation ltlt precipitation and
  transpiration
• Lakes, rivers, streams, groundwater

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Ecosystem services

• Processes by which the environment produces
  fundamental life-support services enjoyed by
  humans

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Ecosystem services

• Purification of air and water

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Ecosystem services

• Purification of air and water
• Detoxification and decomposition of wastes

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Ecosystem services

• Purification of air and water
• Detoxification and decomposition of wastes
• Regulation of climate

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Ecosystem services

• Purification of air and water
• Detoxification and decomposition of wastes
• Regulation of climate
• Regeneration of soil fertility

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Ecosystem services

• Purification of air and water
• Detoxification and decomposition of wastes
• Regulation of climate
• Regeneration of soil fertility
• Production and maintenance of biodiversity

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Ecosystem services

• Key ingredients of our agricultural,
  pharmaceutical, and industrial enterprises

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Ecosystem services

• We know that they are
• Essential to civilization

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Ecosystem services

• We know that they are
• Essential to civilization
• So complex that they cant be replaced by
  technology (???)

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Picture of biological machines
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Ecosystem services

• We know that they are
• Essential to civilization
• So complex that they cant be replaced by
  technology (???)
• Impaired by human activities

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Ecosystem services

• We know that they are
• Essential to civilization
• So complex that they cant be replaced by
  technology (???)
• Impaired by human activities
• Altered at an unprecedented rate

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What are ecosystem services worth?
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What are ecosystem services worth?

• Examples
• 1993 floods on the Mississippi due to land use
  change cost 12 billion.

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What are ecosystem services worth?

• Examples
• 1993 floods on the Mississippi due to land use
  change cost 12 billion.
• Top 118 prescription drugs in the US are from
  natural sources (US 40 billion/year).

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What are ecosystem services worth?

• Examples
• 1993 floods on the Mississippi due to land use
  change cost 12 billion.
• Top 118 prescription drugs in the US are from
  natural sources (US 40 billion/year).
• 1/3 of human food comes from plants pollinators
  (US 4-6 billion/year).

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Valuing ecosystem services
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Valuing ecosystem services

• NYC water quality decreases due to
• Suburban sprawl
• Bad septic systems
• Loss of forested areas

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Valuing ecosystem services

• NYC water quality decreases due to
• Suburban sprawl
• Bad septic systems
• Loss of forested areas
• Estimated cost of 6-8 billion for new treatment
  plant

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Valuing ecosystem services

• NYC water quality decreases due to
• Suburban sprawl
• Bad septic systems
• Loss of forested areas
• Estimated cost of 6-8 billion for new treatment
  plant
• Estimated cost of 6 million for conservation and
  restoration of ecosystem services

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How much would you pay?

• Clean drinking water

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How much would you pay?

• Clean drinking water
• Pollination of crops
• Climate stability
• Ozone protection from UV
• Biodiversity
• Aesthetic beauty and intellectual stimulation