Activity 2.3 – Biosphere and Interconnections

Energy Map

Seen above is my energy concept map. I have the two types of energy measurements, the joule, and the calorie directly connected to energy. Raising the temperature of 1g of pure water by 1 degree Celsius takes 4.184 J or 1 Calorie (64). That connects the two measurements. Also connected to energy is the Law of Thermodynamics. Sunlight is connected to energy because it is a form of energy. The ecological energy budget gets the majority of its energy from the sun. Primary producers are the beginning of the ecological energy budget. Connected to primary producers are the two types, chemoautotrophs, that harness their energy from certain inorganic chemicals, and photoautotrophs, that capture solar radiation. Primary producers supply energy to heterotrophs through digestion. Connected to heterotrophs are the four different types. There are herbivores, that eat the primary producers (AKA plants), Carnivores, that eat the herbivores, Omnivores, that eat both primary producers, herbivores, and carnivores, and decomposers that feed on anything dead. Everything gets their energy from primary producers.

Biodiversity and The Organization of Life

Seen above is my biodiversity concept map. Biodiversity is the variety of life around the world. Connected to biodiversity is all the reasons it’s important. There is the utilitarian value, how humans use the plants, animals, and resources around us, ecological services, everything all the environments do for us, and the intrinsic value, how environments make us feel. Also connected to biodiversity is the classification of organisms. Organisms are classified hierarchy. There is the subspecies, species, genus, family, order, class, phylum, and kingdom. Attached to kingdom are the five groups. There is moneran, the simplest of single-celled microorganisms, Protists, a wide range of simple, eukaryotic organisms, Fungi, consisting of yeasts and fungi, Plantae, “photosynthetic organisms that manufacture their food by using the energy of sunlight” (126), and Animalia, multicellular organisms that are heterotrophs. Plantae are the primary producers shown in my energy concept map.

Biomes: Global Ecosystems

              Last, but not least, actually the most, is my large biome concept map. This one’s a doozy. Biomes are a “geographically extensive type of ecosystem”(133). There are three types of biomes. Let’s begin with terrestrial biomes, or biomes on land. Attached to terrestrial biomes I have it’s eleven types. There is the Tundra, the Boreal coniferous forest, the Montane forest, the Temperate deciduous forest, the Temperate rainforest, the Temperate grassland, the Chaparral, the Desert, the Tropical grassland, Semi-evergreen tropical forest, and the Evergreen tropical rainforest. Next, attached to biomes, are the freshwater biomes. There are three types of freshwater biomes. There’s the Lentic ecosystems, like lakes, Lotic ecosystems, like rivers, and the Wetlands, like “marsh, swamp, bog, and fen” (142). The last biome connected to the biome bubble are the Marine Biomes. Connected to Marine Biomes are pelagic ecosystems, continental shelf waters, regions with persistent upwelling, estuaries, seashores, and coral reefs. Connected to each and every type of biome is its characteristics, including some primary producers, and even some examples of the ecological energy budget for that area.

Works Cited

Freedman, Bill. Environmental Science: a Canadian Perspective. W. Ross MacDonald School Resource Services Library, 2012.