Results:
During this lab, we finish watching the video “earth from space” and begin discussing the procedures that will be taking place at the COM field ecology laboratory. We learn about the experiments that will be conduct to study primary production, ecological succession and population dynamics in the lab. Discussion
A. What is primary production?
Primary production is the production of biomass from chemical energy (primarily sunlight) “during a given time of period in an ecosystem” (pg. 1235) it can be defined as “the synthesis and storage of organic molecules during the growth and reproduction of photosynthetic organisms.”(The flow of energy) B. Which living entities contribute to primary production?
All photosynthetic entities contribute …show more content…
The color we see in plants (green) is the color most reflected or transmitted by the pigment, chlorophyll a. (pg. 192) D. List three pigments that contribute to primary production. Indicate in which entities you find those pigments. There are three major pigments in chloroplast that contribute to the primary production: Chlorophyll a, Chlorophyll b and Carotenoids. (pg. 192)
● Chlorophyll a: Most abundant pigment in plants. Chlorophyll a absorbs light with wavelengths of 430nm (violet-blue) and 662nm (red). It reflects green light strongly so it appears green to us.
● Chlorophyll b: This molecule has a structure similar to that of chlorophyll a. It absorbs light at slightly different wavelengths in the red and blue parts of the spectrum, 453nm and 642 nm maximally. It is not as abundant as chlorophyll a and probably evolved later. It helps increase the range of light a plant can use for energy.
● Carotenoids: This is a class of accessory pigments that occur in all photosynthetic organisms. Carotenoids absorb light maximally between 460 nm and 550 nm and appear shades of red, orange, or yellow. E. What is the meaning of “climax” in …show more content…
When a community reach its climax, it meant that the community has maintain a relative constant composition of species diversity and composition. (pg. 1222) F. What is ecological succession?
Ecological succession is a series of progressive changes in the species that make up a community over time. There are two types of succession; primary and secondary succession. (pg. 1223)
In primary succession, newly exposed or newly formed rock is colonized by living things for the first time. In secondary succession, an area that was previously occupied by living things is disturbed, and then re-colonized following the disturbance. (Khan Academy) G. Is there agreement about the concept of ecosystem climax. Explain your answer
Climax communities undergo changes in structure because of birth, death and growth processes in the community. The debate among ecologist begins on what originates and controls their composition. There are three theories that try to explain this, the monoclimax theory, the polyclimax theory and the climax pattern
During this lab, we finish watching the video “earth from space” and begin discussing the procedures that will be taking place at the COM field ecology laboratory. We learn about the experiments that will be conduct to study primary production, ecological succession and population dynamics in the lab. Discussion
A. What is primary production?
Primary production is the production of biomass from chemical energy (primarily sunlight) “during a given time of period in an ecosystem” (pg. 1235) it can be defined as “the synthesis and storage of organic molecules during the growth and reproduction of photosynthetic organisms.”(The flow of energy) B. Which living entities contribute to primary production?
All photosynthetic entities contribute …show more content…
The color we see in plants (green) is the color most reflected or transmitted by the pigment, chlorophyll a. (pg. 192) D. List three pigments that contribute to primary production. Indicate in which entities you find those pigments. There are three major pigments in chloroplast that contribute to the primary production: Chlorophyll a, Chlorophyll b and Carotenoids. (pg. 192)
● Chlorophyll a: Most abundant pigment in plants. Chlorophyll a absorbs light with wavelengths of 430nm (violet-blue) and 662nm (red). It reflects green light strongly so it appears green to us.
● Chlorophyll b: This molecule has a structure similar to that of chlorophyll a. It absorbs light at slightly different wavelengths in the red and blue parts of the spectrum, 453nm and 642 nm maximally. It is not as abundant as chlorophyll a and probably evolved later. It helps increase the range of light a plant can use for energy.
● Carotenoids: This is a class of accessory pigments that occur in all photosynthetic organisms. Carotenoids absorb light maximally between 460 nm and 550 nm and appear shades of red, orange, or yellow. E. What is the meaning of “climax” in …show more content…
When a community reach its climax, it meant that the community has maintain a relative constant composition of species diversity and composition. (pg. 1222) F. What is ecological succession?
Ecological succession is a series of progressive changes in the species that make up a community over time. There are two types of succession; primary and secondary succession. (pg. 1223)
In primary succession, newly exposed or newly formed rock is colonized by living things for the first time. In secondary succession, an area that was previously occupied by living things is disturbed, and then re-colonized following the disturbance. (Khan Academy) G. Is there agreement about the concept of ecosystem climax. Explain your answer
Climax communities undergo changes in structure because of birth, death and growth processes in the community. The debate among ecologist begins on what originates and controls their composition. There are three theories that try to explain this, the monoclimax theory, the polyclimax theory and the climax pattern