Energy and the water cycle

Here are a few resources to help you review some of the Ecosystems concepts covered in this section.

Ecosystem Cycling

• Energy Flow Through Ecosystems & Primary Productivity 

• Regulation of Ecosystem Functions, Limiting resources

   

Energy flow dynamics in different systems
Example (below): General patterns of energy flow for a) forest, b) grassland, c) plankton community at sea, d) community of a stream or small pond.  Relative sizes of boxes and arrows are proportional to the relative magnitude of pools  and flows.  The decomposer system is responsible for much of the secondary production, hence the large/wide respiration arrows indicated in Fig. 11.7.  
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DOM, dead organic matter; LCS, Live consumer system; NPP, Net Primary Productivity 
(Figure 11.7, Ch. 11, Essentials of Ecology by Townsend et al.)

DOM, dead organic matter; NPP, Net Primary Productivity; 

Boxplot: 25% CI, median, 75% CI (Figure 11.8, Ch. 11, 

Essentials of Ecology by Townsend et al.)

The adjacent boxplot figure expands upon Figure 11.7, illustrating the percent of NPP consumed by herbivores in a given system compared to the percent of NPP that becomes DOM.

Water Cycle

 
Hydrologic Cycle by Vision Learning - informative cite with interactive practice QUIZ questions!

The USGS water cycle diagram (right)  can use to quiz yourself. You may check your answers here.

Neat water-related links

• Water and human health:     Water pollution,  Water-related diseases, and Water conservation policies.  
• Case study: Chesapeake Bay watershed maps.
• Groundwater flow, discharge, & infiltration  
• Follow a drop through the water cycle

 TED-Ed video "Where we get our fresh water" By C.Z. Peppard.   

Factors Affecting Global Climate

This article by Stevens (2012) gives a good summary of the major drivers affect global climate patters.

(Scitable, 2012)