Lecture 2

Ecological Concepts
MATTER & ENERGY
ZGE 4301 – Environmental Sciences
Department of Biological Sciences
 Composition of Matter
• Matter is anything that has mass and takes up
space, living or not
• Matter exists in two chemical forms: elements and
compounds
• Elements
• Fundamental units of matter
• 96% of the body is made from four elements
3
Atomic Structure
• Atoms
• Building blocks
of elements
• Nucleus
• Protons (p+)
• Neutrons (n0)
• Outside of nucleus
• Electrons (e-)
Identifying Elements
• Atomic number
• equal to the number of protons that the
atoms contain
• Atomic mass number
• sum of the protons and neutrons
 Electron
cloud
Nucleus
2e–

2 Protons
Mass
number = 4
2 Neutrons

2 Electrons
Loss of Nitrate Ions from a
Deforested Watershed
COMPOUNDS
• a substance consisting of two or more
different elements combined in a fixed ratio

9
Chemical Bonding
• Ionic bonds are attractions between ions of
opposite charge
• Covalent bond results when atoms share
outer-shell electrons
• Hydrogen bond - water molecules are
electrically attracted to oppositely charged
regions on neighboring molecules

10
 Transfer of
electron

Na Cl
Sodium atom Chlorine atom
 Transfer of –
electron +

Na Cl Na+ Cl–
Sodium atom Chlorine atom Sodium ion Chloride ion
Sodium chloride (NaCl)
13
Hydrogen bond
Inorganic compounds

15
 pH scale
0

1
Battery acid

(Higher concentration of H+)

2 Lemon juice, gastric juice

Increasingly ACIDIC
3 Grapefruit juice, soft drink,
vinegar, beer
Acidic solution
4 Tomato juice

5
Rain water
6 Human urine

Saliva
NEUTRAL
7 Pure water
[H+]=OH–]
Human blood,
tears
8
Seawater
Neutral solution
(Lower concentration of H+)

9
Increasingly BASIC

10

Milk of magnesia
11

Household ammonia
12

Household bleach
13

Oven cleaner
Basic solution 14
Acidic solution Neutral solution Basic solution
Organic Compounds

18
Carbohydrate

19
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates

Figure 2.12c
Lipids
• are water insoluble compounds that are
important in energy storage
• fats & waxes

24
 Proteins
• polymer built from various combinations of 20
amino acid monomers
Nucleic Acid
• made of monomers:
nucleotides

Base
pair
Law of Conservation of Matter

• we cannot create or destroy atoms

• whenever matter undergoes a physical or
chemical change, no atoms are created or
destroyed
• there is no “throw away”
Energy
• it is the capacity to do work or transfer heat
Energy comes in many forms
• Potential energy is stored energy
• water stored behind a dam and the chemical bonds in
gasoline
• Potential energy can be changed to kinetic
energy
• releasing water from behind a dam and burning
gasoline in a car
Fossil Fuels
Energy comes in many forms
• Solar energy is major source of renewable
energy.
• It provides about 99% of the energy that heats the
earth and provides us with food (through
photosynthesis by plants)
• Non-renewable fossil fuels provide the other
1% of the energy we use.
Energy changes are governed
by two scientific laws
• The first law of thermodynamics states
that when energy is converted from one
form to another in a physical or chemical
change, no energy is created or destroyed
Energy changes are governed
by two scientific laws
• The second law of thermodynamics states
that when energy is changed from one form
to another, energy quality is depleted.
ECOSYSTEM
Community + Abiotic environment, interacting
SYSTEM (feedback)
Nutrient Cycling
• an essential process in all ecosystems and
represents a direct link between primary
productivity and decomposition
HYDROLOGIC CYCLE
srh.noaa.gov
CARBON CYCLE
NITROGEN CYCLE
PHOSPHORUS CYCLE
faculty.southwest.tn.edu