Matter, Energy and

Life in Ecosystem
Important Concept About
Matter And Energy
• The principles of conservation of matter and
thermodynamics provide a basis for understanding the
dynamic of matter and energy in living systems, from the
cellular to ecosystem le.vels
 Conservation of Matter
• Matter is used over and over again
• It is transformed and combined in different ways, but it doesn’t disappear.
• We use natural resources to produce an incredible amount of disposable
consumer goods.
• That matter cannot be created nor destroyed but can be transferred and
combine in different ways supports the principle that “Everything goes
somewhere”
 Thermodynamics and Energy Transfers
• Matter and energy are processed through the tropic levels of an ecosystem
via food chains and food webs.
• The relationships between producers and consumers in an ecosystem,
often depicted as pyramid.
• The principle of conservation of matter, thermodynamics and homeostasis
are demonstrated in the ways organisms interact in material cycles in the
ecosystem.
 Laws of Thermodynamics
• Heat is the transfer or flow of energy as a result of temperature difference.
• Work is the transfer of energy that is not due to a difference temperature.
• Both heat and work are important kinds of energy transfer in organisms
and the ecosystem.
 First Law of Thermodynamics
A principle of physics that recognizes that energy is conserved
Energy may be transferred into a system, and as a result there is a
change in energy within the system. It may be transformed or change from
one form to another.
 Second Law of Thermodynamics
A principle of physics that recognizes that with each successive
energy transfer or transformation, less energy is available for work.
This is an energy of “expenditure” the “cost” for doing work
 Homeostasis
• Refers to the dynamic balance in a living ecosystem.
• The dynamic balance is maintained by active and opposing adjustments
and compensation.
 Energy Flow Through Ecosystems
• The movement of energy through a living system, is essential to the
understanding of ecology .
• Beginning with the capture of sunlight by primary producers, energy
flows through food chains and food webs in a steady “one way stream”.
• As it flows energy is alternately stored and used to power the life
processes of animals through which it moves.
 Food Chains and Food Web
• Plants and animals are linked together by feeding relationships into food
chains and food webs. A primarily producer, a herbivore and a carnivore
form a simple chain.