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Plants and Fungi: Ecosystem Essentials Biology 2410 Utah State University Course Outline • Three weeks: Diversity – Plants – Fungi – Bryophytes • Fourth week: Human impact on ecosystems – Environmental impact study Diversity • Focus on seeing the diversity that exists • Use identification as a tool to – Induce close examination – Help understand role in ecosystem – Embed basic material deep into brain Housekeeping • 2 credits in 4 weeks • 20-25 hours per week expected; 12 in class, the remainder outside of class • Four small assignments, collection, report, midterm, final • Slides summarize – learn more • Grading – based on top score • Lots of work, but learning tangible Grading • Flower, leaf, fungus, bryophyte assignments 10 points each • Collection 20 points • Ecosystem report 20 points • Midterm 20 points • Final 30 points Collection and report • Collection – 20 specimens – Well documented – At least 3 fungi and 3 bryophytes • Report – On EIS exercise – Draft of first part – Complete report due in June 3. End of Housekeeping! Ecosystem A particular environment and the interacting biotic and non-biotic components of which it is composed. Note: Interacting – important part of concept. Particular environment? Desert, mangrove swamp, montane forest, agricultural field, town, whatever suits. A holistic view of an environment. Ecosystem Needs: Energy Flow • Most energy from sun – Some from earth’s core as heat • Photosynthesis converts sun’s light energy to chemical energy • Chemical energy transformed into – – – – Other forms of chemical energy Heat energy Kinetic (motion) energy Light energy Photosynthesizers • Plants – Oxygen as by-product • Algae – Oxygen as by-product • Bacteria – Methane, hydrogen sulfide as by-products • Manufacture sugars http://www2.ecology.su.se/dbbm/images/fucus.jpg Chemical energy converters • Rely on other organisms for previous energy capture via photosynthesis or use of earth’s heat energy (thermophilic bacteria) • Fungi • Animals • Bacteria • Archaebacteria Ecosystem Needs: Nutrient Cycling • Three major cycles – Carbon – Nitrogen – Water • Maintaining these cycles vitally important • Other cycles usually less important • What is impact of slowing down cycles? Ecosystem Structure • Physical – Location – Topography – Rock type • Biotic – Species present and their abundance and distribution Plants • • • • • Terrestrial, photosynthetic organisms Green – absorb all but green from visible light spectrum Capture light energy and convert it to chemical energy – sugars; oxygen as by-product Store energy as starch Cellulose cell walls Essential - most extant organisms require oxygen for metabolism Building Blocks Of Starch Plants: additional contributions • • • • • Food Soil stability Soil creation Protection Shade www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/ plants/plantae.html Plant Diversity • Green algae • Mosses • Liverworts • Ferns • Gymnosperms • Flowering plants Fungi – closer to animals than plants • Obtain nutrients via external digestion of complex carbon compounds • Not photosynthetic, not motile • Use glycogen as their primary form of energy storage • Have chitinous cell walls (see next slide) Glycogen Less linear than cellulose and has protein at center Chitin and Cellulose • Chitin – polymer of glucosamide • Cellulose – polymer of glucose Fungal Importance • Primary recyclers - break down complex compounds to simpler compounds that can be used by other organisms • Aid plants obtain nutrients by extending effective reach and breaking down compounds (mycorrhizae) The Fungi Rot Them All Fungi: additional contributions • • • • • Food Drink Disease Medicine Bioremediation
