Plants and Fungi: Ecosystem Essentials Biology 2410 Utah State University.

Plants and Fungi: Plants and Fungi: Ecosystem EssentialsEcosystem 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

PlantsTerrestrial, 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 BlocksOf 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 hasprotein 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