BIOL 1209 Chapter : Formal Writting 2
Document Summary
Many factors affect the population of an ecosystem. Abiotic (non-living) factors such as temperature and light available, as well as, biotic (living) factors such as animals and plants both affect ecosystems drastically and determine the overall population of organisms or community within the ecosystem. One major factor that affects communities is the availability and rate of gases and gas exchange. One of the most important gases to an organic community is oxygen. Autotrophs are the primary producers in an ecosystem. Photoautrophs harvest light, convert it into chemical energy through photosynthesis, and release oxygen as a bi-product. The net primary production (npp) is the energy produced by autotrophs in excess that is used by heterotrophs and autotrophs. Another method for determining autotrophic presence (and therefore the possible presence of heterotrophs) is chlorophyll analysis. It is used to harness energy from light to power photosynthesis.
