ECOSYSTEMS FOOD CHAINS AND WEBS ENERGY FLOW IN
ECOSYSTEMS FOOD CHAINS AND WEBS
ENERGY FLOW IN ECOSYSTEMS • The greatest amount of energy is in the bottom level- or the producers • Producers are photosynthetic
Biomass • Total mass of organisms in a given area • Producers make up the most biomass of any trophic level – Ex. Plants, phytoplankton, seaweed
PRODUCERS • Photosynthetic • Contain most of the energy in a food web • Autotrophic-make their own food
PRIMARY CONSUMERS • • Eat producers Herbivores-eat plants only Heterotrophic-get energy from food source Often prey animals-hunted by predators
SECONDARY CONSUMER • Often eats primary consumer and producer • Omnivore- eats meat (insects are meat) and plants • Heterotrophic • Could also be a small carnivore
TERTIARY CONSUMER • • Can be top of the food chain Carnivore- eats meat only Predator- hunts prey Has no natural predators
SCAVENGERS • Eat animals that are already dead. • Do not usually hunt prey.
DECOMPOSERS • Eat dead and decaying plant and animal matter and waste. • Examples: Bacteria and Fungi
DETRITIVORE • Eats only dead matter, particularly dead plant matter – Ex. : Earthworms
PREDATOR • Organism that actively hunts prey. • In the animal Kingdom, predators often have eyes on the front of their heads for better visual acuity.
PREY • Organisms that are hunted by predators. • In the animal kingdom, prey animals often have eyes on the sides of their heads for better peripheral vision.
SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIPS • Long-standing relationships between organisms in an ecosystem
MUTUALISM • Relationship where both organisms benefit
COMMENSALISM • Relationship where one organism benefits, and the other is unaffected.
PARASITISM • Relationship where one organism benefits and the other is harmed. • Examples: mosquitoes, ticks, tapeworms
FOOD CHAIN • Interconnection of organisms where the transfer of energy is shown by arrows
FOOD WEBS Interconnected organisms in an ecosystem. The arrow is always pointing to the thing doing the eating!
Energy Transfer and Energy Loss • Only 10% of available energy is transferred to the next trophic level – 90% lost as heat – Most biomass is in producer level – Any ecosystem can only support a small number of predators
VOCABULARY • • • Producer Primary consumer Secondary consumer Tertiary consumer Herbivore Carnivore Omnivore Autotroph Heterotroph Symbiosis Trophic level Mutualism Commensalism Parasitism Predator Prey Scavenger Decomposer Biomass Food chain Food web Detritivore
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