Energy Flow in Ecosystems All energy on Earth

• All energy on Earth depends on the Sun. Organisms capable of using

• Producers make their own food; they are autotrophs. • They do this

Photosynthesis needs: • Sunlight • Water • Carbon Dioxide And, inside plant cells: •

• Producers support the animals that can’t make their own food – heterotrophs.

• These 1 o Consumers are the food source for other heterotrophs, the

• There are some consumers which are only predators, and never prey. •

• Whether an organism is a producer or consumer is part of defining

• If we link organisms by the rank of their Trophic Level, we

• If we link several Food Chains, we get a Food Web:

• Food webs include specialist consumers, such as: • Decomposers • Scavengers •

• With every step in a food chain, some energy is lost. •

• In any ecosystem, many producers support only a few top consumers.

• Bioaccumulation or Biomagnification is a problem in ecosystems because of energy flow.

Bioaccumulation: Bald Eagle & Peregrine Falcon

Slides: 23

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Energy Flow in Ecosystems

• All energy on Earth depends on the Sun. Organisms capable of using the sun’s energy directly are called Producers. Plants & Algae are Producers.

• Producers make their own food; they are autotrophs. • They do this through Photosynthesis: Water + Carbon Dioxide Glucose + Oxygen

Photosynthesis needs: • Sunlight • Water • Carbon Dioxide And, inside plant cells: • Chlorophyll • Chloroplasts

• Producers support the animals that can’t make their own food – heterotrophs. • These are the Consumers • Animals that eat the producers are Primary 1 o Consumers.

1 o Consumers = Herbivores

• These 1 o Consumers are the food source for other heterotrophs, the Secondary 2 o Consumers. • In turn, they support the next level, the Tertiary 3 o Consumer. • These organisms can be carnivores or omnivores.

Carnivore or Omnivore?

• There are some consumers which are only predators, and never prey. • These are the Top Consumers, and they are usually strict carnivores, although some are omnivores.

Top Consumers

• Whether an organism is a producer or consumer is part of defining its Trophic Level. • Trophic Levels are categories of organisms based on how they get their energy.

• If we link organisms by the rank of their Trophic Level, we get a Food Chain:

• If we link several Food Chains, we get a Food Web:

• Food webs include specialist consumers, such as: • Decomposers • Scavengers • Symbionts

• With every step in a food chain, some energy is lost. • This is often as body heat, so in a way, it’s not ‘lost’… it’s helpful • But that energy can’t provide nutrition to others, so that way, it’s ‘lost’ • Food Pyramids illustrate this

• Food Pyramids

• Food Pyramids measure T. E.

• In any ecosystem, many producers support only a few top consumers.

• Bioaccumulation or Biomagnification is a problem in ecosystems because of energy flow. • Lower level consumers get amounts of a pollutant that is not toxic, but top consumers get very toxic effects.

Bioaccumulation: Arctic Food Chain

Bioaccumulation: Great Lakes Food Chain

Bioaccumulation: Bald Eagle & Peregrine Falcon