Energy Flow Through an Ecosystem 1 Energy Flow

Energy Flow Through an Ecosystem 1

Energy Flow Starts with the Sun copyright cmassengale 2

Photosynthesis • Producers use the Sun’s energy to create food • Chemical reaction • Produces the sugar glucose • Equation for photosynthesis: Carbon Dioxide + Water + Sunlight Sugar + Oxygen 3

Organisms that can make glucose during photosynthesis are called PRODUCERS. 4

Producers use most of the energy they make for themselves. 5

Producers use cellular respiration to supply the energy they need to live. 6

CELLULAR RESPIRATION is the chemical reaction that releases the energy in glucose. Oxygen + Glucose Carbon Dioxide + Water + Energy 7

The energy that is not used by producers can be passed on to organisms that cannot make their own energy. 8

Organisms that cannot make their own energy are called CONSUMERS. 9

Consumers that eat producers to get energy: • Primary consumers • Herbivores (plant-eaters) 10

Only 10% of the energy available can be used by the next feeding level. 11

copyright cmassengale 12

Most of the energy is used by the organism to survive. copyright cmassengale 13

Some of the energy moves into the atmosphere as heat. 14

Some energy is STORED in the organism. This energy is available for another consumer (predator). 15

A Consumer that Eats Another Consumer for Energy: • Is called a secondary consumer • May be a carnivore or an omnivore • May be a predator • May be a scavenger or decomposer 16

A consumer that eats a consumer that already ate a consumer: • Is called tertiary consumer • May be a carnivore or an omnivore • May be a predator • May be a scavenger 17

Consumers that eat producers & other consumers Are called omnivores Omnivores eat plants and animals 18

Consumers that hunt & kill other consumers are called predators. The animals that are hunted & killed are called prey. 19

Consumers that eat other dead consumers are called scavengers 20

We already know Food Chains 21

Another way of showing the transfer of energy in an ecosystem is the ENERGY PYRAMID 22

Energy Pyramids Show • Amount of available energy decreases down the food chain • It takes a large number of producers to support a small number of primary consumers 23

Trophic Levels • Different feeding levels copyright cmassengale 24

Food Webs • Interconnected food chains • Show the feeding relationships in an ecosystem 25

How Many Chains are in this web? 26

Identify the Producers, Consumers, & Decomposers: Count the Food Chains! 27