Energy Flow Through Ecosystems Goal Trace energy flow

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Energy Flow Through Ecosystems Goal: Trace energy flow from the sun through living things.

Energy Flow Through Ecosystems Goal: Trace energy flow from the sun through living things.

Ecosystem and Energy Roles n n Ecosystem: all living & non-living things that interact

Ecosystem and Energy Roles n n Ecosystem: all living & non-living things that interact in an environment Energy Role in an Ecosystem q Determined by: n n How it obtains energy How it interacts with other living organisms in its ecosystem

Trace energy flow from the sun through living things…. n n The sun: provides

Trace energy flow from the sun through living things…. n n The sun: provides energy Producers: harness energy from the sun q n Consumers: organisms that eat something else q n ex. plants ex. animals Decomposers: return energy to the environment q ex. fungus, bacteria

Producers n n Plants harness energy from the sun through photosynthesis They are the

Producers n n Plants harness energy from the sun through photosynthesis They are the base of every food chain q Source of food for all other animals

Consumers n 4 Types q Herbivore: eats only plants n q Carnivore: eats only

Consumers n 4 Types q Herbivore: eats only plants n q Carnivore: eats only meat n q Ex. Polar bear Onmivore: eats plants and animals n q Ex. Cows, horses Ex. Humans, grizzly bears Scavenger: carnivore that feeds on bodies of dead organisms n Ex. Vultures

Decomposer n Decomposers break down wastes and dead organisms and return the raw materials

Decomposer n Decomposers break down wastes and dead organisms and return the raw materials to the environment q Ex. Bacteria, fungi

Energy flow through biological systems

Energy flow through biological systems

Food Chains n Food Chain: series of events in which one organism eats another

Food Chains n Food Chain: series of events in which one organism eats another and obtains energy

Food Chains Continued n n n Arrows always points in the direction of energy

Food Chains Continued n n n Arrows always points in the direction of energy flow 1 st organism is always the producer 2 nd organism is the consumer that eats the producer q n 3 rd organism is the consumer that eats the 1 st level consumer q n Primary consumer Secondary consumer And so on…. .

Energy Pyramid n energy is not transferred from one object/organism to the next with

Energy Pyramid n energy is not transferred from one object/organism to the next with 100% efficiency q n Some of the energy is lost to the environment (or universe) as heat or light Energy Pyramid shows the amounts of energy that moves from one level to the next

Sample Energy Pyramid

Sample Energy Pyramid

Energy Transfer “Rule of 10”. n n Only about 10% of energy is transferred

Energy Transfer “Rule of 10”. n n Only about 10% of energy is transferred from one level to the next The other 90% is used by the organism to carry out its life processes or it is lost to the environment