FOOD CHAINS AND FOOD WEBS Interactions are the

FOOD CHAINS AND FOOD WEBS

Interactions are the relationships that organisms have within an ecosystem. These relationships are usually defined by the organism’s niche. These interactions form food chains and food webs. Niche- an organism’s job within an ecosystem

Words to Know Producer – an organism that makes it’s own food. *Plants are producers. Consumers – an organism that has to eat to get energy. Consumers include herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, and scavengers. a k n i th ? u o y er is o d at veng h W sca

Types of Consumers herbivore – an organism that only eats plants carnivore - an organism that only eats meat omnivore – an organism that eats both meat & plants

Decomposers • Break down (digest) dead plants and animals • Bacteria and fungi are two examples • Decomposers reduce dead organisms to simpler forms of matter • Returns them to the soil

What are food chains and food webs? The movement of energy through ecosystems is shown in diagrams called food chains and food webs.

Food Chain • Shows how each living thing gets food. Organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten. • Food chains begin with sun energy moving to a producer, but sometimes the sun is not shown in food chain diagrams. • Arrows show the flow of energy from one organism to another and go in one direction.

Build a Food Chain Click on the links below to build a food chain: Build a food chain activity. Another food chain activity. Food Chain Game

Food Web • A collection of interconnected or overlapping food chains from the same ecosystem • Arrows show the flow of energy from one organism to another. This flow of energy branches out in many directions • Webs contain multiple consumers and producers.

Build a Food Web Click on the links below to build a food web: Food Web Build an Aquatic Food Web Build a Food Web Fun with Food Webs

Energy Pyramid • Shows the amounts of energy available at each trophic (nutritional) level of an ecosystem • Producers are at the base – consumers make up the other levels. • The higher in the pyramid, the less energy available Secondary Consumer Primary Consumer

Find Out More About Energy Pyramids Click on the button below to learn more: Energy Pyramid

Quiz 1. A lion is a _____ because it eats only meat. carnivore herbivore omnivore

2. A _____ is a producer. cheetah plant grasshopper

3. True or False. A food web can have multiple consumers and producers. TRUE FALSE

4. Which animal would fit in the blank of this food chain? ? ? hawk zebra mouse butterfly

5. The plant gets its energy from the _______. roots stem sun flowers

CORRECT!! Back to question

TRY AGAIN! Back to question