FOOD CHAINS WEBS Energy Flow in Ecosystems 1
FOOD CHAINS & WEBS
Energy Flow in Ecosystems 1. What provides the energy for the biological world?
THE SUN!
Energy Flow 2. How does the sun’s energy enter the biological world? Organisms called autotrophs can use the sun’s energy to make their own food through photosynthesis.
Energy Flow 3. What is photosynthesis? The process by which autotrophs convert the sun’s energy into organic material.
Energy Flow 4. How does energy flow from plant to other organisms? • The sun’s energy flows into organisms that can change the sunlight into food then into organisms that eat them. This flow is: sunlight producer consumer 1 consumer 2
Word to Know r e uc e r o v i n r a c d p o o c t r on p sum er omnivore b r e h e r o v i detritivore car nivo r e o c e d r e s o mp
PRODUCERS What are producers? • Autotrophs that trap solar energy into organic molecules during photosynthesis; can produce their own food • Ex. Plants, algae and some bacteria `` sunlight producer consumer 1 consumer 2
CONSUMERS What are consumers? • Heterotrophs that eat other organisms to obtain energy • Examples: deer, rabbits, cows, mice, lions, humans, hawks, snakes sunlight producer consumer 1 consumer 2
HERBIVORES What are herbivores? • Organisms that eat plants • Primary Consumers • Ex. Cows, caterpillars, bunnies sunlight producer consumer 1 consumer 2
CARNIVORES What are carnivores? • Organisms that eat meat (other animals/consumers) • Secondary Consumers • Ex. tigers, wolves, snakes, hawks sunlight producer consumer 1 consumer 2
TOP CARNIVORES What is a top-level carnivore? • Top-level carnivores eat secondary consumers; usually nothing feeds on them • Ex. killer whale eating a sea lion or hawk eating a snake. consumer 3 sunlight producer consumer 1 consumer 2
OMNIVORES What are omnivores? • Consumers that eat both plants and animals • Primary and Secondary Consumers • Ex. bears and humans
Where do all the dead things go? • They are eaten. YUMMMM! i r t e d o v ti re • They decay. SMELLY! dec om pos er
Detritivore vs Decomposers • Detritivores and decomposers both feed on the remains of dead plants and animals and other dead matter (detritus) • They rely on dead tissues for nutrients. detritivore decomposer
Detritivore vs Decomposers • Detritivores eat the remains of dead plants and animals Crabs, mites, earthworms, snails • Decomposers breakdown (decay) organic matter and feed on it Bacteria & fungi
Detritivore vs Decomposers What is a scavenger? • A scavengers is a type of detritivore that feeds on dead animal remains. Ex. vultures, sharks, maggots, hyenas
Detritivore vs Decomposers 13. Why would they be called the environmental “recyclers”? • They decompose excrement, dead bodies and leaf litter, returning nutrients to the physical environment. decomposer sunlight producer consumer 1 consumer 3 consumer 2
Energy Flow 14. The series of steps in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten is called a Food Chain sunlight producer consumer 1 consumer 2
Food Chains & Food Webs 15. The steps in the transfer of energy from organism to organism in feeding relationships are called Trophic Levels. 16. How does a food chain describe this path of energy? (arrows) producer consumer 1 consumer 2 consumer 3
Food Chains & Food Webs • Name the number of the trophic levels in the food chain below. • How do the trophic level numbers correspond with the “eating terms”? producer Trophic Level 1 consumer 1 2 consumer 3 3 4
Food Chains & Food Webs 17. Why is it that some energy is lost from one level to the next level? • Some energy is lost as heat energy or in metabolism (daily life activities). producer consumer 1 consumer 2 consumer 3
Food Chains & Food Webs 18. How much energy is actually passed on to the next level? (rule of thumb) • 10% producer consumer 1 consumer 2 consumer 3
Food Chains & Food Webs • What vital “recycler” is not shown in this food chain? • Upon which organism(s) would it feed? decomposer producer consumer 1 consumer 2 consumer 3
Food Chains & Food Webs 19. If all of the snakes in this chain died, what would happen to the hawk? • They would die or have to find a new food supply decomposer producer consumer 1 consumer 2 consumer 3
Food Chains & Food Webs 20. To the decomposers? • They would not be severely affected as they have a multiple food source. decomposer producer consumer 1 consumer 2 consumer 3
Food Chains & Food Webs 21. Most organisms feed on more than one trophic level and feed on several different species at each trophic level. This is a food web.
Antarctic Food Web
Making a Food Web • Use these organisms for Food Chains and Food Web Practice worksheet.
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