Living Things Need Energy Energy u Sunlight is

Living Things Need Energy

Energy u Sunlight is the source of energy for almost all living things.

• Begins with the SUN as the source of energy for all living things • Photosynthesis occurs because of the sun 6 CO 2 + 6 H 2 O + sunlight & chlorophyll C 6 H 12 O 6 + 6 O 2

Producers u Organisms that use sunlight to make food

Consumers u Organisms that get energy from eating other organisms

Herbivore u Organisms that eats plants (gophers, grasshoppers) u PRIMARY CONSUMERS

Carnivore u Organisms that eat other animals (wolf, coyotes, owls)

Omnivore u u Organisms that eats both plants and animals (bears, humans) SECONDARY/TERTIARY CONSUMERS

Scavengers They eat dead things u Coyotes u Vultures u

Decomposers u Break down the remains of other organisms (recycles)

Consumer Levels u u u Primary Consumers (1 st level) – get their energy from plants HERBIVORES Secondary Consumers (2 nd level) – get their energy from other organisms – CARNIVORES/OMNIVORES Tertiary Consumers (3 rd level) – get their energy from other organisms – CARNIVORES/OMNIVORES/SCAVENGERS

Food Chain u. Shows the transfer of energy in one pathway

Food Web u Shows many energy pathways in an ecosystem

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

Energy Pyramid Interactive u Webpage

Energy pyramids show u Trophic level indicates an organism’s position in a food chain. u The number of consumers in a level will decrease as the trophic levels get higher because they have to eat more organisms to stay alive

Energy Not all energy is used by producers 10% of the energy stored can be passed on to organisms that cannot make their own food. 90% of the energy is used for everyday life processes (breathing, moving, digestion, etc…) Some energy is lost as heat.

Closer look at food webs u Food Web - Menu