Trophic Levels Energy transfer and Pyramids Producers Sunlight

Trophic Levels, Energy transfer and Pyramids

Producers • Sunlight is the main energy source for life on earth • Also called autotrophs • Use light or chemical energy to make food 1. Plants 2. plant-like protists (algae) 3. Bacteria

Consumers • Organisms that rely on other organisms for their energy and food supply • Also called heterotrophs

Trophic Levels – is the position an organism occupies in a food chain. It refers to food or feeding.

Trophic Levels (feeding levels) 3 2 1

Food Chain

Food Web Food webs are multiple food chains.

Food Webs Food webs show ALTERNATIVE PATHWAYS other possible pathways through which an organism can obtain energy

Food webs

Energy Level Grass Mouse Grasshopper Frog Owl Hawk Producer, primary consumer, secondary consumer, tertiary consumer? 1 st producer 2 nd Primary consumer

Energy Level Producer, primary consumer, secondary consumer, tertiary consumer Producer Grass 1 st Mouse 2 nd Primary consumer Grasshopper 2 nd Primary consumer Frog 3 rd Secondary consumer Owl 3 rd and 4 th Hawk 3 rd Secondary and tertiary consumer Secondary consumer

Transfer of Energy lost from chain “link” to “link” is significant! Each level above only gets 10% of the energy from below

Energy lost from one trophic level (energy level) to the next level can be represented by a pyramid 4⁰ CONSUMERS 3 CONSUMERS 2 CONSUMERS 1 CONSUMERS PRODUCERS

ENERGY PYRAMID 1 J 100 J 1, 000 J 10, 000 J

Ecological Pyramid • • Which level has has the the most energy? most organisms? least energy?