WARM UP What are the 4 levels of

WARM UP What are the 4 levels of organization in Ecology?

ECOSYSTEMS: Energy Flow Food Chains www. swpc. noaa. gov/

Autotrophs • Means “self-feeder” • Organisms that obtain their energy from sunlight or chemical reactions • Two different processes to gain energy: – Photosynthesis – Chemosynthesis Phytoplankton bloom off Irish Coast http: //www. galway. net/galwayguide/pod/phytoplankton. small. jpg

Photosynthesis • Chemical reaction that transforms light energy into chemical energy. • Creates carbohydrates: sugars and starches. • Carbon Dioxide + Water → Glucose + Oxygen http: //www. physicalgeography. net/fundamentals/images/photosynthesis. jpg

Chemosynthesis • Chemical reaction that transforms one type of chemical energy into a usable chemical energy. • Many derive energy from sulfur-containing molecules. – Bacteria in hydro-thermal vent communities. • Unique because they do not derive energy from the sun. http: //aich. aiistudentwork. com/students/joshpierce/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/hydrothermal_vent. jpg

Hydrothermal Vents https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=BXGF 3 XS-y. AI

Primary Production • Autotrophic organisms are the base of all energy in ecosystems. • Called primary production: – Amount of chemical energy converted from solar energy through the process of photosynthesis – Measured by determining biomass • Biological mass = total dry weight of plant matter

Heterotrophs • Means “other feeder” • Organisms obtain their energy from the consumption of other organisms Heterotroph Diversity Images from Google Image Search

Primary Consumers – Heterotrophic organisms consume producers – Consume plants or algae – Known as herbivores or plant eaters – Come in all shapes and sizes Images from Google Image Search

Secondary Consumers • Carnivores- meat eaters • Omnivores— eat both producers and consumers (Humans, bears and dogs) • Detritivores (decomposers) – Eat dead organisms – Very important to ecosystem Images from Google Image Search )

The Energy Pyramid • Movement of energy through an ecosystem – Illustrated by the energy pyramid • Visual way energy moves through food chain • Each step called a trophic (feeding) level

Biomass Pyramid Trophic Level 4 th Carnivore 3 rd Carnivore 2 nd Herbivores 1 st Producers

The Energy Pyramid • First trophic level – Base of pyramid formed by producers • Second trophic level – Primary consumers who eat producers • Third trophic level – Secondary consumers who eat primary consumers • Fourth trophic level – Tertiary consumers who eat secondary consumers Images from Google Image Search

Energy Loss • Only about 10% of the energy available in an ecosystem is transferred from one trophic level to the next. • The rest of the energy is lost through heat and waste products (including nails, hair, horns, hooves, etc. ) http: //mrskingsbioweb. com/images/enpyr 1. gif