Energy Flow Through an Ecosystem

1. Energy Flow Through an Ecosystem Food Chains, Food Webs, Energy Pyramids

2. Begins with the SUN • Photosynthesis

3. Photosynthesis • Chemical reaction where green plants use water & carbon dioxide to store the sun’s energy in glucose • ENERGY is stored in glucose • Glucose is stored as starch in plants

4. Organisms that can make glucose during photosynthesis are calledPRODUCERS.

5. Producers (AKA Autotrophs) use most of the energy they make for themselves.

6. Autotrophs may be Photoautotroph orChemoautotroph Niche of a Producer

7. Photoautotrophs- use Light energy (e.g. Plants) Chemoautotrophs- use chemical energy (e.g. cyanobacteria)

8. The energy that is not used by producers can be passed on to organisms that cannot make their own energy.

9. Organisms that cannot make their own energy are called CONSUMERS.

10. Consumers that eat producers to get energy: • Are first order (1st) or primary consumers • Are herbivores (plant-eaters)

11. Most of the energy the primary consumer gets from the producer is used by the consumer.

12. Some of the energy moves into the atmosphere as heat.

13. Some energy in the primary consumer is STORED& not lost to the atmosphere or used by the consumer itself.This energy is available for another consumer (predator).

14. A Consumer that Eats Another Consumer for Energy: • Is called a secondary or 2nd order consumer • May be a carnivore or a omnivore • May be a predator • May be a scavenger

15. Most of the energy the secondary consumer gets from the primary consumer is used by the secondary consumer.

16. Someof the energy is lost as heat, but some energy is stored and can passed on to another consumer.

17. A consumer that eats a consumer that already ate a consumer: • Is called a 3rd order or tertiary consumer • May be a carnivore or a omnivore • May be a predator • May be a scavenger

18. Consumers that eat producers & other consumers • Are called omnivores • Omnivores eat plants and animals

19. Consumers that hunt & kill other consumers are called predators.The animals that are hunted & killed are called prey.

20. Consumers that eat other dead consumers are called scavengers

21. Decomposers • Ex. Fungi & bacteria

22. The transfer of energy from the sun to producer to primary consumer then to higher order consumers can be shown in a FOOD CHAIN.ONLY 1 Direction!!

23. Food Chains Show Available Energy

24. Food Chain 3rd Order consumer 2nd Order Consumer 1st order Consumer 4th Order Consumer Producer(trapped sunlight & stored food)

25. Name the Producer, Consumers & Decomposers in this food chain:

26. More Food Chains

27. Trophic Levels • Each Level In A Food Chain or Food Web is a Trophic Level. • Producers • Always The First Trophic Level • How Energy Enters The System • Herbivores • Second Trophic Level • Carnivores/Omnivores • Make Up The Remaining Trophic Levels • Each level depends on the one below it for energy.

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

29. Energy Pyramids Show • Amount of available energy decreases for higher consumers (down the food chain or up the pyramid) • It takes a large number of producers to support a small number primary consumers & large number of primary consumers to support a small number of secondary consumers

30. Energy Pyramid

32. Food Webs: • Are interconnected food chains • They show the feeding relationships in an ecosystem • More realistic

33. How Many Chains are in this web?

34. Identify the Producers, Consumers, & Decomposers: Count the Food Chains!