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Understanding Energy Flow in Ecosystems: Food Chains & Webs

Learn about the roles of producers, consumers, and decomposers in ecosystems. Explore food chains, food webs, and energy pyramids to understand how energy moves through different organisms in nature. Discover how energy is transferred and lost in these systems, and the importance of each role in maintaining balance in the environment.

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Understanding Energy Flow in Ecosystems: Food Chains & Webs

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  1. Energy Flow in Ecosystems Food Chains & Food Webs

  2. 3 Roles • Producer – Makes its own food • usually plants or one-celled organisms • Algae • Phytoplankton, tiny organisms that live in the ocean • Some types of bacteria • Consumer – Obtains energy from eating other organism • Omnivore, herbivore, carnivore, scavenger • Decomposer – Break down wastes and dead organisms and return the raw materials to the environment • fungi and bacteria

  3. Organisms that make their own food are producers.

  4. Organisms that depend on others for food are consumers. • Herbivores - plant eaters

  5. Carnivores - meat eaters

  6. Omnivores - plant and meat eaters

  7. Scavengers - feed off dead organisms

  8. Organisms that break down wastes and dead organisms & return the raw materials to the environment are decomposers.

  9. Decomposer

  10. Food Chain • A series of events in which 1 organism eats another and obtains energy • Shows 1 possible path along which energy can move

  11. Food Chain • Arrows point in the direction of the organism that is eating the other. It means “Is eaten by” • http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/Homework/fooodchains.htm • Arrows also show the direction of energy flow.

  12. Food Chain • 1st organism always a producer • 2nd organism is a primary consumer that eats the producer – 1st level consumer (primary consumer) • 2nd level (secondary) consumer eats the 1st level consumer • 3rd level consumer (tertiary) feed on secondary consumers

  13. Food Chain • Position in the food chain is related to size. • Larger organisms are normally further up the food chain than smaller organisms

  14. Food Web • A more realistic way to show energy flow in an ecosystem • Shows many overlapping food chainsin an ecosystem

  15. Energy Pyramid • A diagram that shows the amount of energy that moves from 1 feeding level to another in a food web • At each level Energy is lost • Only about 10% of the energy in 1 level is transferred to the next level Where does the energy go?

  16. http://teach.fcps.net/trt2/links/foodchain.htm 2nd level consumer carnivores and omnivores 1st level consumer herbivores plants producers

  17. Energy Pyramid • MOST ENERGY IS AVAILABLE AT THE PRODUCER LEVEL • AT EACH LEVEL THERE IS LESS AVAILABLE ENERGY THAN AT THE LEVEL BELOW

  18. Energy loss from Food Chain/Web • Organisms use the energy they get to survive: • Movement • Body heat • Reproduce • Carry out Chemical Reactions • Energy passed on is from growth. • The bigger the organism eaten, the more energy the next organism gets.

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