Transcript Energy Flow in Ecosystems - ESC-2

Energy Flow
in
Ecosystems
Components of an Ecosystem
• living and non-living things interact
with each other in an ecosystem
– biomass – total mass of all living matter in
an area
– abiotic factors – non-living things
– biotic factors – living things
Abiotic Factors
The four major abiotic components are:
a. climate
b. soil, dead material, and rock
c. topography
d. natural disturbances
Biotic Factors
Biotic factors are anything that is living:
a. plants
b. animals
c. microscopic organisms
Abiotic Factors
Find the abiotic and biotic factors
Biotic Factors
Find the abiotic and biotic factors
Energy Roles
• Energy enters an ecosystem as
sunlight
• Energy flows through an ecosystem in
a cycle
• Each organism has a role to play in this
energy flow
– Producer
– Consumer
– Decomposer
Producers
Autotrophs
• Producers make their own food and are
the source of all the energy in an
ecosystem
• Autotrophs
– Plants, algae, grass, trees, flowers,
bacteria, plankton
Producers
Consumers
Heterotrophs
• Cannot make their own food
• Get their energy from consuming other
organisms
• Heterotrophs
– herbivores
– carnivores
– omnivores
Consumer - Herbivore
Consumer - Carnivore
Consumer - Omnivore
Decomposers and Scavengers
• Decomposers break down waste and
return the raw materials into the soil
• Waste and dead organisms must be
removed from the environment
– Bacteria
– Fungi
– Carrion eaters like vultures, coyotes,
maggots
Decomposers and Scavengers
Food Chains
• A series of events in which one
organism eats another and obtains
energy.
– first organism in a food chain is always a
producer
– Next organisms are consumers
Food Chains
• Decomposers can be at any level
Food Chain
Food Web
• A food chain just shows one track of
energy flow
• A food web consists of many
overlapping food chains
• Organisms can play more than one role
in a food web
Food Web
Food Web
Trophic Level
Organisms can be divided into
trophic levels
• producers are at the bottom
• Next are primary consumers
(herbivores)
• Secondary consumers (omnivores
or carnivores)
• Tertiary consumers (omnivores or
carnivores)
Trophic Level
Energy Pyramids
• An energy pyramid shows the amount
of energy that moves from one feeding
level to another in a food web
• At each level upward, the amount of
energy decreases due to use
Energy Pyramids
• When an organism eats food, it obtains
energy
• The organism uses some of this energy
for living (about 90%)
• Not all of this energy is available to the
next consumer in line (only 10% moves
to the next level)
Energy Pyramids
• The most energy is available at the
producer level
• The amount of energy at the producer
level determines how many organisms
an ecosystem can support
• The least amount of energy is available
at the third level or tertiary consumer
Energy Pyramids
Energy Pyramids
Cycling of Energy
• Once an organism dies, decomposers
take over and break down the material
it was made of
• These nutrients are put back into the
soil
• Plants then use those nutrients along
with sunlight to recycle that energy
back into the food chain
• Energy flows through an ecosystem in
a cycle
Cycling of Energy
• Composting – helping the natural
decomposition process break down
waste
• Using a compost bin, we can recycle
food scraps and return those nutrients
to the soil
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http://www.neok12.com/quiz/ECOSYS01
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