Transcript Primary Producer

V. Ecological Communities (Ch. 5 lesson 3, pg. 141)
A. Primary Producer
1. Definition – capture energy from the sun or
chemicals and store it as sugar
2. Also known as (AKA) autotroph (self feeder)
3. Energy catching base of the system
4. Mostly green plants & algae that fix energy
from the sun & make food (photosynthesis)
5. Some bacteria are chemosynthetic producers.
(nonphotosynthetic producers)
a). Use energy stored in hydrogen sulfide
to convert CO2 and water into sugar
b). found near hot springs and thermal
vents on the ocean floor. Look!
B. Consumer
1. Definition - organisms that rely on other
organisms for energy and nutrients
2. AKA heterotroph (other feeder)
3. break down plant/animal tissues into simple
substances (nutrients) through digestion.
4. Regulate speed at which nutrients turn over
in a system.
5. Types of Consumers
a. Herbivore – eats only plants
b. Carnivore – eats only meat
c. Omnivore – eats both plants & meat
d. Scavenger – eat the bodies of dead
organisms
C. Detritivores & Decomposers
1. Definition - organisms that chemically break
down matter back into nutrients
2. Are heterotrophs
3. Detritivore – a special type of decomposer that
scavanges (eats) nonliving organic matter
a. Detritus – leaf litter, waste, dead bodies
b. include worms, millipedes, wood lice,
some snails and flies
4. Decomposer - break down nonliving matter
and recycle (return) nutrients to soil
for plant use
a. Breaks chemical compounds down more
ex: CO2 into Carbon & Oxygen
b. Include fungi (mushrooms) and bacteria
VI. Food Webs & Chains (pg. 146)
A. Food Chain
1. Definition – linear series of feeding
relationships
2. Shows the movement of energy from one
feeding group of organisms to another
3. The feeding relationship between one
producer and a single line (chain) of
consumers.
4. First link is always a producer, second is a
herbivore (or omnivore), third and most
others are carnivores (or omnivores).
The chain “ends” with a decomposer.
5. Everglades Food Chain – diagram (pg. 146)
5. Everglades Food Chain – diagram (pg. 146)
B. Food Web
1. Definition –a diagram of feeding relationships
and energy flow showing the paths by
which nutrients and energy pass from
organism to organism as one consumes
another
2. A model of the feeding relationships between
many different producers and consumers.
3. Many interlocking & overlapping food chains
4. Diverse food web is more stable than one with
fewer species.
a. more links = more choices
b. able to recover from natural or human
caused disasters faster.
5. Everglades Food Web – see diagram (pg. 147)
VII. Energy and biomass (pg. 144)
A. Trophic Level (feeding level)
1. Definition – an organism’s rank in a feeding
heirarchy
2. The location of an organism on a food chain.
3. Producers are the first and largest feeding level
4. Must eat (get energy) from the feeding level
below you!
B. Energy Pyramid
1. Definition – a diagram that shows the amount
of energy (food) that passes from one
trophic level to the next
2. Only about 10% of the energy is transferred
(fig. 22, pg. 145)
3. Rest is used or “lost” to life process and heat
4. Energy Pyramid Diagram – pg. 145
C. Biomass
1. Definition – total amount of living tissue a
tropic level contains
2. shows the “living weight” of all organisms at
each trophic level.
3. Potential food for the next level.
4. Determines how diverse next level up can be
*more biomass = more possible food
= more species supported.