Transcript Energy Flow
Energy Flow: FOOD CHAINS & WEBS EQ: How does energy transfer though the ecosystem? the ultimate energy source sun eclipse with palm Energy Flow How does the sun’s energy enter the biological world? Energy Flow The sun’s energy flows into organisms that can change the sunlight into food then into organisms that eat them. This flow is: sunlight producer consumer 1 consumer 2 PRODUCERS Organisms that can produce their own food (glucose) through photosynthesis. Autotrophs Ex. Plants, algae and some bacteria sunlight producer consumer 1 consumer 2 CONSUMERS Organisms that have to eat other organisms to obtain energy. Heterotrophs Examples: deer, rabbits, cows, mice, lions, humans, hawks, snakes sunlight producer consumer 1 consumer 2 HERBIVORES Organisms that eat plants Primary Consumers Ex. Cows, caterpillars, bunnies sunlight producer consumer 1 consumer 2 CARNIVORES Organisms that eat meat (other animals/consumers) Secondary Consumers Ex. tigers, wolves, snakes, hawks sunlight producer consumer 1 consumer 2 TOP CARNIVORES Top-level carnivores eat secondary consumers; usually nothing feeds on them Tertiary Consumer Ex. killer whale eating a sea lion or hawk eating a snake. consumer 3 sunlight producer consumer 1 consumer 2 OMNIVORES Consumers that eat both plants and animals Primary and Secondary Consumers Ex. bears and humans Where do all the dead things go? They are eaten. YUMMMM! They decay. SMELLY! What’s the difference? Is it just a matter of taste? Detritivore vs Decomposers Detritivores and decomposers both feed on the remains of dead plants and animals and other dead matter (detritus) They rely on dead tissues for nutrients. Detritivore vs Decomposers Detritivores eat the remains of dead plants and animals Crabs, mites, earthworms, snails Decomposers breakdown (decay) organic matter and feed on it Bacteria & fungi Detritivores and Decomposers What is a scavenger? A scavengers is a type of detritivore that feeds on carrion (dead animal remains). Ex. vultures, sharks, maggots, hyenas Detritivores and Decomposers Decomposers are often called the environmental “recyclers”because…. They decompose excrement, dead bodies and leaf litter, returning nutrients to the physical decomposer environment. consumer 3 sunlight producer consumer 1 consumer 2 Energy Flow The series of steps in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten is called a Food Chain sunlight producer consumer 1 consumer 2 Food Chains & Food Webs The steps in the transfer of energy from organism to organism in feeding relationships are called Trophic Levels. How does a food chain describe this path of energy? (arrows) producer consumer 1 consumer 2 consumer 3 Food Chains & Food Webs Name the number of the trophic levels in the food chain below. How do the trophic level numbers correspond with the “eating terms”? producer Trophic Level 1 consumer 1 2 consumer 2 3 consumer 3 4 Food Chains & Food Webs Some energy is lost from one level to the next level due to heat energy or metabolism. Only 10% of the energy from one level is passed to the next level!! No trophic level can contain more energy than the level before. producer consumer 1 consumer 2 consumer 3 Food Chains & Food Webs What vital “recycler” is not shown in this food chain? Upon which organism(s) would it feed? decomposer producer consumer 1 consumer 2 consumer 3 Food Chains & Food Webs If all of the snakes in this chain died, what would happen to the hawk? To the decomposers? decomposer producer consumer 1 consumer 2 consumer 3 Food Chains & Food Webs Most organisms feed on more than one trophic level and feed on several different species at each trophic level. This is a food web. Arctic Food Web http://www.arctic.noaa.gov/essay_krembsdeming.html Rangeland Prairie Food Web