Transcript Who*s Who in the Ecosystem?

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Producers
• An autotrophic is an organism that produces
its own food and serves as a source of food for
other organisms in a food web.
• Converts raw energy from the sun to organic
molecules and nutrients useful to themselves
and other organisms
• Producers include green plants (grass and
trees) which produce food through
photosynthesis
• Algae and some bacteria are also producers
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Consumers
• Are heterotrophic - cannot make their own food and must
obtain energy by eating other organisms.
• Includes animals, bacteria, and fungus
• Herbivore - eats only plants (grasshopper)
• Carnivore - eats other animals (wolf)
• Omnivore - eats both plants and animals (black bear)
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Decomposers
• An organism, often a bacterium or fungus, that feeds on and
breaks down dead plant or animal matter.
• Converts dead organisms and animal/plant waste into water
and nutrients.
• Nutrients are returned to the soil and made available to the
other organisms in the ecosystem.
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Label the plant or animal as a producer,
consumer, or decomposer. Then draw arrows to
show how energy is transferred through the
ecosystem.
Ladybird
Butterfly
Titmouse bird
Grasshopper
Mouse
Fungi
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Rabbit
Plantain