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Energy Flow in an Ecosystem 1 Energy Flow • Energy in an ecosystem originally comes from the sun • Energy flows through Ecosystems from producers to consumers – Producers (make food) – Consumers (use food by eating producers or other consumers) 2 Producers • Sunlight is the main source of energy for most life on earth. • Producers contain chlorophyll & can use energy directly from the sun 3 Autotrophs • An Autotroph is any organism that can produce its own food supply! • Autotrophs are also called Producers • Plants, algae, some protists, & some bacteria are examples 4 Niche of a Producer • Captures energy and transforms it into organic, stored energy for the use of living organisms. • May be photoautotrophs using light energy (e.g. plants) • May be chemoautotrophs using chemical energy (e.g. cyanobacteria) 5 Photoautotroph Producer That Captures Energy from the sun by: – Photosynthesis • Adds Oxygen to the atmosphere • Removes Carbon Dioxide from the Atmosphere Algae 6 Habitat of Photoautotrophs • On Land – Plants • In The Sea – Algae • Tidal Flats & Salt Marshes – Cyanobacteria 7 Chemoautotrophs • Capture energy from the bonds of inorganic molecules such as Hydrogen Sulfide • Process is called Chemosynthesis • Often occurs in deep sea vents or gut of animals Called a Black smoker (thermal vent) 8 Tube Worms living in Black Smoker 9 Consumers Heterotrophs eat other organisms to obtain energy. (e.g. animals) • Herbivores – Eat Only Plants – 1st Order or Primary Consumer • Carnivores – Eat Only Other Animals – 2nd Order or Secondary Consumer – Could also be a 3rd Order or Tertiary Consumer 10 Consumers Heterotrophs eat other organisms to obtain energy. • Omnivores (Humans) – Eat Plants & Animals • Detritivores (Scavengers) – Feed On Dead Plant & Animal Remains (buzzards) • Decomposers – Fungi & Bacteria 11 Energy Transfer Most of the energy the primary consumer gets from the producer is used by the consumer. Some of the energy moves into the atmosphere as heat. Some energy in the primary consumer is STORED & not lost to the atmosphere or used by the consumer itself. This energy is available for another consumer (predator). 12 Energy Transfer Most of the energy the secondary consumer gets from the primary consumer is used by the secondary consumer. Some of the energy is lost as heat, but some energy is stored and can be passed on to another consumer. 13 Feeding Relationships Energy flows through an ecosystem in one direction from producers to various levels of consumers 14 Feeding Relationships • Food Chain – Simple Energy path through an ecosystem • Food Web – More realistic path through an ecosystem made of many food chains 15 Food Chain 1st order Consumer 2nd Order Consumer 3rd Order consumer 4th Order Consumer Producer (trapped sunlight & stored food) 16 Name the Producer, Consumers & Decomposers in this food chain: 17 18 Food Web 19 20 How Many Chains are in this web? 21 Identify the Producers, Consumers, & Decomposers: Count the Food Chains! 22 Trophic Levels Each Level In A Food Chain or Food Web is a Trophic Level. • Producers – Always The First Trophic Level – How Energy Enters The System • Herbivores – Second Trophic Level 23 Trophic Levels • Carnivores/Omnivores – Make Up The Remaining Trophic Levels Each level depends on the one below it for energy. 24 Ecological Pyramids Graphic Representations Of The Relative Amounts of Energy or Matter At Each Trophic Level May be: Energy Pyramid Biomass Pyramid Pyramid of Numbers 25 Energy Pyramid How much energy is used, stored and/or given off at each level? 26 Biomass Pyramid What can you determine from the biomass pyramid? 27 Energy Pyramids Show •Amount of available energy decreases for higher consumers •Amount of available energy decreases down the food chain •It takes a large number of producers to support a small number of primary consumers •It takes a large number of primary consumers to support a small number of secondary consumers 28 Pyramid of Numbers At each level, what happens to the number of organisms? 29