Download Trophic Hierarchy in Ecosystems

Trophic Hierarchy in Ecosystems
1. Introduction 1a. Species are organized by what they eat
and by what eats them.
Trophic Hierarchy in Ecosystems
2. Producers
2a. Producers (autotrophs) = plants and
some bacteria.
- The entry point for all of the energy used
on Earth.
Trophic Hierarchy in Ecosystems
3. Heterotroph 3a. Heterotrophs (consumers) = any organism
that eats organic compounds or other
organisms to get its food.
Trophic Hierarchy in Ecosystems
4. Herbivors,
4a. Herbivores= Animals that
Carnivores,
eat only plants.
and Omnivores
4b. Carnivores= Animals that
only eat other animals.
4c. Omnivores= Animals that
eat both plants and animals.
Trophic Hierarchy in Ecosystems
5. Decomposers 5a. Decomposers= Organisms that feed on
and break down dead organic material.
- They recycle abiotic materials back into
the ecosystem.
Trophic Hierarchy in Ecosystems
6. Trophic
Pyramid
6a. Ecologists place organisms into different
trophic levels (who’s eating who).
Trophic Hierarchy in Ecosystems
Level 1
Producers
Trophic Hierarchy in Ecosystems
Level 2
Primary
Consumers
• Aka First Order Consumers
Trophic Hierarchy in Ecosystems
Level 3
Secondary
Consumers
• Aka Second Order Consumers
Trophic Hierarchy in Ecosystems
Level 4
Tertiary
Consumers
• Aka Third Order Consumers
Trophic Hierarchy in Ecosystems
7. Matter vs.
Energy
7a. Matter moves in cycles between abiotic
and biotic realms.
7b. Energy moves in a one way path.
Trophic Hierarchy in Ecosystems
8. Movement of
Energy
8a. On Earth,
energy enters an
ecosystem from the
abiotic realm
starting with the
sun, and moves
into the plants.
8b. The energy
then moves into
the trophic levels.
Trophic Hierarchy in Ecosystems
9a. Unlike matter, energy gets “worn
9. Grass and
Rabbit Example out” each time it moves.
Example:
1. Grass captures energy from the
sun during photosynthesis.
2. Rabbit eats grass but doesn’t get
ALL of the grasses energy.
3. The grass used a lot of the energy
from the sun to perform its own
life functions (growing, repairing
itself, etc…)
Trophic Hierarchy in Ecosystems
10. Ten% Rule
10a. This is known as the 10% Rule.
- Approximately only 10% of the energy that enters a
trophic level is available to the next level up.
Checkpoint
• Calculate the % Energy passed on to each trophic
level.
Agenda: 3/19/13
•Assignment:
–Energy Pathways
•Homework:
–Complete any unfinished
assignments