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Name: _______________ Date: _______________ Science 7 Unit A: Interactions and Ecosystems 2.2 Food Chains Demonstrate the Flow of Energy in Ecosystems Food and energy in an ecosystem flow from the producers to the consumers Food chain: a convenient way to show how energy moves among living things in an ecosystem o Always starts with a producer (ex. Plant) o A primary consumer eats the producer (ex. Herbivore) o Secondary consumers eat primary consumers (ex. Carnivore) Energy Flow in Ecosystems Most ecosystems on Earth get their energy from the Sun o Through photosynthesis producers make the Sun’s energy available to producers in the form of glucose o This is what makes producers essential to ecosystems! Usually way more producers in an ecosystem than consumers 2.2 Food Chains Demonstrate the Flow of Energy in Ecosystems Hills 2014 Producers convert Sun’s energy into the chemical energy of glucose o The producers uses 90% of the glucose it makes for life functions (ex. growing) o 10% is stored as nutrients in a specific part of the plant (ex. In the roots for carrots) Only 10% of the plant’s energy is available to the herbivore o Herbivores use 90% of the glucose they get from producers for life functions (ex. Body heat) 10% is stored for the carnivore to consume Energy is not recycled in an ecosystem o It follows a one-way path o Therefore producers depend on a constant supply of energy from the Sun o Matter is recycled 2 2.2 Food Chains Demonstrate the Flow of Energy in Ecosystems Hills 2014 Producers depend on sunlight o Primary consumers depend on producers o Secondary consumers depend on primary consumers o Decomposers and scavengers depend on everybody 3