Download Chapter 2 Section 1 Notes Energy Flow in Ecosystems Every

Chapter 2 Section 1 Notes
Energy Flow in Ecosystems
A. Every organism can be classified by its role in the ecosystem
a. Producers – Organisms that are able to store the energy from sunlight (or
chemicals) in the form of food (Examples – Plants, algae, some bacteria)
b. Consumers – Must feed on another organism in order to obtain energy
i. Herbivores – Consumers that eat only producers (caterpillars, deer)
ii. Carnivores – Consumers that eat only consumers (lions, spiders)
iii. Omnivores – Consumers that eat both producers and consumers (bears,
humans)
iv. Scavengers – Consumers that feed on the bodies of dead organisms
(catfish, vultures)
c. Decomposers – Break down wastes and dead organisms in order to recycle their
raw materials into the ecosystem (bacteria, fungi)
B. Food Chains and Food Webs
a. Diagrams that show the flow of Energy in an environment
b. A Food Chain is a diagram showing a progression of events in which one
organism eats only one other, and is only eaten by one other
c. A Food Web consists of many overlapping food chains
d. The arrows in a food chain or food web always point in the direction of energy
flow!!!
C. Energy Pyramids
a. Diagram showing the amount of energy moving through a food chain
b. The most energy is available at the producer level, and only about 10% moves
from level to level.
c. The other 90% of the energy has been used by an organism for its life processes
Eight Characteristics of Life
1.
2.
3.
4.
Made of one or more cells
Reproduction
Metabolism – The sum total of all the chemical reactions in an organism.
Homeostasis – The ability to maintain stable internal conditions despite changing outside
conditions
5. Heredity – The passing of traits from parent to offspring
6. Response to environment
7. Growth and Development – Growth is change in size, development is change in shape
Death – Every organism has a finite life span