Download Go with The Flow! Food Chains, Webs, and Pyramids

Go with The Flow!
Food Chains, Webs, and
Pyramids
The biologist’s way of tracking the
flow of energy in an ecosystem
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Most basic: only one group of organisms
Arrows show direction of energy flow
Helps biologists study individual species
Contains:
◦ Abiotic factors = sun (source of all energy)
◦ Producer = plants (brings energy into ecosystem)
◦ Consumers = things with mouths
 Primary consumer – herbivore / omnivore
 Secondary consumer – carnivore / omnivore
 Tertiary (third) consumer - carnivore
Abiotic
energy source
producer
primary
consumer
Food Chains
Who’s eating who?
secondary
consumer
tertiary
consumer
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Combines related food chains from the same
ecosystem
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More realistic representation of nature
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Arrows still show direction of energy flow
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Helps biologists study the ecosystem and species
interaction
Food Webs
Choices, choices, choices
Shows the loss of energy
as it passes through the
different organisms. Only
10% of energy passes
on to the next level
 Helps biologists study
the health of an
ecosystem
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Top =
 final consumer, dominant
predator
 least energy
 Fewest number of
individuals
10%
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 always producers
 most energy
 Greatest number of
individuals
10%
Bottom =
10%
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Energy Pyramids
The big picture