Download Energy Flow - Mr. Tyrrell

Energy Flow in
an Ecosystem
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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
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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
Habitat of Photoautotrophs
• On Land
– Plants
• In The Sea
– Algae
• Tidal Flats & Salt Marshes
– Cyanobacteria
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Consumers
Heterotrophs eat other
organisms to obtain
energy. (e.g. animals)
• Herbivores
– Eat Only Plants
• Carnivores
– Eat Only Other Animals
6
Consumers
Heterotrophs eat other organisms
to obtain energy.
• Omnivores (Humans)
– Eat Plants & Animals
• Scavengers
– Feed On Dead Plant & Animal
Remains (buzzards)
• Decomposers
– Fungi & Bacteria
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Feeding Relationships
Energy flows
through an
ecosystem in
one direction
from producers
to various
levels of
consumers
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Feeding Relationships
• Food Chain
– Simple Energy path through an
ecosystem
• Food Web
– More realistic path through an
ecosystem made of many food
chains
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Food Chain
1st
order
Consumer
2nd Order
Consumer
3rd
Order
consumer
4th Order
Consumer
Producer (trapped
sunlight & stored food)
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Name the Producer, Consumers
& Decomposers in this food
chain:
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Food Web
12
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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
14
Trophic Levels
• Carnivores/Omnivores
– Make Up The Remaining
Trophic Levels
Each level depends on the
one below it for energy.
15
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
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Energy Pyramid
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Biomass Pyramid
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Pyramid of Numbers
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