Download How Does Energy Move Through Ecosystems?

Food Web Dynamics and Productivity
Movement In Ecosystems
Big Idea 4: Biological Systems Interact
Essential Knowledge
• 4.A.6: Interactions among living
systems and with their environment
result in the movement of matter and
energy.
Energy Flows in Ecosystem
Producers
Consumers
Decomposers
Producers: Phototrophs
• Use sun to produce sugar (PS)
• Plants, Algae (Phytoplankton), Bacteria
• PS is 1 % efficient!
Producers: Chemotrophs
• Use H2S to produce sugars
(chemosynthesis)
• Bacteria
Consumers: Heterotrophs
• Break down stored sugars (aerobic
respiration)
• C6H1206 + 6H2O + 6O2 
6CO2 +12H2O+ Energy (36 ATP)
Simplified Food Chain
• Primary producers get eaten by….
Simplified Food Chain
• Primary consumers get eaten by…
Simplified Food Chain
• Secondary consumers get eaten by…
Simplified Food Chain
• Tertiary consumers get eaten by…
Importance of Decomposers
•
Make vital elements available to primary
producers.
 Convert organic material into inorganic
materials (producers can use in soil/
H2O)
Food Chains and Webs
• Are dependent upon primary
productivity!!!
Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)
• Rate at which energy is captured
during PS and stored.
LOW
HIGH
Net Primary Productivity (NPP)
Energy that
is available
to
consumers!
• Energy that
remains in
producers after
respiration;
biomass
available to
consumers
• NPP =
GPP - Resp.
Math Calculations!
15 minutes
Energy Flows, But Matter is
Recycled! Biogeochemical Cycles:
C, N, and Water