Download Energy Flow and Nutrients in an Ecosystem

Biology Standard 6
The Sun…
• Is the source of all energy on Earth
• Photosynthesis:
plants/phytoplankton
• Autotrophs: orgs make own food
GO SUNS!
Food Chains
• Diagram that shows where
energy goes in an
ecosystem.
• Each level: trophic level
• Bottom Primary
Producers: plants and
phytoplankton; take sun
energy  chemical
glucose.
Phytoplankton:
Primary
Producer
Plants: Primary
Producers
Primary Consumer:
Eats a Prim. Prod
Secondary
Consumer: Eats a
Prim. Consumer
Tertiary Consumer:
Eats a Sec.
Consumer
Consumers
• Org that eats a primary
producer: primary
consumer (herbivore)
• Org that eats a primary
consumer: secondary
consumer (carnivore)
• Org that eats a
secondary consumer:
tertiary consumer
South Africa
Decomposers
• Feed off dead organic matter
in soil, release nutrients.
• Fungi and Bacteria
Banana Slug
Decomposers
Amazon Food Chain
Video
Grassland Biome Example
Arrows show where energy is going!
Prim. Producer
Tert. Consumer
Prim. Consumer
Sec. Consumer
•Make a Food
Chain with your
Neighbor Right
Now!!!
Energy Pyramid
• As you go up the
trophic levels, energy
is lost.
• Rule of 10: 10% of
energy in 1 trophic
level is available to
orgs at next level.
• Other energy is
wasted as heat in env.
Energy Wasted as Heat
Food Webs
• Used to diagram
feeding
relationships,
more complex.
• Shows all
organisms in a
system that eat
each other.