Chaparral

1. Chaparral Mr. Ward-Guthrie 11/26/13 8th Grade Science

2. Chaparral – What is it? Shrubland found in southern California and northern Baja California - Mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers - Important characteristic – serious wildfires!

3. The Food Web - Where does everything get its food? Carnivores & Omnivores Herbivores Plants The Sun

4. The Sun – The source of energy for life Hydrogen is fused into helium in a nuclear reaction to produce energy

5. Producers of the Chaparral Producers (green plants) produce their energy from the sun via photosynthesis. Their fruit, seeds, and leaves are eaten by the primary consumers. Manzanita Toyon Scrub Oak Chamise

6. Primary Consumers of the Chaparral Primary consumers eat the producers. They, in turn, are eaten by the secondary and tertiary consumers. Pinyon Mouse Mule Deer Pinacate Beetle Ground Squirrel

7. Secondary Consumers of the Chaparral Secondary consumers are typically omnivores, both eating plants and animals. They, in turn, are eaten by the tertiary consumers, the predators. Whiptail Lizard Big-eared Bat Rattlesnakes Greater Roadrunner

8. Tertiary Consumers of the Chaparral Tertiary consumers, also known as apex predators, are ‘top’ of the food web. Carnivorous, they eat any level of consumer in the food web. Bobcat Coyotes Golden Eagles

9. Energy – Where does it go? In the food web, solar energy is passed along from the producers to the consumers. Along the way, most of that original energy is lost, either as material that is not eaten (bone, stem, roots, etc.) or expended as the animal moves, breathes, reproduces or performs any of the functions required for life. The circle of life is a not really a ‘circle’, but a complicated web of interactions.

10. The End