Energy, Producers, and Consumers

1. Energy, Producers, and Consumers What are primary producers? How do consumers obtain energy and nutrients?

2. Primary Producers • Autotrophs- capture energy from sunlight or chemicals, and turn it into a form living cells can use. • Examples: • They are essential in aiding the flow of energy.

3. Primary Producers • Photosynthesis- captures light energy and powers converts it. • Plants are main photosynthetic producer on earth. • Algae in freshwater ecosystems converts energy from sunlight. • Cyanobacteria in tidal flats and salt marshes.

4. What is happening here?

5. Photosynthesis • Convert CO2 into water into O2 and carbohydrates using energy from sunlight. • Without it the air wouldn’t contain enough oxygen to support humans

6. Primary Producers • Ecosystems also thrive in dark volcanic vents, and deep dark depths of the ocean. • Dark ecosystems rely on primary producers that use chemical energy from inorganic molecules like hydrogen sulfide.

7. What is happening here?

8. Chemosynthesis • Process used to produce carbohydrates • They don’t always live in dark places they have been found in tidal marshes as well. Anywhere they can find chemical energy to convert into energy for other organisms.

9. Consumers • Can’t get energy from the environment like primary producers can. • Known as heterotrophs (consumers) they get energy from other organisms. • Examples:

10. Types of consumers • Carnivores- • Herbivores- • Scavengers- • Decomposers-

11. Types of consumers • Omnivores- • Detrivores- • Decomposers-

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