Introduction to ENERGY FLOW

1. Introduction to ENERGY FLOW ECOSYSTEMS and FOOD CHAINS

2. What is an ecosystem? • Biotic Factors-living factors in an ecosystem • Abiotic Factors-nonliving factors in an ecosystem • Habitat – place where an organism lives. • Population – group of organisms from the same species. • Community – group of organisms from several species.

3. Definitions continued • Ecosystem – a community and all of the physical aspects of a habitat. • Ecological Succession- series of predictable changes that occurs in a community over time • Primary Succession- succession that occurs on surfaces where no soil exists • Secondary Succession- when a disturbance of some kind changes an existing community without removing the soil

4. Biotic vs. Abiotic • Biotic Factor • Abiotic Factor

5. Primary Succession

6. Secondary Succession

7. Levels of organization in a biological system Cells Tissue Organ Organ System

8. Organism Population Community Ecosystem

9. Biosphere The highest level of organization in a biological system.

10. sun eclipse with palm the ultimate energy source is the SUN!!!

11. How does the sun’s energy enter the biological world? photosynthesis Energy Flow

12. consumer 2 sunlight producer consumer 1 Energy Flow • The sun’s energy flows into organisms that can change the sunlight into food then into organisms that eat them. • This flow is:

13. consumer 2 sunlight producer consumer 1 PRODUCERS • Producers make their own food. They can also be called autotrophs. • Ex. Plants, algae and some bacteria

14. consumer 2 sunlight producer consumer 1 CONSUMERS • Consumers eat something else. They also are called heterotrophs. • Examples: deer, rabbits, cows, mice, lions, humans, hawks, snakes

15. Herbivores eat plants. They can be called primary consumers Ex. Cows, caterpillars, bunnies consumer 2 sunlight producer consumer 1 HERBIVORES

16. Carnivores eat meat and can be called secondary consumers. Ex. tigers, wolves, snakes, hawks consumer 2 sunlight producer consumer 1 CARNIVORES

17. A “top” carnivore is a tertiary consumer. They are at the top of the food chain. Ex. whale eating a sea lion or hawk eating a snake. consumer 2 sunlight producer consumer 3 consumer 1 TOP CARNIVORES

18. OMNIVORES • Omnivores eat meat and plants. • They are considered secondary consumers. • Ex. bears and humans

19. They are eaten. YUMMMM! They decay. SMELLY! Where do allthe dead things go? decomposer detritivore What’s the difference?Is it just a matter of taste?

20. DETRIVORES: feed on the remains of dead plants and animals and other dead matter (detritus) Crabs, mites, earthworms, snails Detritivore vs Decomposers

21. DECOMPOSERS: break down dead organic matter Bacteria & fungi Detritivore vs Decomposers

22. Why would they be called the environmental “recyclers”? decomposer consumer 3 consumer 2 sunlight producer consumer 1 Detritivores and Decomposers

23. consumer 3 consumer 2 producer consumer 1 Food Chains & Food Webs • Organisms in ecosystems transfer energy from organism to organism in a graphic organizer known as trophic levels. 3 4 2 1

24. consumer 3 consumer 2 producer consumer 1 The Path of Energy • ARROWS on a food chain describe this path of energy. • Notice that the arrows point from the organism being eaten to the organism that is eating it.

25. consumer 3 consumer 2 producer consumer 1 Food Chains & Food Webs • Energy is “lost” at each trophic level as a result of the activities of the organisms such as metabolism. • Only 10% of the energy is actually passed on to the next level.

26. What vital “recycler” is not shown in this food chain? consumer 3 consumer 2 producer consumer 1 Food Chains & Food Webs

27. decomposer consumer 3 consumer 2 producer consumer 1 Food Chains & Food Webs • If all of the snakes in this chain died, what would happen to the hawk? • To the decomposers?