Matter and Energy in Ecosystems

1. Matter and Energy in Ecosystems How Does Energy Flow in a Food Web?

2. Map Your Meal • Draw a picture of the last food you ate. • Make an idea map showing the plants or animals each ingredient came from. • Expand your map to include where each of those plants or animals got their energy.

3. Map Your Meal

4. Map Your Meal • What is at the end of each idea map? • Did the ingredients you ate come from plants or from animals? • Why did each strand of your map end in the same way?

5. In an ecosystem, energy flows from the Sun to producers and then from producers to consumers. Path of Energy

6. Path of Energy Consumer Producer Consumer

7. photosynthesis. Processes of plants making own food. Takes place in a plant’s leaves Energy from the Sun

8. Photosynthesis

9. Predator and Prey • Predator – an animal that hunts other animals • Prey – an animal that is hunted • Animal can be both predator and prey • A snake eats a mouse, but can be eaten by an owl

10. Predator vs. Prey Predator Prey

11. Author Question • What is the relationship between a predator and its prey? • A predator eats its prey

12. Food Chains • A food chain shows the path of food energy in an ecosystem from plants to animals. • Food chains are different in different ecosystems. • Matter and energy enter the food chain through producers.

13. Food Chains • The second link in a food chain is a herbivore – a consumer that only eats producers • The third and fourth link in a food chain are carnivores or omnivores. • Omnivores eat producers and other consumers. • Carnivores eat other consumers.

14. Food Chains

15. Author Question • What are the third and fourth links in a food chain? • The third and fourth links in a food chain are carnivores or omnivores.

16. Food Webs • When two or more food chains overlap, they form a Food Web

17. Food Web herbivore

18. Food Chains and Food Webs

19. Author Question • What makes up a food web? • A food web is made up of two or more food chains that overlap.

20. Summarize Food chains show how food energy flows through an ecosystem Almost all living things on Earth get energy from the Sun. How does energy flow in a food web? Two or more food chains connect to form a food web.

21. Assess • What is the difference between a food chain and a food web? • A food web has several overlapping food chains. • Give an example of a predator prey relationship. • Hawk is the predator and a mouse is the prey

22. Assess • What is the relationship between the seal and the cod in this food chain? • They are predator prey • What type of living things receive energy directly from the Sun? • Producers (plants) Algae krill cod seal

23. Assess • How is energy supplied to a food web? • Plants carry out photosynthesis. • What do carnivores eat? • Other consumers • A cow eats grass, apples, and vegetables. What type of consumer is a cow? • herbivore

24. Assess • Humans are a part of many food webs. What type of consumer are we? • Omnivores • A skunk is an omnivore, so it eats • Both plants and animals

25. Matter and Energy in Ecosystems How is matter cycled through an ecosystem?

26. Investigate!Activate Yeast

27. What is Yeast? • A type of fungus often used when in baking bread. • A decomposer – breaks down dead organic material

28. How does temperature effect the growth of yeast? • Hypothesize – What do you think? • Control Variables • One scoop of yeast in each bowl • Five sugar cubes in each bowl • Independent Variable • One cup of warm water in one bowl and one cup of cold water in the other bowl.

29. Recycling Matter in Ecosystems • Some organisms get food energy by eating the remains of dead organisms. • The organisms are an important part of an ecosystem.

30. Scavengers • A Scavenger is an animal that feeds on the remains or wastes of other animals. Hyena Vultures Raccoon

31. Predators and Scavengers • Predators and scavengers are both carnivores. • Scavengers take in nutrients that would otherwise be wasted. • Scavengers are part of every kind of ecosystem.

32. Author Question • Why are scavengers an important part of food webs? • Scavengers consume nutrients that would otherwise be wasted

33. Cause and Effect Takes in nutrients that would otherwise be wasted Scavengers Cause Effect When eaten by other animals their nutrients are taken.

34. Helpful Organisms • A decomposer is a living thing that breaks down the remains of dead organisms. • When organisms die some are eaten by scavengers. • Dead organisms not eaten by scavengers decay or break down in into simpler materials by decomposers.

35. Helpful Organisms • Decomposer release nutrients back into the soil that plants use to help them grow. • This recycling of nutrients is helpful to an ecosystem. • Decay happens faster in warm, moist conditions. • Fungi, bacteria, some insects and worms are decomposers.

36. Decomposers

37. Author Question • What is one way that decomposers are helpful? • They release nutrients from dead organisms into soil.

38. Cause and Effect Break down the remains of dead organisms Decomposers Cause Effect Release nutrients back into the soil.

39. Benefits to Plants and Animals • Because decomposers are helpful, it makes sense to encourage their growth. • This can be done by creating a compost. • A compost is a place that is set aside for the decay of materials. • Grass clippings, leaves, and kitchen scraps can be put into a compost. • The resulting decayed material can be mixed with soil to add nutrients to be used to help plants grow.

40. Summarize Decomposers help decay, or break down, the remains of dead organisms. Scavengers get energy from the remains of dead organisms How is matter cycled through an ecosystem? The process of recycling nutrients and other materials from organic matter is important to every ecosystem.

41. Assess • What are examples of scavengers? • vultures • hyenas • raccoons • What are examples of decomposers? • Fungi (mushrooms – yeast – mold – mildew) • Bacteria • Some insects and worms

42. Assess • Why are decomposers important in any ecosystem? • They break down dead organisms into simpler materials. • Carnivores, omnivores, herbivores, and scavengers are all • consumers

43. Assess • Keenan accidentally leaves an apple core in his lunch box over winter break. When he opens the lunch box, the apple is slimy and has mold growing on it. What is happening to the apple? • The apple is decaying

44. Assess • Mice live in many different environments. When a mouse dies, where would it decay the FASTEST? • In a warm wet environment (swamp, wetland, tropical rainforest…) • How do scavengers make nutrients available to the food web? • They eat dead animals • Blackish green parts on bread show • Decomposers (mold)