Energy Flow in an Ecosystem - Science...

1

Energy Flow in an Ecosystem

copyright cmassengale

2

Energy Flow

•  Energy in an ecosystem originally comes from the sun

•  Energy flows through Ecosystems from producers to consumers – Producers (make food) – Consumers (use food by eating producers or other consumers)


3

Producers

• Sunlight is the main source of energy for most life on earth.

• Producers contain chlorophyll & can use energy directly from the sun


4

Autotrophs •  An Autotroph is any organism that can produce its own food supply!

•  Autotrophs are also called Producers

•  Plants, algae, some protists, & some bacteria are examples


5

Niche of a Producer •  Captures energy and transforms it into organic, stored energy for the use of living organisms.

• May be photoautotrophs using light energy (e.g. plants)

• May be chemoautotrophs using chemical energy (e.g. cyanobacteria)


6

Photoautotroph Producer That Captures Energy from the sun by: – Photosynthesis

• Adds Oxygen to the atmosphere • Removes Carbon Dioxide from the Atmosphere

Algae copyright cmassengale

7

• On Land – Plants

•  In The Sea – Algae

•  Tidal Flats & Salt Marshes – Cyanobacteria

Habitat of Photoautotrophs


8

Chemoautotrophs •  Capture energy from the bonds of inorganic molecules such as Hydrogen Sulfide

•  Process is called Chemosynthesis

• Often occurs in deep sea vents or gut of animals Called a Black

smoker (thermal vent) copyright cmassengale

9

Tube Worms living in Black Smoker


10

Consumers Heterotrophs eat other

organisms to obtain energy. (e.g. animals)

• Herbivores – Eat Only Plants

•  Carnivores – Eat Only Other Animals


11

Consumers Heterotrophs eat other organisms

to obtain energy. •  Omnivores (Humans)

– Eat Plants & Animals •  Detritivores (Scavengers)

– Feed On Dead Plant & Animal Remains (buzzards)

•  Decomposers – Fungi & Bacteria


12

Feeding Relationships

Energy flows through an ecosystem in one direction

from producers to various levels of consumers


13

Feeding Relationships

•  Food Chain – Simple Energy path through an ecosystem

•  Food Web – More realistic path through an ecosystem made of many food chains


14

Food Chain

Producer (trapped sunlight & stored food)

1st order Consumer

2nd Order Consumer

3rd Order consumer

4th Order Consumer


15

Name the Producer, Consumers & Decomposers in this food

chain:


16 copyright cmassengale

17

Food Web


19

Trophic Levels Each Level In A Food Chain or Food

Web is a Trophic Level. •  Producers – Always The First Trophic Level – How Energy Enters The System

• Herbivores – Second Trophic Level


20

Trophic Levels • Carnivores/Omnivores – Make Up The Remaining Trophic Levels

Each level depends on the one below it for energy.


21

Ecological Pyramids Graphic Representations Of The Relative Amounts of Energy or Matter At Each Trophic Level

May be: Energy Pyramid Biomass Pyramid

Pyramid of Numbers


22

Energy Pyramid


23

Biomass Pyramid


24

Pyramid of Numbers


Energy Flow in an Ecosystem - Science...

Documents

Transcript of Energy Flow in an Ecosystem - Science...