Energy Flow Through the Biosphere What is the Biosphere: 1.The part of the earth’s crust, waters and atmosphere that supports life. 2.The ecosystem comprising the entire earth and the living organisms that inhabit it.

Energy Flow Through the Biosphere One-way flow Energy arrives on the planet as sunlight Energy flows through the tissues of producers to the tissues of consumers and then to the decomposers. Can have many levels of consumers

Ecological Pyramids: Show the energy flow from one organism layer to the next (moves upward).

Layers in a Pyramid are called Trophic Levels Each step in the series of organisms eating other organisms makes up a trophic level or feeding level. Energy is passed from producers to consumers. Available Energy decreases in each level (some lost as heat). Can have many levels of consumers. Primary Secondary Tertiary

Nutrients: Building Blocks of Living Tissue Autotrophs: Green plants take up water, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (nutrients) from their environment. Plants use sunlight to assemble these simple substances into complex substances for their growth and maintenance. Carbohydrates Proteins Fats

Nutrients: Building Blocks of Living Tissue Heterotrophs: Eat other organisms (plants and/or animals) to obtain these vital nutrients. Carbohydrates: provide energy Proteins: structural material Fats: energy storage and insulation Vitamins and Minerals: cell function

Putting it All Together Energy that all living organisms depend on must be continually captured from the sun by producers. Energy and nutrients move from 1 trophic level to the next in the form of plant and animal tissue. Energy can be shown in different layers of the Ecological Pyramid

Trophic Levels

Food Webs: Who Eats Whom? All organisms are linked together into complex networks based on who eats whom. Primary producers are eaten by primary consumers Primary consumers are eaten by secondary consumers Secondary consumers are eaten by tertiary consumers (etc…) As a result, food webs show the complex feeding relationships that result from interconnecting food chains between many organisms in an ecosystem.

Shows the Complexity of Energy Flow

food web video