Energy in the ecosystem

Learning Scale Level 4 – Investigate and analyze the relationships between organisms in assigned ecosystems. Level 3 – Compare and contrast the relationships between organisms. Level 2 – Describe and explain the roles of producers, consumers, and decomposers in transferring energy in a food web. Identify and describe limiting factors in an ecosystem and their impact on organisms. Level 1 – With help, define key terms (producer, consumer, decomposer, mutualism, parasitism, commensalism, etc.)

Habitat – place where an organism lives Niche – the role of the organism in its environment

Producers make their own food. Example = Grass Processes include: Photosynthesis or Chemosynthesis All energy comes from the Sun.

Consumers eat other organisms. Herbivore – eats plants Carnivore – eats other animals Omnivore – eats plants and animals Detritivore/Decomposers – eat the remains of other organisms.

Levels of Consumers Primary Consumer – eats the producer Secondary Consumer – eats the primary consumer Tertiary Consumer – eats the secondary consumer

A food chain is a model that shows how energy flows in an ecosystem through feeding relationships.

How does a food chain model the Law of Conservation of Energy?

Think of a Florida ecosystem Think of a Florida ecosystem. What is one herbivore, carnivore, and omnivore that might be found there?

Explain what this diagram shows.

Learning Scale Level 4 – Investigate and analyze the relationships between organisms in assigned ecosystems. Level 3 – Compare and contrast the relationships between organisms. Level 2 – Describe and explain the roles of producers, consumers, and decomposers in transferring energy in a food web. Identify and describe limiting factors in an ecosystem and their impact on organisms. Level 1 – With help, define key terms (producer, consumer, decomposer, mutualism, parasitism, commensalism, etc.)