Food Chains

What is a food chain? A food chain is a diagram that shows how each living organism gets its food

Food Chain Arrows show the movement of energy through the food chain. Arrows always point in the direction of the energy movement!!

In the Beginning All food chains begin with the Sun

Producers Producers are able to use the energy from the Sun to produce food.

Plants are producers

Consumers Animals that cannot make their own food are called consumers. Consumers must eat plants and/or other animals

Types of Consumers There are three groups of consumers in a food chain

Primary Consumer Primary Consumers - Animals that eat only plants (herbivores)

Secondary Consumer Carnivores that eat the primary consumers (herbivores).

Tertiary Consumers Carnivores that eat other carnivores

Decomposers Breaks down dead organisms, returning nutrients to the soil Example: Bacteria and fungi Decomposers are shown outside of the food chain

Food Chain Review A food chain is a diagram that shows how each organism gets it’s food. Arrows show the flow of energy

What’s Next? Food webs describe the organisms found in interconnecting food chains using pictures or words and arrows. In other words, food webs are a bunch of food chains all together!

Putting it All Together! 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 Carnivores/Omnivores Make Up The Remaining Trophic Levels Each level depends on the one below it for energy.

Making Sense of Trophic Levels An energy pyramid shows the amount of energy that moves from one trophic level to another in a food chain. The most energy is available at the producer level of the pyramid. The availability of energy decreases as it moves up the energy pyramid.

Ecological Pyramids Graphic Representations of Energy or Matter At Each Trophic Level May be: Energy Pyramid Biomass Pyramid Pyramid of Numbers

Energy Flow in Ecosystems Ecological Pyramids Energy Pyramids – shows the relative amount of energy available at each trophic level. Biomass Pyramid- shows the amount of living organic matter at each trophic level. Pyramid of Numbers- shows the number of individual organisms at each trophic level in an ecosystem. January 18, 2019 Energy Flow in Ecosystems

copyright cmassengale Energy Pyramid copyright cmassengale

Energy Flow in Ecosystems Energy Pyramid Tertiary consumers Secondary consumers Primary consumers Producers 10 kcal 100 kcal 1,000 kcal 10,000 kcal January 18, 2019 Energy Flow in Ecosystems

Energy Transfer – Trophic Levels Steps in the transfer of energy throughout an ecosystem. Each time energy is transferred, less of it is available to organisms at the next trophic level (10%).

Biomass Pyramid

Pyramid of Numbers

The most energy is at the producer level – the base of the pyramid.

The Energy Pyramid