ENERGY FLOW SB4b

Feeding Relationships Producer - organisms that make their own food. AKA - autotrophs Consumer – organisms that get their energy from eating other organisms. AKA - heterotrophs

Feeding Relationships – Types of Consumers Herbivore – organism only eats plants Carnivore – organisms only eats animals Omnivore – organisms eats both plants and animals

Feeding Relationships – Types of Consumers Decomposer – organisms that break down plant and animal matter into simpler compounds. Detritivores (scavenger) - organisms that eat dead plant and animal matter.

Food Chain Arrows show the flow of energy Producers are always at the bottom Trophic levels – level of feeding within a food chain

Trophic levels Producer - first or bottom level Primary consumer – herbivores Secondary consumer – carnivores or omnivores Tertiary consumer – carnivores or omnivores

Food Web Shows the complex relationships between organisms in an ecosystem Includes two or more food chains

How does energy flow in a food chain or food web?

Ecological Pyramids SB4b Comparing the quantity of energy in the steps of an energy pyramid.

Energy Pyramid Shows the amount of energy available to organisms at each level.

Energy pyramid Rule of 10 10% of energy is passed to next level Energy can also be lost as heat

Biomass Pyramid Amount of living material in organisms Always pyramid shaped

Pyramid of Numbers Number of individual organisms at each level Doesn’t have to be pyramid shape

500 fleas 50 rabbits 1000 plants