ECOLOGY Food Chains and Food Webs 1

Food chain Notes FOOD CHAINS AND FOOD WEBS Energy flows through an ecosystem in a one way stream, from primary producers to various consumers. Series of steps in which an organisms transfers energy by eating and being eaten. 2

FOOD CHAINS AND FOOD WEBS Notes Food Web Network of feeding interactions. Linking together of all the food chains in an ecosystem. 3

FOOD CHAINS AND FOOD WEBS Notes Decomposers and Detritivores Decomposers break down dead and decaying matter and release nutrients that can be reused by primary producers. 4

FOOD CHAINS AND FOOD WEBS Notes Disturbances in Food Web Events that threaten the survival or population of a species has an effect on the overall Web. 5

FOOD CHAINS AND FOOD WEBS Notes Tropic Levels, Ecological Pyramid A step in the food chain or food web. Tropic Level Shows the relative amount of energy found at each level. Primary producer always found on first level. Consumers occupy other levels Ecological Pyramids 6

FOOD CHAINS AND FOOD WEBS Notes Tropic Levels, Ecological Pyramid Small percentage (10%) of energy gotten from prior levels available in the tissue of consumers as you move up the pyramid. Most of energy is used on life processes, respiration, movement, growth and reproduction. Energy Pyramids 7

FOOD CHAINS AND FOOD WEBS Notes Tropic Levels, Ecological Pyramid Shows relative amount of living organic matter available at each trophic level. Shows relative number of living organisms available at each trophic level. Pyramids of Biomass Pyramids of Numbers 8

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