FOOD CHAINS & FOOD WEBS

FOOD CHAINS vs. FOOD WEBS FOOD CHAIN – Diagram that shows how energy flows from 1 organism to another in an ecosystem. FOOD WEB – Diagram that shows the feeding relationships between organisms in an ecosystem.

PRODUCERS Makes its own food by: –Photosynthesis – uses sunlight –Chemosynthesis – uses chemicals VERY IMPORTANT: The bottom of a food chain and the anchor in a food web. Example – phytoplankton, algae, plants, some bacteria who live around hydrothermal vents.

CONSUMERS Cannot make their own food, must eat other producers, consumers, or decomposers. Examples – humans, krill, sharks, fish, zooplankton, lions, birds.

DECOMPOSERS Cannot make their own food; eat dead producers, consumers, or decomposers. Break down dead stuff and recycles it. Examples – bacteria, sea urchins, starfish, sea cucumbers, vultures, some insects.

TERRESTRIAL ORGANISMS – Organisms that primarily live on land or the air. AQUATIC ORGANISMS – Organisms that primarily live in water.

Aquatic food web

Groups of Marine Organisms Plankton or drifters, drift in the surface or sunlight zone –Phytoplankton – plant-like –Zooplankton – animal-like Nekton – swim in the open ocean, like whales dolphins. Benthos – live on the ocean floor, like crabs, starfish, corals.

Food web game 1. Play one round with your table partner. –Start with the Sun in the center. Why? 2. Once you build a food web, let me know to come check it. 3. Once I approve, please draw it in your NB. Make sure the arrows are pointing toward an organism that is eating. 4. Answer the questions. 5. Color terrestrial organism brown and aquatic organisms blue.