Nutrition & Energy Flow Chapter 2, Section 2

How are these items related to one another in an ecosystem?

How Organisms Obtain Energy The Sun is the ultimate source of energy for life.

Producers Photosynthetic Autotrophs Use light energy to make glucose Sun flower, grass, algae bloom – Qingdao, China (hosted Olympic sailing)

Consumers Heterotrophs Herbivores = feed only on plants Carnivores = eat other heterotrophs Scavengers = eat dead animals Omnivores = eat both animal and plant materials Decomposers = break down and release nutrient from dead organisms Vulture: Scavenger; African WildDog: Carnivore (most efficient carnivore – kill 90% of prey they go after – work in groups); Zebra: Herbivore; Chimpanzee: Omnivore (Eat fruits and meat); South Arican Mushroom: Decomposer

Flow of Matter and Energy in Ecosystems Models to show how energy moves in one direction through an ecosystem Food Chains Food Webs Ecological Pyramids Arrows indicate the direction of Energy Flow

Ex: berries  mice  black bear Food Chain Arrows show transfer of energy Ex: berries  mice  black bear A portion of energy is given off as heat at each transfer Amount of energy in final transfer is only a fraction of what was at the first transfer Does all the energy from every plant on the planet get used by the herbivores?

Trophic Levels = Each organism represents a feeding step in the movement of energy Note: Book calls them 1st, 2nd, 3rd order heterotrophs

Food Web Shows all possible feeding relationships at each trophic level in a community

Ecological Pyramids Base always represents 1st trophic level Higher trophic levels are layered on top of one another

Pyramid of Energy = Energy decreases with each trophic level moving up Total energy transfer from one trophic level to the next is only about 10% (90% is lost)

Pyramid of Biomass = Less living material as you move up trophic levels

Cycles in Nature Matter moves through the trophic levels of an ecosystem. Energy can be lost through heat; Matter is not gained or lost, it is recycled. Ex: Water Cycle, Carbon Cycle, Nitrogen Cycle, Phosphorous Cycle

Water Cycle Water present 3 billion years ago is still present today It’s been recycled between land, ocean and atmosphere Evaporation (water gas) Condensation (clouds) Precipitation (rain)

The Carbon Cycle Putting Carbon in the Ground: Plants use CO2 to create carbon compounds (sugar) for growth and energy Consumers eat plants and/or other animals to get carbon compounds for growth and energy Plants and animals die, carbon is returned to the ground where fossil fuels can form Putting Carbon in the Atmosphere: CO2 gets released during cell respiration CO2 released when burning fossil fuels

The Nitrogen Cycle See figure 2.19 on page 56

The Phosphorous Cycle See figure 2.20 on page 57

Practice Why is a pyramid a good shape to represent how matter and energy transfer in an ecosystem? Why not use a circle or a square?

According to the Law of Conservation, matter can neither be created nor destroyed. Make a relationship between this statement and the recycling of carbon in an ecosystem. (Hint: All life on this planet is carbon based. What happens to a tree that dies & falls in a forest? Who benefits from the dead tree?)