BIO 1300 ECOLOGY AND ENERGY FLOW Chapter 15 part 1 ECOSYSTEM ORGANIZATION AND ENERGY FLOW

TERMS TO KNOW ECOLOGY ENVIRONMENT BIOTIC FACTORS – LIVING ORGANISMS ABIOTIC FACTORS – NONLIVING FACTORS SUCH AS TEMPERATURE POPULATIONS – GROUPS OF THE SAME TYPE ORGANISM COMMUNITIES – INTERACTING GROUPS OF SPECIES ECOSYSTEM {P. 241} – LIVING ORGANISMS AND NONLIVING FEATURES IN AN AREA PRODUCERS – GREEN PLANTS CONSUMER – MUST OBTAIN ENERGY FROM ORGANIC MATTER

TROPHIC LEVELS EACH TIME ENERGY [FROM FOOD] PASSES FROM ONE ORGANISM TO ANOTHER IT CHANGES TROPHIC LEVELS PRIMARY TROPHIC LEVEL— PLANTS OR PRODUCERS SECONDARY TROPHIC LEVEL— HERBIVORES OR PRIMARY CONSUMERS TERTIARY TROPHIC LEVEL— PRIMARY CARNIVORES OR SECONDARY CONSUMER QUARTERNARY TROPHIC LEVEL— TERTIARY CONSUMER OR SECONDARY CARNIVORE

ENERGY PYRAMID FIRST LEVEL IS PRODUCERS AND IS THE LARGEST PART EACH TROPHIC LEVEL GETS SMALLER AND SMALLER ONLY ABOUT 10% OF THE ENERGY PASSES TO THE NEXT LEVEL SEE PAGE 243

TYPES OF CONSUMERS PRIMARY CONSUMERS ALSO CALLED HERBIVORES – Feed directly on plants – IN THE SECOND TROPHIC LEVEL

CARNIVORES EAT MEAT PRIMARY CARNIVORES – CONSUME THE HERBIVORES AND ARE ON THE 3 RD TROPHIC LEVEL SECONDARY CARNIVORES – CONSUME THE PRIMARY CARNIVORES AND ARE ON THE 4 TH TROPHIC LEVEL THESE ARE ALL PART OF THE FOOD CHAIN—SEVERAL FOOD CHAINS INTERACT TO FORM A FOOD WEB SEE PAGE 247

OTHERS IN FOOD CHAINS CONSUMERS: – OMNIVORES—EATS BOTH PLANTS AND ANIMALS – SCAVENGERS—EAT FOOD LEFT BY OTHERS – PARASITE—LIVES IN OR ON ANOTHER DECOMPOSERS – BREAK DOWN ORGANIC MATERIAL AND RETURN IT TO INORGANIC COMPOUNDS – SEE P. 242