1. Energy Flow
2.1

2. Energy Flow
Every organism has a role is plays in the ecosystem in which it lives.
This is known as a niche.
Every organism takes energy from the ecosystem, and gives energy back to the ecosystem.
The way this energy moves from one organism to the next is known as energy flow.

3. Producers
Organisms that make their own food – usually through photosynthesis.
Examples: Grasses, Trees, Flowers, Bacteria, Algae

4. Consumers
Organisms that eat (consume) other organisms to break it down and get energy.
Herbivores or primary consumers eat only producers (ie. Plants)
Carnivores or secondary consumers eat other consumers
Omnivores are consumers that eat both producers and consumers.

7. Detrivores
Detrivores – organisms that feed on waste material in the ecosystem such as dead bodies, plant debris, and animal feces
Eg. Earthworm, woodlice

8. Decomposer
Decomposers – organisms that break down waste and dead organisms into usable nutrients
Eg. Bacteria and Fungi

9. Food Chain
Food Chain – is a single pathway taken by nutrients and energy from plants to animals and from one animal to the next.
Each step in the food chain is know as a trophic level

10. Trophic Level
The trophic level describes where the organism gets its energy from, and who they give energy to, in an ecosystem.
Organisms that eat the same type of food belong to the same trophic level.

11. Trophic Level
Notice that at each trophic level, some energy is lost to the surroundings.

12. Food Web In reality, ecosystems have more complex interactions.
A single organism may eat may different fods, and be food for more than one organism.

13. Food Web

14. Ecological Pyramid
Another way to illustrate ecosystems is by using an ecological pyramid.

15. Pyramid of Energy
Represents how much energy is available to each trophic level.
Approximately 10% of the energy is passed to the next trophic level. This limits the number of trophic levels to 3 or 4.

16. Pyramid of Numbers
Represents the actual number of organisms present in each trophic level
Shape will depend on the ecosystem

17. Pyramid of Biomass
Represents the total mass of living things in each trophic level