1. Producer: An organism that produces their own food, source of all food in an ecosystem
Consumer: Organisms that get their energy by consuming another organism
Decomposer: Organisms that break down dead material for their food
Autotroph: organism that can make their own food
Heterotroph: organisms that cannot make their own food, they must consume
Herbivore: a primary consumer that eats only plants
Carnivore: a secondary consumer that eats only meat
Omnivore: A secondary consumer that eats both plants and meat

2. Each level of organisms in an ecosystem is called a trophic level
Trophic Levels
Each level of organisms in an ecosystem is called a trophic level
Tertiary Consumers
Secondary Consumers
Primary Consumers
Producers

3. Energy Pyramids – show how energy flows in an ecosystem
Each level will support fewer organisms than the one below.
Available

4. Examples: plants, phytoplankton
Producers
Producers
Producers (which are green plants and autotrophs)
Producers make their own food by using photosynthesis.
Producers are the source of all the food in an ecosystem
Examples: plants, phytoplankton

5. Primary Consumers Primary Consumers (heterotrophs)
Producers
Primary Consumers (heterotrophs)
They depend on producers for food and energy

6. Primary Consumers that only eat plants are herbivores
Producers
Primary Consumers that only eat plants are herbivores
Examples: grasshoppers, rabbits, zooplankton

7. Examples: snakes, foxes, jellyfish, predatory birds
Secondary Consumers
Primary Consumers
Producers
Secondary Consumers
Secondary consumers can be carnivores and omnivores
Carnivores (eat meat/ other consumers)
Examples: snakes, foxes, jellyfish, predatory birds

8. Examples: humans, lions, bears, sharks, whales
Secondary Consumers
Primary Consumers
Producers
Omnivores (eat both plants and meat)
Examples: humans, lions, bears, sharks, whales

9. Tertiary Consumers & Quaternary Consumers
Some ecosystems have “top” predators that reach tertiary and quaternary levels. These organisms are at the top of the food chain.

10. Scavenger
A scavenger is a carnivore that feeds on the bodies of dead organisms
Examples: hyenas, buzzards, flies, snails

11. Decomposers
Organisms that break down wastes and dead organisms and return the raw materials to the environment are called decomposers.

13. Organism that is eating
ENERGY Flow
Food Chain: shows ONE possible path for the flow of energy
Producers are always first
Organism that is eating
Organism that is eaten

14. Food Web: Many overlapping food chains in an ecosystem.
Energy Flow
Food Web: Many overlapping food chains in an ecosystem.

15. Third Trophic Level
When an organisms eats, it obtains energy. This energy is used to move, grow, reproduce, etc. This means that only some of the energy will be available for the next organism in the food web.

16. 10% Rule
Starting from producers and working up the pyramid, only 10% of energy is available at each trophic level. Because of this, most food webs only have 3 or 4 trophic levels.
.1% 1%
10%
100%