Science 10: 2.1 - Energy Flow in Ecosystems

Food Pyramid

A food pyramid is a model that shows the loss of energy from one tropic level to another.

Biomass

Biomass refers to the total mass of living plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria in a given area.

Carnivores

Carnivores, such as spotted frogs, are secondary consumers that eat primary consumers.

Omnivores

Consumers that eat both plants and animals are called omnivores.

Decomposers

Decomposers change wastes and dead organisms into usable nutrients.

Decomposition

Decomposition is the breaking down of organic wastes and dead organisms.

Detrivores

Detrivores are consumers that obtain their energy and nutrients by eating the bodies of small dead animals, dead plant matter, and animal wastes.

Trophic Level

Each step in a food chain is called a trophic level. Trophic levels in a food chain show the feeding and niche relationships among organisms.

Food Chains

Food chains are models that show the flow of energy from plant to animal and from animal to animal.

Food Webs

Food webs are models of the feeding relationships within an ecosystem.

Herbivores

Herbivores, such as grasshoppers, are primary consumers that eat plants.

Primary Producers

Organisms in the first trophic level, such as plants and algae.

Tertiary Consumers

Organisms in the fourth trophic level (e.g., hawks and sea otters), which obtain their energy by eating secondary consumers.

Primary Consumers

Organisms in the second trophic level (e.g., grasshoppers and zooplankton), which obtain their energy by eating primary producers.

Secondary Consumers

Organisms in the third trophic level (e.g., frogs and crabs), which obtain their energy by eating primary consumers.

Producers

Organisms that produce food in the form of carbohydrates during photosynthesis.

Biodegradation

The action of living organisms such as bacteria to break down dead organic matter is called biodegradation.

Energy Flow

The flow of energy from an ecosystem to an organism and from one organism to another is called energy flow.

Ecological Pyramids

a food pyramid. There are 3 types of ecological pyramids: pyramid of biomass, pyramid of numbers, and pyramid of energy.

Consumer

an organism that eats other organisms.