Topic 6 -Energy Flow In Ecosystems

energy Pyrimad

-A diagram that shows the relative amount of energy located within each trophic level. -Each level has less energy available to it than the level below. -an Average of 10% of energy from the previous level moves to the next level. the rest are used up or loss at heat energy.

Food Web

-A group of interconnected food chains -organisms within the food web can belong to more than one trophic level, or feeding level.

Primary Consumers

-Also called Herbivores, because they eat only plants. -animals that eat producers, example: Deers

Food chain

-Describes the relationship and energy flow between species within the ecosystem -energy flows from producers to consumers to primary consumers to secondary consumers to tertiary consumers until the top of the carnivores are reached.

Tertiary Consumers

-Eat Secondary Consumers. May be carnivores or Omnivores -Bears that eat fish that feed on other fishes is a tertiary Consumer. -Since the bear also eats berries and other plants it is also an Omnivore.

Producers

-Organisms that are able to make food molecules from inorganic compounds. -green plants sun flowers,algae, some bacteria, & some protists are producers b/c they can make the own food using energy from the sun during process of photosynthesis. -only can convert energy into food. - all organism depend on producers for their energy needs

Decomposer

-Organisms that consume dead organisms, break down dead organic matter, release nutrients back into the soil, water and atmosphere. -Important for carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and oxygen cycles. -Fungi and some bacteria are decomposers

Secondary Consumers

-Organisms that eat Primary Consumers. Example: a wolf that kills and eats Deere. -can be carnivores if they only eat animals - can be omnivores if they eat both plants and animals

Consumers

-Organisms that get energy by feeding on producers -Example: plants -three main kind of Consumers: Primary, Secondary, and tertiary.

trophic Level

-Producer, Consumer, Decomposer, Primary consumer, secondary Consumer, tertiary Consumer