Energy Flow in Ecosystems
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Energy Flow in
Ecosystems
Important Questions Energy Flow In Ecosystems
Give an example of a producer.
Give an example of a consumer.
What are the 4 kinds of consumers?
Give an example of a decomposer.
What is the function of a decomposer?
What do food chains show?
What does a food chain always begin with?
How can ecosystems be affected by climate
change?
Energy Roles
An organism’s energy role is determined by how it
obtains energy and how it interacts with other
organisms.
Each of the organisms in an ecosystem fills the
energy role of producer, consumer, or
decomposer.
Producers
Energy enters most ecosystems as
sunlight.
Some organisms, such as plants,
algae, and some bacteria, capture
the energy of sunlight and store it
as food energy. (Through
photosynthesis)
An organism that can make its own
food is a producer.Energy is transferred to
Important Questions Energy Flow In Ecosystems
Give an example of a producer. plants, algae, and some bacteria
Give an example of a consumer.
What are the 4 kinds of consumers?
Give an example of a decomposer.
What is the function of a decomposer?
What do food chains show?
What does a food chain always begin with?
How can ecosystems be affected by climate
change?
Consumers
Some members of an ecosystem
cannot make their own food.
An organism that obtains energy by
feeding on other organisms is a
consumer.
Important Questions Energy Flow In Ecosystems
Give an example of a producer. plants, algae, and some bacteria
Give an example of a consumer. Any organism that obtains energy by feeding on other
organisms (Wolf, Bird, People etc.)
What are the 4 kinds of consumers?
Give an example of a decomposer.
What is the function of a decomposer?
What do food chains show?
What does a food chain always begin with?
Consumers
Consumers are classified
(grouped) by what they eat.
Herbivores
Carnivores
Omnivores
Scavengers
Important Questions Energy Flow In Ecosystems
Give an example of a producer. plants, algae, and some bacteria
Give an example of a consumer. Any organism that obtains energy by feeding on other
organisms (Wolf, Bird, People etc.)
What are the 4 kinds of consumers? Herbivores Carnivores
Omnivores Scavengers
Give an example of a decomposer.
What is the function of a decomposer?
What do food chains show?
What does a food chain always begin with?
Consumers - Herbivores
Consumers that eat only plants
are herbivores.
Examples: caterpillars
and deer
Consumers - Carnivores
Consumers that eat only
animals are carnivores.
Examples: Lions and
spiders
Consumers - Omnivores
Consumers that eat both
plants and animals are
omnivores.
Crows, bears, and most
humans are omnivores.
Consumers - Scavengers
Some carnivores are scavengers.
A scavenger is a carnivore that feeds
on the bodies of dead organisms.
Examples: catfish and vultures
http://www.fisheriesmanagement.co.uk/catfish/catfish_introduction.htm
Decomposers
Decomposers break down wastes and dead organisms and
return the raw materials to the ecosystem.
You can think of decomposers as nature’s recyclers.
Mushrooms, bacteria, and some insects are common
decomposers.
Important Questions Energy Flow In Ecosystems
Give an example of a producer. plants, algae, and some bacteria
Give an example of a consumer. Any organism that obtains energy by feeding on other
organisms (Wolf, Bird, People etc.)
What are the 4 kinds of consumers? Herbivores Carnivores
Omnivores Scavengers
Give an example of a decomposer. Mushrooms, bacteria, and some insects
What is the function of a decomposer?
What do food chains show?
What does a food chain always begin with?
Food Chains and Food Webs
Energy enters most ecosystems as sunlight and is
converted into food molecules by producers.
This energy is transferred to each organism that eats a producer, and then to other organisms that
feed on these consumers.
The movement of energy through an ecosystem
can be shown in diagrams called food chains
and food webs.
Food Chains
Every living thing needs energy in order to live.
Every time animals do something (run, jump) they
use energy to do so. Energy is necessary for living beings to live and grow.
Animals get energy from the food they eat, and
all living things get energy from food.
Plants use sunlight, water and nutrients to get
energy (photosynthesis).
Food Chains
A food chain shows how each living thing gets food, and how
nutrients and energy are passed from creature to creature.
Food chains begin with plant-life, and end with animal-life.
Some animals eat plants, some animals eat other animals.
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/foodchain/decomposers.htm
There is actually even more to this chain.
After a hawk dies, fungi (like mushrooms) and other
decomposers break down the dead hawk, and turn the
remains of the hawk into nutrients, which are released into the
soil.
The nutrients (plus sun and water) then cause the grass to
grow.
It's a full circle of life and energy!!
Important Questions Energy Flow In Ecosystems
Give an example of a producer. plants, algae, and some bacteria
Give an example of a consumer. Any organism that obtains energy by feeding on other
organisms (Wolf, Bird, People etc.)
What are the 4 kinds of consumers? Herbivores Carnivores
Omnivores Scavengers
Give an example of a decomposer. Mushrooms, bacteria, and some insects
What is the function of a decomposer? To recycle dead and decaying organisms in order to put
nutrients back in the soil for producers.
What do food chains show? They show how each living thing gets food, and how
nutrients and energy are passed from creature to
creature.
What does a food chain always begin with? A producer
How can ecosystems be affected by climate
change?
How can ecosystems
be affected by climate
change?
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