Food Chains

o Cycles: carbon, water, nitrogen o Food chains/webs!

Sun is the major source of energy for our planet Powers the water cycle and is the major source of energy for plants to provide food Much of the energy never reaches the Earth’s surface: gets reflected or absorbed in atmosphere

Herbivores: only eat producers (plants) Carnivores: eat consumers (herbivores or carnivores) Omnivores: eat producers or consumers (plants and animals)

Decomposers: an organism, often a bacterium or fungus, that feeds on and breaks down dead plant or animal matter, making organic nutrients. Examples: bacteria and fungi

Scavengers: Feed on the bodies of larger dead animals. Examples: vultures, eagles, hyenas, beetles

Detrivores: feed on bodies of smaller dead animals and plants and dung Examples: crabs, earthworms, carpenter ants

Transfer occurs from one organism to the other through food chains Different levels of the food chain are called TROPHIC LEVELS. PRODUCERS: make their own food from the sun’s energy (plants) They are at the first trophic level. CONSUMERS: cannot make their own food and need to feed on producers or other consumers for energy. They are at the second or higher trophic levels.

FOOD CHAIN: starts with a producer and only connects with single links to the consumers. The arrows indicate energy transfer Example:

Through a process called PHOTOSYNTHESIS! PHOTOSYNTHESIS: the process by which green plants use sunlight energy to produce food (sugars). This requires chloroplasts found in plant cells. The equation for photosynthesis is: 6CO2 + 6H2O + Energy  C6H12O6 + 6O2

PRIMARY CONSUMERS: feed directly on producers Examples: deer, mice, cows, insects. They are at the second trophic level

SECONDARY CONSUMERS: rely on eating primary consumers for their food. They indirectly acquire energy and depend on the first trophic level producers. Examples: snakes, wolves, owls

TERTIARY CONSUMERS: feed on secondary consumers. They are at the fourth trophic level. Example: Hawk life-cold-blood-fully-grown-python-eating-deer.html life-cold-blood-fully-grown-python-eating-deer.html

We will do some examples! THEN Task: complete the worksheet on food chains!

FOOD WEB: multiple (many) food chains that interconnect showing many feeding relationships. Example: