Food Chains & Webs

Producers  Organisms that make their own food by the process of photosynthesis  Also referred to as autotrophs (self-feeders)  Are found in the first feeding or trophic level in food chains  Ex. Plants, algae  Producers use 50% of the energy they capture to live, the other 50% gets stored inside of them to feed consumers

Consumers  Organisms that cannot make their own food  Also referred to as heterotrophs  There are 4 main classifications for consumers: 1. Herbivores: only feed on producers  Also called primary consumers found in second trophic level  Examples; deer, moose, rabbits 2. Carnivores: feed on herbivores or other carnivores  Meat eaters

Consumers Continued… Two types of carnivores: A) Secondary Consumers – carnivores that feed on herbivores  Found in third trophic level  Example, a lion eating a gazelle B) Tertiary Consumers – carnivores that feed on other carnivores  Found in fourth trophic level  Example, a coyote eating a raccoon.

Consumers Continued… 3. Omnivores: feed on producers, herbivores & carnivores  Eat anything  Depending on what they consumer they can be classified as primary consumers (second trophic level), secondary consumers (third trophic level), or tertiary consumers (fourth trophic level) 4. Decomposers: break down dead plants & animals and release nutrients back into the soil and water  Found in ALL trophic levels  Examples, fungi, worms, bacteria, crabs, beetles, etc.

Food Webs  A combination of more than one food chain  Food webs are much more complex than food chains

Your Assignment  In groups of 4 using flip chart paper, markers, and /or pencil crayons design a food web to represent the list of organisms your group is given.  Draw and label each organism.  As you make your food web label each organism as either a producer, consumer or decomposer.  If it’s a consumer indicate whether it’s a: primary, secondary, or tertiary consumer and if it’s a: herbivore, carnivore, or omnivore.  I will be displaying them!

Group 1 – mouse, corn, bluebird, king snake, hawk, cat, cricket, wild flower, black berries, frog Group 2 – cherry tree, fox, snake, hawk, rabbit, squirrel, butterfly, frog, bluebird, worms Group 3 – Pine tree, wild flower, bacteria, bobcat, grasshoppers, badger, raccoon, rat, fox, mountain lion Group 4 – mosquitoes, deer, skunk, spider, termites, ants, bird, vulture, fox, grass/trees Group 5 – shark, sea turtle, sea weed, worm, phytoplankton, algae, human, barracuda, butterfly fish, lobster Group 6 – bear, wild blue berries, bob cat, ground hog, raccoon, birch tree, toad, deer, snake, rabbit Group 7 – maggots, mouse, green clover, human, bob cat, deer, mosquitos, corn, apple tree, dead owl