AIM: How does energy flow through an ecosystem? DN: What is a niche? Can two organisms occupy the same exact niche? Explain.

Why do organisms need to eat? To get ENERGY!! Cell Respiration: C 6 H 12 O 6 + O 2 ATP + CO 2 + H 2 O

Organism Categories: Organisms Producers (Autotrophs) Consumers (Heterotrophs) Decomposers

Organism Categories: Consumers 1’ Consumers Herbivore 2’ Consumers Carnivore/ Omnivore 3’ Consumers Carnivore/ Omnivore Herbivores – eat only producers Carnivores – eat only meat Omnivores – eat both producers & meat

How do producers get their energy? The primary source of energy for living things is the sun. Autotrophs capture this energy through the process of photosynthesis

How do the cows we eat get their energy? Primary consumers get their energy from the producers they eat

How is energy transferred in a community? Energy is transferred by consuming other organisms

In which direction is the energy moving? Why?

Scientists depict this transfer of energy as a Food chain. They show the transfer of energy from one organism to another in a community Food Chains

All Food chains begin with producers!!!! All organisms are consumed by decomposers (feed at all trophic levels) Do most organisms eat just one type of food?

Food Webs Show many food chains interconnected together

Food webs link organisms in an ecosystem Changes in the population of one organism can affect many other organisms

Energy Pyramid Producers 1’ Consumers 2’ Consumers 3’ Consumers Energy Flow

What does an ecological pyramid show? 1.Energy 2.Biomass 3.Number of organisms in a food web Ecological Pyramids show that the energy, biomass, and numbers at any trophic level are less than those of the trophic level below it.

Pyramid of Numbers Shows the relative number of individual organisms at each trophic level. Biomass Pyramid Represents the amount of living organic matter at each trophic level. Typically, the greatest biomass is at the base of the pyramid. Energy Pyramid Shows the relative amount of energy available at each trophic level. Organisms use about 10 percent of this energy for life processes. The rest is lost as heat. Ecological pyramids Go to Section:

Sun’s Energy in an Ecosystem Some of the energy is used by each organism and some of it is transferred as heat energy to the environment

Why is there so little energy at the top of the pyramid? Most of the energy from the sun has been used or lost by organism in the lower levels Only about 10% of the energy available at each level is transferred to the NEXT level. 100% 10% 1%