Food CHAINS Chapter 3 Lesson 1

What are food chains? The living and nonliving things in an area make up an ecosystem All living things get their energy from food- some organisms can make their own food, while some organisms eat other living things to get energy. Food Chain- a model that shows the path of energy and nutrients in an ecosystem The arrows in a food chain represent the energy flow from one organism to another An arrow pointing to an organism shows the living thing that the organism eats. An arrow pointing away from an organism shows the animal that eats that organism

What are food chains? The energy in a food chain STARTS WITH THE SUN!- This is the energy source for almost all organisms on Earth PRODUCERS are organisms, such as plants and algae, that use the Sun’s energy to make (produce) their own food CONSUMERS- are any animals that eat plants or other animals. Consumers CANNOT make their own food DECOMPOSER- breaks down dead or decaying plant and animal material Fungi, bacteria, termites, and many other worm species

What are herbivores? Produces are at the BEGINNING of every food chain and when other organisms eat produces, they get the energy from the food that the produces have made and stored HERBIVORES- are animals that eat only plants Squirrels, deer, grasshoppers, giraffes, cows, and gorillas Are also known as Primary Consumers because they are the first to consume in a food chain Adaptations in Herbivores- many land herbivores have flat-edged teeth at the front of their mouths to cut plant material and flattened teeth in the back to grind plants to a pulp. Predators & Prey- Herbivores can be a food source for other animals Predator- an organism that hunts and kills other organisms An important part of every food chain Prey- organisms that are eaten by predators

What are carnivores and omnivores? In many food chains, herbivores are food for other organisms Animals that eat other animals are called carnivores. Carnivores are consumers- bobcats, lions, owls, and hawks Carnivores that eat primary consumers are called secondary consumers. These carnivores usually eat the herbivores Carnivores that eat other carnivores are known as tertiary consumers. Hawks often eat snakes These consumers are usually at the top of most food chains

Carnivores and omnivores Carnivores have special adaptations for catching and eating other organisms Some carnivores such as eagles and hawks, have sharp claws and a shark beak Lions and tigers have sharp claws and sharp teeth Omnivores- an animal that eats both plants and animals (raccoons) There are several omnivores in the animal kingdom- bears, woodpeckers, mice, chickens, and some crabs. Most people are omnivores too

Bears are Omnivores

What are decomposers? Decomposers break down organisms that are no longer living They break them down into nutrients and some become part of the soil Organisms, such as plants, take in these nutrients When plants and animals die, decomposers break down their bodies and the food chain starts all over again Earthworms break down plants Fungi break down rotting wood Some break down the remains of dead organisms Scavengers- animals that feed on the remains of dead animals that they did not hunt or kill help remove dead organisms from an ecosystem

Examples of food chains Mississippi has many different habitats A pond might begin with algae, stoneflies swarming near the surface of the water so they can eat the algae. The stoneflies close to the water are then food for the fish, such as sunfish. The sunfish are eaten by birds, such as blue heron. After the herons die, decomposers break them down