Agenda: Intro to Ecosystems Food webs & energy flow Make your own food web Life’s Work: Read Objective: SWBAT analyze the flow of energy through trophic levels of a food web. Do Now: List three ways that the fast food industry has affected the environment.

Ecology and Organisms Ecology: a study of connections in nature (how organisms interact with one another and their environment) Organisms: classified into different species based on certain characteristics

Ecosystems and their Components Ecosystem: a community of different species interacting together with the chemical and physical factors making up the non-living environment Ecosystems consist of nonliving (abiotic) and living (biotic) components.

Habitat: the place where an organism or a population lives Niche: The total way of life or role of a species in an ecosystem

Predator: an organism that captures and feeds on another animal. Prey: an organism that serves as a source of food for another animal.

Key Processes: Decomposition As plant or animal matter dies, it will break down and return the chemicals back to the soil. Key Processes: Photosynthesis The process in which glucose is synthesized by plants

On the food web on your Guided Notes: Draw in the sun. Draw an arrow connecting the sun to the grasses. Label the arrow with the name of the process that is taking place. PHOTOSYNTHESIS

Producer: (autotroph) uses solar energy or chemical energy to manufacture food Consumer:(heterotroph) get their food by eating or breaking down all or parts of other organisms or their remains                                   

On the food web on your Guided Notes: Draw a “P” next to the Producer. Draw a “C” next to a consumer. c P PHOTOSYNTHESIS

Omnivores: consumers that eat producers and consumers Consumers (Heterotrophs) Herbivores: primary consumers that eat producers Decomposers: digest dead organisms Omnivores: consumers that eat producers and consumers Carnivores: consumers that eat consumers

On the food web on your Guided Notes: Label the following organisms with the correct letter: Herbivore = H Carnivore = Ca c P PHOTOSYNTHESIS

On the food web on your Guided Notes: DECOMPOSERS On the food web on your Guided Notes: Draw in the decomposers. Label them, and draw arrows connecting all of the other organisms to them. c P PHOTOSYNTHESIS

Arrows always follow the flow of energy. Food webs/chains show how energy and nutrients move from one organism to another through the ecosystem Arrows always follow the flow of energy.

A Food Chain A Food Web

(decomposers and detritus feeders) Each consumer is placed in a specific trophic level, based on where they are in the food chain. First Trophic Level Second Trophic Level Third Trophic Level Fourth Trophic Level Producers (plants) Primary consumers (herbivores) Secondary consumers (carnivores) Tertiary consumers (top carnivores) Heat Heat Heat Solar energy Heat Heat Figure 3.17 Natural capital: a food chain. The arrows show how chemical energy in food flows through various trophic levels in energy transfers; most of the energy is degraded to heat, in accordance with the second law of thermodynamics. Heat Heat Detritivores (decomposers and detritus feeders) Heat Fig. 3-17, p. 64

Because of these tropic levels, we can use an energy pyramid to organize the food web in a different way. RABBIT THE SUN On your guided notes, classify the organisms from the food web into this pyramid.

(decomposers and detritus feeders) First Trophic Level Second Trophic Level Third Trophic Level Fourth Trophic Level Producers (plants) Primary consumers (herbivores) Secondary consumers (carnivores) Tertiary consumers (top carnivores) Heat Heat Heat Solar energy Heat Heat Figure 3.17 Natural capital: a food chain. The arrows show how chemical energy in food flows through various trophic levels in energy transfers; most of the energy is degraded to heat, in accordance with the second law of thermodynamics. Heat Heat Any time that energy is transferred from one organism to another, heat is lost to the environment. Detritivores (decomposers and detritus feeders) Heat Fig. 3-17, p. 64

So much heat, in fact, that we use the 10% Rule: 90% of the energy at each energy level is lost in the form of heat 90% This helps explain why: It is more efficient to eat lower on the energy pyramid, like vegetarians do. You’re getting more energy for your buck. Top predators are so few in number. There’s only so much energy available at the top of the pyramid.

On your guided notes, label the amount of energy available at each level of the pyramid. SNAKE SNAKE SHREW COUGAR MOUSE DEER 1,000 RABBIT INSECTS 10,000 Kilocal. GRASSES THE SUN

On the bottom of your guided notes, complete the energy pyramids with the amount of energy available.