Producers, Consumers, Decomposers Its all about what you eat!

An organism is ….. Any independent living thing Can be as small as a single celled bacteria Or as large as a whale!

The three categories of the food chain are….. Producers Consumers Decomposers They are all depend on each other.

Producers Producers are organisms that use energy from the Sun to make their own food through a process called photosynthesis. Most producers are plants. The grasses, shrubs, and trees in a meadow are examples of producers. These types of producers are common in grasslands and forest ecosystems. However, algae and some bacteria are producers, too. Algae are common producers in estuaries and marine ecosystems.

Consumers Consumers get energy by eating other organisms.

Types of consumers: There are THREE types of Consumers Carnivores Herbivores Omnivores. Its still all about what you eat!

Carnivores Carnivores are consumers that eat only other animals. In marine ecosystems, sharks, walruses, seals, and octopuses are common carnivores. In land ecosystems, lions, wolves, hawks, and eagles are common carnivores. Some carnivores are called scavengers. These carnivores eat animals that are already dead. Most of the time, scavengers eat leftovers from other carnivores. One example of a scavenger is a vulture.

Herbivores Herbivores are consumers that eat only plants. Since plants, trees , and shrubs make their own food, herbivores get energy from eating these producers. In a forest ecosystem, deer and rabbits are common herbivores. In a savannah ecosystem in Africa, zebras and elephants are common herbivores.

Omnivores Omnivores are consumers that eat both plants and animals. Since they can eat a variety of organisms, omnivores can easily adapt to changing environments. Pigs, bears, raccoons, and humans are examples of omnivores.

Stop…Review…Check… Turn to your partner and tell them the meaning of each word. Also give two examples of each. Carnivore: Herbivore: Omnivore:

Decomposers Decomposers eat dead things and turn them back into dirt, or soil. Examples: Mushrooms Worms Bugs

Stop…Review…Check… Turn to your partner and tell them the meaning of each word. Also give two example of each. Producers: Consumers: Decomposers:

Bear Shark Rabbit Cherry tree Mushroom Human Tulip (flower) 8. Panther On a sheet of note book paper describe the following animals as either a producer, consumer or decomposer. For the consumers, make sure to include if they are a carnivore, herbivore or omnivore. Please use complete sentences! (Ex: A _____ is a ______.) Bear Shark Rabbit Cherry tree Mushroom Human Tulip (flower) 8. Panther 9. Giraffe 10. Worm