Environmental Science Chapter 1 Section 2

Energy throughout Ecosystems Producers Consumers – four types - herbivores - carnivores - omnivores - scavengers Decomposers

Producers – use sunlight directly to make food through photosynthesis.

Herbivores Eat only plants to get energy

Carnivores Gets energy from killing and eating other animals

Omnivores Eat both plants and animals to get energy

Scavengers Get their energy from finding and eating dead animals and plants

Decomposers Break down dead organisms as well as their waste products, into elements that can be used

Food Chain Graphic representation of how the energy in food molecules flow from one organism to another Less accurate than food webs because simple food chains rarely occur in nature Algae fish bear

Food Web Made up of food chains Much more realistic and complex than simple food chains Arrows go from prey to predator

Food Web Notice which direction the arrows go in

Energy Pyramid Producers are at the bottom The number of organisms decreases as you go up the pyramid Only energy stored in the tissues of an organism can be transferred to the next level Only 10% of the energy moves from one level to the next

Use your red pen Why is a food chain an insufficient representation of energy flow throughout an ecosystem? Read pg 12-13 On you notes, define habitat and niche Also, state why it is important to make sure that the natural balance in an ecosystem is maintained?