ECOSYSTEMS FOOD CHAINS AND WEBS

ENERGY FLOW IN ECOSYSTEMS The greatest amount of energy is in the bottom level- or the producers Producers are photosynthetic

PRODUCERS Photosynthetic Contain most of the energy in a food web Autotrophic-make their own food

PRIMARY CONSUMERS Eat producers Herbivores-eat plants only Heterotrophic-get energy from food source Often prey animals-hunted by predators

SECONDARY CONSUMER Often eats primary consumer and producer Omnivore- eats meat (insects are meat) and plants Heterotrophic Could also be a small carnivore

TERTIARY CONSUMER Usually top of the food chain Carnivore- eats meat only Predator- hunts prey Has no natural predators

SCAVENGERS Eat animals that are already dead. Do not usually hunt prey.

DECOMPOSERS Eat dead and decaying plant and animal matter and waste. Examples: Bacteria and Fungi

PREDATOR Organism that actively hunts prey. In the animal Kingdom, predators often have eyes on the front of their heads for better visual acuity.

PREY Organisms that are hunted by predators. In the animal kingdom, prey animals often have eyes on the sides of their heads for better peripheral vision.

SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIPS Long-standing relationships between organisms in an ecosystem

MUTUALISM Relationship where both organisms benefit

COMMENSALISM Relationship where one organism benefits, and the other is unaffected.

PARASITISM Relationship where one organism benefits and the other is harmed. Examples: mosquitoes, ticks, tapeworms

FOOD WEBS Interconnected organisms in an ecosystem. The arrow is always pointing to the thing doing the eating!

VOCABULARY ProducerMutualism Primary consumerCommensalism Secondary consumerParasitism Tertiary consumerPredator HerbivorePrey CarnivoreScavenger OmnivoreDecomposer Autotroph Heterotroph Symbiosis

Teacher Notes Begin with BrainPop- category: “Ecology and Behavior”, videos: “Ecosystems”, “Food Chains”, “Symbiosis” This vocabulary is heavily TAKS tested, so the students need lots of practice making connections between the terms. Have the students take notes on the power point, then have them define the vocabulary at the end. Have the students create a food chain and food web based on organisms from either a desert environment, a forest environment, or a marine environment. They must have a producer, primary consumer, secondary consumer, tertiary consumer.

Continued….. Have students group organisms in categories of: autotrophs, heterotrophs, consumers, producers, omnivores, herbivores, carnivores. Example: Carnivores are also: predators, consumers, heterotrophs. Autotrophs are also: producers, photosynthetic, bottom of the food chain. Have students turn in webs and classifications to their science teacher for extra credit!