Food Chains and food Webs

Go Through the Motions Tulips Back in 5 minutes

Food chains and food Webs Target: I will be able to explain what is shown in a food web, how energy flows through the ecosystem, and how food chains and food webs are related. Producers: Organisms that make their food from inorganic compounds They are Autotrophs (Plants, Algae, some Bacteria). Autotrophs: Organisms that make their own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis.   Pg. 89

Consumers: Organisms that must obtain food from other organisms. They are Heterotrophs (Animals, Fungus, Protozoans, and some Bacteria). Heterotrophs: Organisms that must obtain food from the environment. Decomposers: Organisms that break down the remains of dead organisms. They are Heterotrophs

Food Chain: A series of organisms through which food energy is passed. It shows the simplest feeding relationships. Example: GrassRabbitCoyote. The arrow points to where the energy is going. How Energy Flows in an Ecosystem: 1. Energy flows through an ecosystem in a straight line through a food chain. 2. Energy is passed from sunlight to the producer, to each consumer, and finally decomposers.

3. Decomposers break down organic compounds for reuse. They recycle the nutrients, but no energy is returned to the environment. Food Webs: Many food chains connected at different points. If one organism is removed from the web, it affects the whole web. If the producer is removed and it is the main food source for every consumer, the whole system will collapse.

If a consumer is removed, it will have an effect on the things that it eats and the things that eat it.  

Analysis What could happen if the grasshoppers die out due to pesticide use? Blue Jay death- less spiders to eat Owl death- less Blue Jays to eat Spider death- no more grasshoppers to eat X Squirrel increase- less Owls hunting them

If a consumer is removed, it will have an effect on the things that it eats and the things that eat it.  Summary:

My food Web Draw a food chain that includes 1 producer, at least 2 consumers, and a decomposer. Then, add at least 3 offshoots from the original food chain to make a food web. *Use a minimum of four colors* Pg. 88