Topic 5: Ecology and evolution 5.1 Communities and ecosystems
Autotrophs vs hetertrophs What do these words mean? Give examples of organisms from each group.
detritivores Ingests and then digest dead organic matter Eg. Earthworms, woodlouse
saprotroph An organism that lives in or on non-living organic matter They secrete digestive enzymes into it and absorb the products of digestion Digest first, then absorb Nature’s recylers – recycle nutrients Heterotrophs Eg. Fungi, bacteria
consumer An organism that ingests other organic matter that is living or recently killed Heterotrophs
Food chains Show the flow of energy through the trophic levels of a feeding relationship Trophic level: feeding position of an organism in food chain Each organism feeds on the organism before it Arrows point towards the consumer Indicate the direction of energy and nutrient flow
What is wrong with this?
challenge Group A: Create a food chain with three linkages (four organisms) from a desert ecosystem Group B: Create a food chain with three linkages (four organisms) from a grassland ecosystem Draw on the whiteboard. Now lets label it together as a class.
Food chain examples Tertiary consumers Secondary consumers Primary consumers Producers
challenge With your partner, read the following article and create a food web
challenge Can you pick out a 3 step food chain and a 4 step food chain? Can you find two organisms that fit into more than one trophic level?
Food web Shows complex feeding relationships showing interacting food chains
Challenge answers
Energy Light is the initial source of energy for almost all communities This comes from the SUN
Energy flow relay game Let’s go outside!
Energy flow Energy flows through food chains, but some (90%) is lost between each trophic level Loss is due to: Material not consumed Material not assimilated Heat loss through cellular respiration Nutrients are recycled
Energy pyramids Show the flow of energy between trophic levels Never 100% efficient, around 90% loss The width of the bars is proportional to the energy in that tropic level Only approx. 10% of energy is passed on to the next trophic level. Unit = kJ m-2 y-1
homework DBQ pg. 169 Working with data pg. 170