Energy Flow in Ecosystems

Energy Roles 1. Producers – an organism that can make its own food (plants) 2. Consumers – organism that gains energy by feeding on another organism 1. Herbivores – eat only plants 2. Carnivores – eat only animals 3. Omnivores – eat plants and animals 4. Scavengers – dead animals 3. Decomposers – break down wastes and return raw materials to the ecosystem (mushrooms, bacteria)

Producer, Consumer or Decomposer Human Consumer Deer Consumer Pine tree Producer Mushroom Decomposer Rabbit Consumer Bacteria Decomposer Mouse Consumer Snake Consumer Wheat Producer

Producer, Consumer or Decomposer Fly maggot Decomposer Bluegrass Producer Hawk Consumer Millipede Consumer Sparrow Consumer Cat Consumer Frog Consumer Algae Producer Trout Consumer

Food Chain Series of events where one organism eats another and obtains energy

Food Web Many overlapping food chains in an ecosystem

Energy Pyramids Shows the amount of energy that moves from one feeding level to the next Most energy available at the producer level Only about 10% of the energy transferred to next level energy pyramid.pdf