1. Energy Flow in the Ecosystem

3. Energy Roles 1. Producers: Can make their own food
Source of all energy in an ecosystem
Example – PLANTS
Photosynthesis: process used by plants, using carbon dioxide and sunlight, to make their own food

4. 2. Consumers:
Cannot make their own food
Obtain energy by feeding on other organisms
Herbivore: eats only plants
Carnivore: eats only meat
Omnivore: eats both plants and animals

5. 3. Decomposers
Break down waste and return raw material to an ecosystem.
Example: bacteria and fungi

6. Energy chains and Food Webs
Food Chain: series of events in which one organism eats another and obtains energy
F.C. shows only one possible path
1st level is always a producer
1st level consumer eats producers
2nd level consumer eats 1st level consumer
3rd level consumer eats 2nd level consumer

9. Food Web Food Web: combination of multiple food chains overlapping
Organisms can be both a 1st level consumer as well as a 2nd level consumer.

13. Energy Pyramids
Energy pyramid: shows the amount of energy that moves from one feeding level to another.
The greatest amount of energy is available at the producer level.
Only 10% of the energy can move up.