1. Ecosystems & Energy Flow

2. I. Energy is one of the most important parts of an ecosystem
A. Almost all energy is contained in the plant or producer portion of an ecosystem B. Energy cannot be recycled
C. There is no energy cycle only a flow

3. II. Energy Flow
A. Producers can produce their own food (photosynthesizer etc...)
B. Those that cannot are called consumers 1. Primary consumers get their energy directly from producers 2. Secondary, tertiary, and quaternary feed on other animals
C. The flow is from sun producerconsumer decomposer

4. Energy Flow (Cont.) Video Clip
The energy steps are called trophic levels
E. Only 10% of the energy of each trophic level is passed up!!
Video Clip

5. III. Trophic Levels Primary Producers 1. Autotrophs
2. Plants or bacteria
(usually photosynthsizers)
3. Ex. Oak, grass, bacteria, diatoms

6. Primary consumers Heterotrophs Herbivores 3. Ex. Deer, caterpillar
(plant eaters)
3. Ex. Deer, caterpillar

7. C. Secondary Consumer 1. Heterotrophs
Carnivores (herbivores are their prey)
Ex. Wasp, Fish, Human

8. D. Tertiary Consumers Heterotrophs
Carnivores (other carnivores are their prey)
Ex. Eagle, spider

9. E. Detritivores Decomposers Scavengers
2. Feed off nonliving organic matter (dead stuff)
3. Obtain energy from “detritus”—the dead stuff
4. Ex. Maggots, fungi, bacteria
Nature Works
What Is Decomposition?

10.                                                  
IV. Webs and Chains
Arrows b/w trophic levels ALWAYS point to the consumer.
Arrows SHOW the direction of energy flow.
10% of energy moves up the food chain to the next level.
Food Chains and Food Webs

11. As you go up the trophic levels, organisms lose energy.
An ecosystem can support more primary producers, than tertiary consumers.

12. D. Food Chains Trophic levels combined
Shows only one route of energy flow

13. E. Food Webs Combination of several food chains
Shows options of how energy could flow through an ecosystem
Song

14. F. Feeding Relationships
Food chains: simplistic, not realistic
Food webs: more complex, more realistic
Video clip
Bill Nye -Food Webs

15. Great Lakes Food Webs
MI Env. Ed. Curr.
Our Waters

16. How Ecosystems Work United Streaming:
Video Clips: “Web of Life: The Producer to Predator”
“Biologically Speaking: Ecosystems & the Cycles of Nature”

17. Nutrients Cycles (Biogeochemical cycles)
Water
Nitrogen
Carbon
Phosphorous
Sulfur
**Unlike energy, are recycled in an ecosystem

18. 1. Water Cycle

19. Hydrologic Cycle Vocabulary
Precipitation – rain, sleet, snow, etc…(from clouds)
Condensation – going from water vapor to liquid water in clouds
Evaporation – from liquid water to vapor in the atmosphere (from bodies of water)
Transpiration – evaporation from plants leaves (stomata)
Infiltration – percolation or seeping of water into the soil

20. 2. Nitrogen cycle Most organisms can’t use the nitrogen in the air
Nitrogen fixing bacteria are key to the cycle
Lightning plays a role in fixing nitrogen into a usable form too
Nitrogen is a fertilizer for plants
79% of the air is made of nitrogen

21. Another example …

22. 3. Carbon cycle c. Unbalanced
a. Moves from plants to animals to decomposer and back to animals again
b. Involves:
Respiration (breathing of animals)
Combustion (burning)
Photosynthesis (uses CO2 and converts to oxygen)
c. Unbalanced

23. Carbon Levels & Global Temperatures
Unbalanced

24. Carbon Levels & Global Temperatures

25. Phosphorous Cycle

26. Sulfur Cycle