1. Energy Flow in an Ecosystem

2. Energy Flow Energy in an ecosystem originally comes from the sun
Energy flows through Ecosystems from producers to consumers
Producers (make food)
Consumers (use food by eating producers or other consumers)

3. Producers
Sunlight is the main source of energy for most life on earth.
Producers contain chlorophyll & can use energy directly from the sun

4. Autotrophs
An Autotroph is any organism that can produce its own food supply!
Autotrophs are also called Producers
Plants, algae, some protists, & some bacteria are examples

5. Niche of a Producer
Captures energy and transforms it into organic, stored energy for the use of living organisms.
May be photoautotrophs using light energy (e.g. plants)
May be chemoautotrophs using chemical energy (e.g. cyanobacteria)

6. Habitat of Photoautotrophs
On Land
Plants
In The Sea
Algae
Tidal Flats & Salt Marshes
Cyanobacteria

7. Heterotrophs eat other organisms to obtain energy. (e.g. animals)
Consumers
Heterotrophs eat other organisms to obtain energy. (e.g. animals)
Herbivores
Eat Only Plants
Carnivores
Eat Only Other Animals

8. Heterotrophs eat other organisms to obtain energy.
Consumers
Heterotrophs eat other organisms to obtain energy.
Omnivores (Humans)
Eat Plants & Animals
Detritivores (Scavengers)
Feed On Dead Plant & Animal Remains (buzzards)
Decomposers
Fungi & Bacteria

9. Feeding Relationships
Energy flows through an ecosystem in one direction
from producers to various levels of consumers

10. Feeding Relationships
Food Chain
Simple Energy path through an ecosystem
Food Web
More realistic path through an ecosystem made of many food chains

11. Food Chain Producer (trapped sunlight & stored food)
3rd Order consumer
2nd Order Consumer
1st order Consumer
4th Order Consumer
Producer (trapped sunlight & stored food)

12. Food Web

14. Each Level In A Food Chain or Food Web is a Trophic Level.
Trophic Levels
Each Level In A Food Chain or Food Web is a Trophic Level.
Producers
Always The First Trophic Level
How Energy Enters The System
Herbivores
Second Trophic Level

15. Each level depends on the one below it for energy.
Trophic Levels
Carnivores/Omnivores
Make Up The Remaining Trophic Levels
Each level depends on the one below it for energy.

16. Ecological Pyramids
Graphic Representations Of The Relative Amounts of Energy or Matter At Each Trophic Level
May be:
Energy Pyramid
Biomass Pyramid
Pyramid of Numbers

17. Energy Pyramid