1. Energy Flow Through an Ecosystem
Food Chains, Food Webs, Energy Pyramids
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Begins with the SUN
Photosynthesis
6CO2 + 6H2O + sunlight & chlorophyll C6H12O6 + 6O2
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Photosynthesis
Chemical reaction where green plants use water & carbon dioxide to store the sun’s energy in glucose
ENERGY is stored in glucose
Glucose is stored as starch in plants
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Organisms that can make glucose during photosynthesis are called PRODUCERS.
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5. Producers use most of the energy they make for themselves.
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Producers use cellular respiration to supply the energy they need to live.
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6O2 + C6H12O6 -->  6H2O + 6CO2 + energy
CELLULAR RESPIRATION is the chemical reaction that releases the energy in glucose.
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The energy that is not used by producers can be passed on to organisms that cannot make their own energy.
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9. Organisms that cannot make their own energy are called CONSUMERS.
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10. Consumers that eat producers to get energy:
Are first order (1st) or primary consumers
Are herbivores (plant-eaters)
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Most of the energy the primary consumer gets from the producer is used by the consumer.
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12. Some of the energy moves into the atmosphere as heat.
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Some energy in the primary consumer is STORED & not lost to the atmosphere or used by the consumer itself. This energy is available for another consumer (predator).
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14. A Consumer that Eats Another Consumer for Energy:
Is called a secondary or 2nd order consumer
May be a carnivore or a omnivore
May be a predator
May be a scavenger
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Most of the energy the secondary consumer gets from the primary consumer is used by the secondary consumer.
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Some of the energy is lost as heat, but some energy is stored and can passed on to another consumer.
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17. A consumer that eats a consumer that already ate a consumer:
Is called a 3rd order or tertiary consumer
May be a carnivore or a omnivore
May be a predator
May be a scavenger
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18. Consumers that eat producers & other consumers
Are called omnivores
Omnivores eat plants and animals
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Consumers that hunt & kill other consumers are called predators. The animals that are hunted & killed are called prey.
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20. Consumers that eat other dead consumers are called scavengers
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The transfer of energy from the sun to producer to primary consumer then to higher order consumers can be shown in a FOOD CHAIN.
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22. Food Chains Show Available Energy
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More Food Chains
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Another way of showing the transfer of energy in an ecosystem is the ENERGY PYRAMID
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Energy Pyramids Show
Amount of available energy decreases for higher consumers
Amount of available energy decreases down the food chain
It takes a large number of producers to support a small number of primary consumers
It takes a large number of primary consumers to support a small number of secondary consumers
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Food Webs:
Are interconnected food chains
They show the feeding relationships in an ecosystem
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28. How Many Chains are in this web? copyright cmassengale

29. Identify the Producers, Consumers, & Decomposers:
Count the Food Chains!
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