1. I. Energy Flow A. Producers Make their own food through photosynthesis
Examples: Plants, algae

2. B. Consumers
Feed on other organisms, cannot make their own food
Example: humans, bear, insects

3. C. Decomposers
Break down dead organisms, recycle chemicals to soil, water, & air
Example: fungi & bacteria

4. D. Energy enters ecosystems as LIGHT is converted to CHEMICAL ENERGY by producers and exits the ecosystem as HEAT.

5. II. Food Chain A. Trophic levels Feeding level
Represents position in food
chain/food web

6. B. Food Chain
pathway of food transfer from one
trophic level to another
You always start with PRODUCERS on the left/bottom of a food chain.

7. C. Producer --> Primary Consumer-->
Secondary Consumer--> Tertiary Consumer
D. Decomposers are found at EACH trophic level.

8. III. Food Web A. Definition:
interconnected branching food chains- more realistic representation of feeding relationships

9. IV. Three Kinds of Ecological Pyramids
A. Energy pyramid
Description: diagram representing energy loss from one trophic level to the next

10. 10% Rule
An average of 10% of the available energy at a trophic level is converted to biomass in the next higher trophic level.

11. B. Biomass Pyramid
Description: represents the dry mass of organisms at each trophic level

12. C. Pyramid of Numbers
Description: the number of individual organisms in each trophic level of an ecosystem

13. Why do you think all 3 pyramids look similar?