Energy Flow

Through an
Ecosystem
Food Chains, Food Webs,
Energy Pyramids

Begins with the SUN

Photosynthesis

6CO2 + 6H2O + sunlight & chlorophyll

C6H12O6 + 6O2
2

Photosynthesis

Chemical reaction where green plants

use water & carbon dioxide to store the

suns energy in glucose
ENERGY is stored in glucose
Glucose is stored as starch in plants

Organisms that can

make glucose during
photosynthesis are
called PRODUCERS.

Producers use
most of the
energy they make
for themselves.

Producers use
cellular respiration
to supply the energy
they need to live.

6O2 + C6H12O6 --> 6H2O + 6CO2 + energy

CELLULAR
RESPIRATION is
the chemical
reaction that
releases the
energy in glucose.

The energy that is not

used by producers can
be passed on to
organisms that cannot
make their own energy.

Organisms that cannot

make their own energy
are called
CONSUMERS.

Consumers that eat producers

to get energy:

Are first order (1 ) or

primary consumers
Are herbivores (plant-eaters)
st

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Most

of the
energy the
primary consumer
gets from the
producer is used
by the consumer.

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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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A Consumer that Eats Another

Consumer for Energy:

Is called a secondary or
2nd order consumer
May be a carnivore or
an 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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A consumer that eats a

consumer that already ate a
consumer:

Is called a 3rd order or

tertiary consumer
May be a carnivore or
an omnivore
May be a predator
May be a scavenger

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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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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.

Food Chains Show Available Energy

More Food Chains

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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How Many Chains are in

this web?

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

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The End?

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