Energy in Ecosystems
Niche▪ The specific role that an organism plays
in its ecosystem ▪ Roles and space that it performs in and
occupies in the ecosystem ▪ What it eats ▪ Who eats it
Niche
As you watch, highlight the niche of the Ladybug
The Sun
• Provides all the energy that sustains life
• 70% of the energy from the sun heats the surface of the planet
• about 30% is reflected back into space
• 0.023% is used to by plants
30% reflected back 70% Heating
44% heats atmosphere
26% drive water cycle
Plants
Energy Flow
10 % Biomass
Deer Wolf
100 Tons 10 Tons 1 Ton
10 % Biomass 90% Heat / body processes
90% Heat / body processes
Food Pyramids
1st trophic level Producers
2nd trophic level primary consumer
3rd trophic level Secondary Consumer
4th trophic level Tertiary consumer
Energy pyramid• In energy pyramids the
amount of energy decreases when traveling up the trophic levels
80 000 kJ
4 000 kJ
75 kJ
Biomass pyramid
• In biomass pyramids the amount of total mass decreases when traveling up the trophic levels
8000 kg
110 kg
30 kg
3 kg
Numbers pyramid
• In a numbers pyramids the number of individuals usually decreases when traveling up the trophic levels
• Exceptions occur when very small consumers are able to populate very large producers
2
20,000
40
1